When you think about Oregon, the first things to come to mind are usually fir trees, the Oregon Trail, and large areas of rural land. But what you should think is music, music, music. Oregon is home to many musical communities, ranging from jazz to classical. There are countless concerts and musicians performing at all times of the year in many Oregon cities, especially those with universities.
Perhaps the most famous is the Portland Jazz Festival. As its name would suggest, it occurs every year in Portland in February, celebrating both Black History Month as well as the vibrant jazz community in Oregon. Also in Portland are the Portland Baroque Orchestra and the Oregon Symphony.
In mid-summer, the Oregon Bach Festival is held in Eugene; concerts showcase the work of Bach, Purcell, Handel, Haydn, and Mendelssohn. Eugene itself is also home to University of Oregon, which has a superb jazz studies departments.
In Monmouth, Western Oregon University’s musical department is responsible for concerts going on year-round. The concerts themselves vary from soloists to combos and student performances to professional. Tickets are extremely affordable and sometimes even free. There are also concerts nearby in Salem. In the state capitol, there are both the Salem Chamber Orchestra and the Salem Symphony, playing in Salem and other close by venues.
So the next time you’re booking a trip to the Pacific Northwest, take a moment to check out what concerts are playing in Oregon. Because while Oregon does have fir trees, the trail and lots of rural land, there are also concerts, music and festivals.
Tags: Jazz, Orchestra, Oregon Concerts, pop, singer songwriter, Symphony
