WILLIAM GRANT STILL: TROUBLED HISTORY (part 4 of 5)

Posted on October 5, 2018

“Musicians William Grant Still, L. Wolfe Gilbert, W. C. Handy, Frank Drye and Andy Razaf in Los Angeles, Calif., circa 1954.”  From UCLA Library, Islandora Repository, Los Angeles Daily News Negatives.

During the 30s and 40s, Still was at the height of his standing in the ‘serious’ music world; his compositions in many genres, including five symphonies, numerous tone poems and orchestral suites, Sahdji, the... Read More ›

WILLIAM GRANT STILL: “WE ALL RISE TOGETHER OR WE DON’T RISE AT ALL” (part 5 of 5)

Posted on October 3, 2018

Mural by Noni Olabisi, the William Grant Still Art Center, Los Angeles, CA: “William Grant Still conducting his powerful operatic score [“Troubled Island”], with his spiritual “eye” in the middle of his forehead, which expresses the need for a new era of interracial understanding, loving-kindness and God-consciousness on the earth.”  From WilliamGrantStill.com.

One word that could sum up Still’s life and work could very well be “integration.”... Read More ›

MEET AARON GREEN, WINNER OF PYP’S 2018-19 SOLOIST COMPETITION

Posted on September 28, 2018

Aaron Greene is the winner of PYP’s 2018-19 Soloist Competition. He will perform the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto on Saturday, November 10, 2018 in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, on PYP’s tour to Redmond, OR and Corvallis, OR, and in our free Preview Concert and Live Stream on Monday, November 5, 2018 in Pacific University’s Taylor-Meade Performing Arts Center.... Read More ›

Huw Edwards returns to the Schnitzer stage with PYP

Posted on March 9, 2018

Huw Edwards will guest conduct Gerald Finzi‘s Clarinet Concerto (with soloist David Hattner!) and George Butterworth‘s A Shropshire Lad on Sunday, May 6, 2018, in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

Guest Conductor Sponsor

Huw Edwards is now in his 15th Season as Music Director of the Olympia Symphony—which coincides with the Orchestra’s 65th anniversary year.  There has been a continued sense of excitement in Olympia about Huw’s tenure... Read More ›

MEET NATHAN COFFMAN, WINNER OF PYP’S 2017-18 CONCERTO COMPETITION

Posted on February 4, 2018

Nathan Coffman is the winner of the 2017-18 PYP Concerto Competition. He will perform Paul Creston‘s Concertino for Marimba and Orchestra with PYP on Saturday, March 3, 2018 in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

Nathan Coffman, a senior at Southridge High School (SRHS), is Principal Percussionist of the Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) and the first percussionist to win the PYP Concerto Competition... Read More ›

MEET HANAMI FROOM, RUNNER-UP OF PYP’S 2017-18 CONCERTO COMPETITION

Posted on February 3, 2018

Hanami Froom is the runner up for the 2017-18 PYP Concerto Competition. She will perform the first movement of Felix Mendelssohn‘s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 with PYCO on Sunday, February 18, 2018, in Vancouver, WA’s Skyview Auditorium.

Hanami Froom is an eleven-year-old violinist. Hanami has been studying violin from the age of two, and is currently a student of Carol... Read More ›