Cadenza Series: Spring Concert

PYP closes Season 102 with a dynamic program that brings together three ensembles on one stage. Featuring Portland Youth Conservatory Orchestra, Portland Youth Wind Ensemble, and Portland Youth String Ensemble, this concert highlights the depth, range, and momentum of PYP’s developing musicians.

The program is anchored by Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by Maurice Ravel and performed by Portland Youth Conservatory Orchestra. Originally composed for solo piano, the work takes listeners through a vivid musical gallery, each movement inspired by a different painting by Viktor Hartmann. From the eerie weight of “The Gnome” to the triumphant grandeur of “The Great Gate of Kiev,” the suite challenges young musicians to explore a wide spectrum of color, character, and expression.

Portland Youth Wind Ensemble brings energy and contrast with a program that spans classic and contemporary voices, including a world premiere by Elaina Stuppler alongside works by Sousa, Gillespie Magee Jr., and Alfred Reed. Portland Youth String Ensemble adds a more intimate and expressive dimension, featuring music by Soon Hee Newbold, Mozart, and a second world premiere by Stuppler.

Portland Youth String Ensemble offers a more intimate and expressive complement to the program, with music by Soon Hee Newbold and Mozart alongside another world premiere by Elaina Stuppler. Together, these works showcase the ensemble’s precision, lyricism, and versatility.

Together, these performances offer a snapshot of the full PYP experience, culminating in the final concert of Season 102.

Newmark Theatre
1111 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205

Program:

Portland Youth Conservatory Orchestra
Modest Mussorgsky – Pictures at an Exhibition
orch. Maurice Ravel

Portland Youth Wind Ensemble
John Phillip Sousa – Hands Across the Sea
Elaina Stuppler – A-List, World Premiere
John Gillespie Magee Jr. – Chase the Shouting Wind
Alfred Reed – A Festival Prelude

Portland Youth String Ensemble
Soon Hee Newbold – Elementa
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Divertimento in F Major, K. 138/125c
IV. Presto
Elaina Stuppler – 25/8, World Premiere