Five Ensembles to Perform at 62nd Annual Concert-at-Christmas on December 26
Posted on December 1, 2023
Family-friendly program featuring guest conductor Huw Edwards and an Alumni Orchestra
PORTLAND, OR – You’re invited to the Portland Youth Philharmonic’s post-holiday family reunion! The dedicated musicians that make up each of the organization’s four core ensembles will come together with an orchestra of alumni to bring you a fun-for-the-whole-family concert experience featuring classical favorites, new masterworks, and music from the movies we love. Join Musical Director David Hattner and conductors Lawrence Johnson, Giancarlo Castro D’Addona, Inés Voglar Belgique, and guest conductor Huw Edwards on December 26 at 7:30 PM at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.
“PYP’s annual Concert-at-Christmas has been a beloved annual tradition in Portland, since 1961,” said Hattner. “Variety is the key to this performance, which features musicians aged 8-80. Alumni, representing many decades of PYP’s first century, return to form this once-a-year orchestra.”
This season marks 100 years since PYP first opened its doors to young musicians in Portland and beyond and became a part of Portland’s rich and colorful artistic culture. With that in mind, PYP presents a program that represents the organization’s growth since 1924, as well as the diverse repertoire our ensembles perform each year.
Hattner says that the alumni orchestra “will open the concert with a performance of Superman March by John Williams. Then, we will hear music from movies as well as works by Jeff Scott, Leroy Anderson, James Stephenson, and many others, all from the hands of young musicians in the Portland Youth String Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Conservatory Orchestra, and Philharmonic Orchestra.”
You’ll find yourself in Chicago through James Stephenson’s ROAR, take a road trip to Brooklyn with John Philip Sousa’s Manhattan Beach, travel to Iran with Farhad Poupel’s Childhood Memories, explore outer space with Michael Giacchino’s Star Trek: Into Darkness, and even go to Poland’s University of Breslau with Johannes Brahms’s tribute piece Academic Festival Overture, guest conducted by Huw Edwards, PYP’s third conductor (1995-2002).
“I am touched and honored to have been invited to be a part of the annual PYP ‘Concert-at-Christmas’ in this landmark centenary season,” said Edwards. “My seven years as the Third Music Director of the PYP were the happiest of my life and I reflect upon them with much joy and pride. I always savored the ‘Boxing Day’ concert—it is a heartwarming family event in many ways—and I look forward to being back on stage with this remarkable group of talented musicians.”
PYP believes in providing exceptional music education to all young musicians, which lends itself to a wonderful musical experience for all to enjoy. Experience the magic-like determination and skill of these ensembles for yourself on December 26.
Tickets are on sale now, starting at $18 for adults, $13 for seniors, and $8 for students. Livestream passes are $13. To reserve your tickets early and learn more about PYP’s upcoming concerts, composers, and musicians, please visit portlandyouthphil.org/concerts.
Portland Youth Philharmonic Season 100 (2023-2024)
Summary of Event:
Who: Portland Youth Philharmonic, conducted by Musical Director David Hattner
What: The 62nd annual Concert-at-Christmas
When: Tuesday, December 26 | 7:30 PM
Where: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (1037 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205)
Sponsor: EyeHealth Northwest
Tickets:
- $18 starting; student/senior discounts available
- $5 Arts for All tickets
- Livestream: $13
Program:
Alumni Orchestra
Conducted by David Hattner
- John Williams: Superman March
Portland Youth String Ensemble
Conducted by Inés Voglar Belgique
- Nancy Ives: Grandfather Storyteller
- John Williams: Trilogy
Portland Youth Wind Ensemble
Conducted by Giancarlo Castro D’Addona
- Pierre Leemans: The March of the Belgian Paratroopers
- John Philip Sousa: Pushing On
- Michael Giacchino: Star Trek: Into Darkness
Portland Youth Conservatory Orchestra
Conducted by Lawrence Johnson
- Farhad Poupel: Childhood Memories
Portland Youth Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by David Hattner
- John Philip Sousa: Manhattan Beach
- Johannes Brahms: Academic Festival Overture
with Huw Edwards, guest conductor - Leroy Anderson: Plink, Plank, Plunk!
- James Stephenson: ROAR (PYP Premiere)