PSC Brahms Program - Portland Symphonic choir

About the Portland Symphonic Choir
Established in 1945, the Portland Symphonic Choir is the
city’s oldest and largest independent choral organization.
Singers selected for membership in this largely volunteer
ensemble come from all over the Portland Metro area
and from all walks of life. Under the leadership of
Artistic Director Steven Zopfi since 2002, the Choir has
achieved a reputation of excellence and dedication to
creating powerful, accessible choral experiences for music
enthusiasts and the wider community.
In addition to performing major works as the official chorus
of the Oregon Symphony, the Choir regularly commissions
and premieres choral works by composers from the Northwest
and across the US, including such notable artists as Jacob
Avshalomov, Morten Lauridsen, Tomas Svoboda, and Bryan
Johanson. Several recent concerts have celebrated American
music and its rich history of song.
Each summer, singers are invited to sing along with the
Symphonic Choir at Summer Sings! The Choir also teams with
Oregon Mentors and Providence ElderPlace to bring both
young and old to concerts for low cost or for free. For this
performance, the Choir is donating 200 tickets to Creative Arts
Network, a regional arts education advocacy group.
About the Oregon Symphony
Led by Music Director Carlos Kalmar, the 76-member
Oregon Symphony plays a full September-May schedule of
70 concerts spanning the musical spectrum with Classical,
Pops, and Special concerts.
In addition to its avid audiences in the 2,780-seat Arlene
Schnitzer Concert Hall, the orchestra conducts a vigorous
educational outreach program, sharing the power of music
with the next generation and bringing its total annual
audience to nearly a quarter of a million people. Now in its
117th season, it’s the oldest orchestra west of the Mississippi.
In 2011, the Oregon Symphony was invited to Carnegie Hall
where it won rave reviews from The New York Times and
The New Yorker, who praised its performance as “one of the
most gripping events of the current season.” The music on
that program was recorded for the PentaTone label, and the
CD, Music for a Time of War, hit the classical Billboard charts
and won international accolades. Its next CD, This England—
featuring works by Britten, Elgar, and Vaughan Williams—is set
for release this coming November. This season, the orchestra
has been invited back to Carnegie Hall in May, 2013 and will
make its debut at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall.
Cover art – Photo of Oregon Coast Sunset – © Deb White • Graphic design courtesy of Lodestar Studio, Inc.
The Portland Symphonic Choir is supported in part by grants from the following organizations:
2012–2013 Season Media sponsors: Sponsored by:
Portland Symphonic Choir • Mail: PO Box 1517, Portland, Oregon, 97207 • Telephone: 503-223-1217 • Website: www.pschoir.org