How to Find Classical Symphony Orchestra in Salem Oregon

How-To: Find a Classical Music in Salem, Oregon

Step One: Find Salem. It’s the state capitol of Oregon, located in the Willamette Valley.

Step Two: Locate the Oregon Symphony Association in Salem. It will be at 707, 13th Street SE, Suite 275.

Step Three: Find out what’s playing. That can be done either by visiting the Symphony Association in person, calling or visiting their Web site. There are around ten concerts annually, with everything from piano, violin, classical bass and guitar concertos.

Step Four: Buy tickets. Symphony subscribers will have priority seating, and the rest is first come, first serve, so it’s best to buy tickets early. Subscriptions can range from $69 – $220 in price, depending on which series you buy into.

Step Five: Decide what concert to attend. Yes, yes, it will be difficult because they are all tempting.

Step Six: Purchase tickets.

Step Seven: Attend concert. Sit back and enjoy listening to some of the best classical music that Salem, Oregon has to offer.

Step Eight: If you liked that, there are other places that provide classical music in the Willamette Valley. Western Oregon University nearly always has a concert of some sort going on and the tickets are a bargain. The Salem Chamber Orchestra is also a good place to go and is also very affordable.

Eugene Symphony Orchestra (musical crosswords…)

Rachel bit down on her pencil’s eraser, then spat out a few bits. “Okay, this is why I hate crossword puzzles.”

Owen looked up from his newspaper. “I told you that you didn’t have to do that. It’s my homework.”

She glared down at the offending piece of paper. “It was sitting on the table, mocking me. I had to complete it. Now what’s a five letter word that means ‘more than one instrument?’”

Owen thought about it for a moment. “Combo.”

“Perfect,” she muttered, scribbling in the answer. “What kind of professor makes a music-themed crossword puzzle for homework?”

Owen sipped his orange juice serenely. “The kind that doesn’t want to grade 45 papers.”

“Good point.” She frowned at the puzzle. “Okay, instrumental ensemble…?”

“Orchestra.”

“Do we even have one of those around?”

He gave her one of those looks, one that was one part exasperation, two parts good-natured amusement. “Um, yeah.”

“Really?” Rachel chewed on the eraser again. “In Portland?”

“Eugene, actually,” he said mildly. “I went and saw a chamber orchestra concert in Eugene. It was put on by the Oregon Mozart Players. It was really good.”

“An orchestra in Eugene, Oregon?” She stared at him.

“We’re not barbarians,” he laughed. “We have classical music, jazz, orchestras, concertos—the whole shebang.”

“Was it boring?”

He pointed a finger at her. “Orchestras are never boring. Especially when played by really talented and passionate people. The music at this Oregon concert was unbelievable. You would have enjoyed it.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Rachel fell silent, and then looked up again. “Okay, six letter word for stringed instrument?”

Eugene Concerts… chat room dialog…

(Owen_02 has entered chat room)

Owen_02: Um, hello?

(Rach-Rach has entered chat room)

Owen_02: About time.

Rach-Rach: Hey—I’m not late. Right on time. Not my fault you’re freakishly early.

Owen_02: I’ve got other homework to do. I want to get this done. Tara isn’t even on yet.

Rach-Rach: Really? Why not?

(Tara13 has entered chat room)

Tara13: Sense of self-preservation. Hey guys.

Owen_02: Finally.

Tara13: Is he being freakishly punctual again?

Rach-Rach: Yep.

Owen_02: Okay, lay it on me. What have you found?

Tara13: This is what I get for taking a marketing class. Fine, fine. I’ve been looking into ways to advertise Eugene, Oregon, and all I keep getting are concerts.

Rach-Rach: What kind? Rap? Pop?

Tara13: Think older. Symphony Orchestras and choral music choirs and some Bach festival.

Owen_02: We can work with that. Go on.

Tara13: First there are choir concerts—we’ve got the Eugene Jazz Concert Choir…

Rach-Rach: Kind of a self-explanatory name.

Tara13: Tell me about it. Then we’ve got the Eugene Vocal Arts Ensemble. That one has a wide variety of concerts, everything from opera to classic rock.

Owen_02: What about the Bach thing?

Tara13: Happens every summer and put on by University of Oregon. It began in 1970 and has continued on since then. It’s apparently one of Eugene’s biggest events of the year.

Rach-Rach: Like the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.

Tara13: Exactly.

Owen_02: So in our pamphlet, we should focus on music.

Rach-Rach: More original than football.

Tara13: Sounds good to me, as long as someone else does a bit of research. I’m tired.

Owen_02: I’ll look for more stuff in the area. Continue the concert theme, only find places in Corvallis, Monmouth, and Salem. There’s got to be more…

(Rach-Rach has left chat room)

Owen_02: And maybe we could attend an Oregon orchestra concert or something…

(Tara13 has left chat room)

Owen_02: …Or the choir. Sounds interesting to me.

Owen_02: Wait, guys? Guys? Tell me you didn’t log out.

Owen_02: I need better project partners.

(Chat room is empty)

Oregon Symphony… “Dude, there are no…”

Jacob began thumbing through the phonebook. “Dude, there are no restaurants around here.”

Owen eyed the phonebook. “Couldn’t find a Zagat guide?”

“Work with me here.” Jacob swallowed. “I need a place to go.”

Sitting down at the table, Owen said, “I need more specifics.”

“Don’t laugh. I’ve… got a date.”

“Not laughing.”

“With Rachel.”

Owen choked back a snort of laughter. Keeping his expression neutral, he answered. “Rachel? My friend, Rachel?” He cleared his throat. “Well, why not take her to the Oregon Symphony?”

“Why would I do that?”

