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 Jazz… (student dialog)

“Owen, what do you know about Oregon jazz studies?”

Owen looked up from the television. “Why?”

“Research paper.” Rachel flopped down on the couch, brandishing a pencil. “Seriously, the only thing I know about jazz is that it’s usually played in lounges and stuff. So how do you define jazz and why should I care?”

He gave her a disparaging look. “Jazz—a mix of African origins, Southern American and European influences. And you should care because you live amidst jazz legends.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Humble, aren’t you?”

“Not me.” He grinned. “Here—Oregon. And both Western Oregon University and University of Oregon. The former has Gordon Lee, a well-known composer and jazz pianist. And the latter has an award-winning jazz department.”

“So Oregon is basically swimming in a sea of jazz talent?”

He laughed and nodded. “Basically.”

Rachel began scribbling on a notepad. “Okay, what else?”

Holding up three fingers, Owen said seriously, “Three words. Portland Jazz Festival. It takes place every February, during Black History Month, to commemorate both the city and jazz itself. Huge event. You wouldn’t just be swimming in talent—you’d be drowning in it.”

She narrowed her eyes skeptically. “And all this talent comes at the low, low price of…?”

“Actually,” he said, “the tickets aren’t grossly expensive.”

Scoffing, she waved her hand at herself. “Um, hello. Poor college student. I found three quarters in my jacket pocket today and thought I’d hit the jackpot. Can’t imagine what I would’ve done if it had been a whole dollar. My heart might have given out.”

“Fine,” he chuckled. “Western’s jazz is usually free. You can appreciate it here.”

She stood, tucking the notepad under one arm. “Sounds good. Now I’m off to Google ‘Oregon jazz.’”

“He,” he called after her. “Don’t have a heart attack, but I think I saw some pennies on the floor near the stairs.”

“Oh, har, har.”

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!)

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.