STEVEN SCHUSTER’S PYP PLAYLIST

Posted on December 11, 2019

16-year-old Steven Schuster currently plays French Horn in our Conservatory Orchestra. He is a junior at Sandy High School and joined our organization last season, playing in our Wind Ensemble.

We asked Steven to share some of his favorite music in his PYP Playlist.

What is the first classical piece that you remember hearing? The Largo from Antonín Dvořák’s New World Symphony

What is... Read More ›

Hear Amy Beach’s Gaelic Symphony

Posted on November 9, 2019

11.9.2019 - Portland Youth Philharmonic and Musical Director David Hattner perform Amy Beach’s Gaelic Symphony in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

Filming/Videography/Editing: The AV Dept.

Beach’s Gaelic Symphony was the first full length orchestral work published by an American woman composer in 1896.

The Boston Symphony premiered The Gaelic Symphony to great acclaim, but more than 100 years later, we believe this will be... Read More ›

George Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F Major

Posted on October 11, 2019

Photo from PBS

PYP will perform Gershwin’s Piano Concerto with soloist Joshua Ji on Saturday, November 9, 2019, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

George Gershwin was born at the corner of the 20th century, a time when popular and classical music were growing farther and farther apart. Living on the streets of Brooklyn where he could hear operas on one block and... Read More ›

Oscar Lorenzo Fernández: Batuque from “Reisado do Pastoreio”

Posted on October 10, 2019

Photo from glosas.mpmp.pt

PYP will perform Fernández’s Batuque on Saturday, November 9, 2019, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

Batuque by Oscar Lorenzo Fernández may not sound shocking compared to other 20th century music, but in Rio de Janeiro in 1930 it was stunningly radical. Along with his colleague Heitor Villa-Lobos, Fernández worked toward an authentically pan-Brazilian, modern musical language. To do that, they... Read More ›

AMY BEACH AND THE “GAELIC” SYMPHONY (Part 1 of 9)

Posted on October 9, 2019

Amy Marcy Cheney, ages 2 and a few years older.  Special Collections, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham.

PYP performed Amy Beach‘s Gaelic Symphony on Saturday, November 9, 2019, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Click here to watch our performance.

Introduction and Amy the Pianist

If asked to name a female American composer, many people with a passing familiarity with classical music history will... Read More ›

AMY BEACH AND THE “GAELIC” SYMPHONY (Part 2 of 9)

Posted on October 8, 2019

Amy Beach n.d. (maybe around 16?) courtesy Special Collections, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham.

PYP performed Amy Beach‘s Gaelic Symphony on Saturday, November 9, 2019, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Click here to watch our performance.

Amy the Composer part 1

Amy couldn’t help it; she started composing at age 4, with four little songs she came up with all in her head... Read More ›