Owen began ticking off the reasons on his fingers. “One—classical music makes you appear smart and sensitive. Two—it’ll cost about the same as dinner, but there’ s no chance of garlic breath.”

“Good point.” Jacob nodded. “What else?”

“Three,” Owen continued, “an Oregon symphony is an excuse to dress up.”

Jacob frowned. “How is that a good thing?”

“You get to see her after she spends hours prepping. Trust me on this—gorgeous.”

Owen considered that. “Okay… Oregon Symphony.” Making a face, he said, “But I’m not really a classical music person.”

“There’s more than just classical—there’s a lot of different kinds of concerts. You can find something you’ll like,” Owen said.

Jacob gave him a skeptical look. “What about the drive?”

“What, did your car suddenly go on strike?” Owen asked.

“No, but have you seen gas prices these days?”

Owen shrugged. “Fine. Find a concert here on the Western Oregon University campus. Same advantages as the Oregon Symphony without the gas money.”

“Sounds good to me.” Jacob pushed away from the table and stood. “I’ll go look into that. What are you doing tonight?”

Owen rolled his eyes. “What do you think? I’m going to buy you a Zagat guide.”

Recipe for a Night at the Oregon Orchestra

Recipe for a Night at the Oregon Orchestra

Ingredients:

Portland, Oregon

Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

76 full time musicians

Tickets

One concert (can be classical, pops, youth or special—adjust according to taste)

Directions:

First, decided which concert you would like to attend. Then order the tickets. If planning to attend more than one orchestra event, you might consider subscribing to the current season. Then you drive to Portland, Oregon. The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall is located at the corner of Broadway and Main in downtown Portland. Dinner beforehand is optional. Find seats and watch performance. Enjoy the Oregon Orchestra.

If you are on a financial diet (or trying to save on cash), you can substitute the location of the orchestra. Instead of the one in Portland, go to Western Oregon University in Monmouth. There are concerts there for a fraction of the price.

Portland Symphony

Classical music lovers have it pretty good in Portland, Oregon. There are numerous concerts in many locations happening all the time, and one of the oldest musical attractions is the Oregon Symphony. It began performing in the 1800s, making it the oldest orchestra in the West. And the years have not diminished its appeal—according to the symphony website, attendance is usually 225,000 people per season. “The Oregon Symphony is proud to provide varied music of the highest artistic standards to diverse audiences, with a commitment to educating children as the musicians and audiences of tomorrow,” reads the symphony’s Web site. There are a number of diverse concerts, varying from classical to gospel to youth. It’s quite a tourist draw, bringing in music lovers from all over the Northwest and the rest of the U.S. The symphony has been acknowledged for having “acclaimed music directors, skilled performers, diverse programs and outstanding community services in education and regional touring.”

And the Oregon Symphony isn’t the only place to find classical music. There’s the Salem Orchestra, the Portland Baroque Orchestra, Willamette University, University of Oregon and Western Oregon University. Music Schools are actually great places to find concerts, because there’s nearly always one happening. And prices are just a fraction of what they would be anywhere else. In fact, many of them are free. (Which, as everyone knows, is the best price of all!)

Portland Orchestra … (from my diary)…

“So we’re listening to,” Rachel checked the program again, “bark music?”

Owen plucked the paper from her hands and pointed at the word. “Baroque. Now scoot.”

She scooted. Owen had that manic look in his eyes again, the one he got whenever anything musical was involved. They found their seats, with Owen immediately leaning forward to peer down at the stage and Rachel digging into her pockets. She fished out a bag of gummy candy and began to chew on one.

“You brought snacks?” Owen glanced at her. “In here?”

“If I’m going to listen to the bark band—”

“—you mean the Portland Baroque Orchestra—”

“—Then I get to bring snacks,” she finished, defensive.

Owen sighed and held out his hand. “At least give me some.”

They sat and ate in silence for a while. Rachel watched as the other seats began to fill. Everyone looked more polished than she did, she realized. Her ratty sneakers and smudged make-up was a little out of place. Self-consciously she tugged at her jacket, trying to straighten it. Her only consolation was Owen looked like a poor college student, too. Or was he? She looked again. His clothes were suspiciously… crisp.

“Did you iron?” she asked incredulously.

Owen glanced down at himself. “Why do I feel like that’s a trick question?”

“’Cause the last time you ironed anything was in middle school.”

He scowled. “We’re at an orchestra—you expected me to wear sweats?”

“What’s so special about this place, anyway?” Rachel threw back another gummy.

Owen gestured at their surroundings. “Because this is the Portland Baroque Orchestra. Do you know how many orchestras like that around here? Try counting them on your hand and you’ll probably have quite a few fingers left.”
“What’s bark music, anyway?”

He poked her. “Baroque music is a style that used to be popular from the 1600s through the 1700s. It’s big part of the whole classical genre and it’s this is one of the best places to hear it.”

“In Portland,” she said, skeptical.

“Don’t knock Portland,” he leaned back in his seat and smiled. “One of the best places to find musical diversity.”

“We could have stayed in Monmouth,” she muttered. “The university has concerts, too.”

“Western Oregon University is great, but sometimes I need a change of scenery. And how could you pass up the Portland Orchestra?”

She rolled up the candy bag and shoved it back into her pocket. “Hush. The lights are dimming—I think you’re supposed to be quiet.”

Owen laughed softly. “Look—you’re excited now.”

She elbowed him, but didn’t say anything. They squished farther down in their seats, ready to listen.

For more information on the Portland Baroque Orchestra, visit their website at http://www.pbo.org/index_new.php.

For more information on the concerts at Western Oregon University, visit their website at http://www.westernoregonuniversity.info/concerts/

Oregon Concerts

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.