Present inspiring chamber music in Portland OR

The 2018 Summer Festival opens on June 25^th—just 2½ weeks away!  This year’s festival is a celebration of the diversity of chamber music, exploring the wide variety of instruments (including saxophone, Chinese pipa, steel drums and more), periods ranging from medieval to 21^st Century, and cultural influences from across the world, including Asia, Latin America, American jazz, and folk music from several countries.

The festival will include a special focus on music by contemporary Chinese music, “Beyond the Cultural Revolution.” The highlight of those programs will be the Oregon premiere of Bright Sheng’s opera, “The Silver River”—originally commissioned by CMNW two decades ago but never performed in the Pacific Northwest. Other interesting elements of the celebration include a demonstration of Chinese instruments, two world premieres of works commissioned by CMNW from composers Vivian Fung and Xiaogang Ye, and a special concert in Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden, and an opportunity to meet artists currently living in China, those who have emigrated to the US, and those who now identify as “world citizens.”

CMNW has commissioned eight composers, whose works will be premiered this summer:

• Mark Abel’s “Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano,”
• John Luther Adams’ “there is no one, not even the wind,”
• Valerie Coleman’s “Shotgun Houses”, which chronicles the life of Mohammed Ali,  
• Vivian Fung’s “Frenetic Memories for Clarinet Quintet,”
• Nokuthula Ngwenyama’s “Primal Message for Viola Quintet,”
• J.P. Redmond’s “Nonet for Wind Clarinet,”
• Jeff Scott’s “Fantasy on 1967” and
• Xiaogang Ye’s “Gardenia for Pipa and String Quartet.”

Note that three of these commissions are from women composers, carrying on the commitment of last year’s festival to recognize and promote works by women composers.

We expect this summer’s festival to reach 25,000 audience members, including 5,000 young people and adults through our education and outreach events. We hope to inspire our audiences to expand their definition of chamber music, and experience chamber music in different settings, including the Chinese Garden, private homes, as well as the concert hall.

 We invite you to experience Chamber Music Northwest this summer (June 25-July 29, 2018)—with concerts and education activities happening every day, there is truly something for everyone. If coming to Portland is not a possibility for you, check out cmnw.org, Facebook or YouTube to view video interviews, read the program notes, and learn about our outreach activities. During June and July, many of our artists will be featured in live performances on “Thursdays @ 3” (3pm Pacific Standard Time) on All Classical 89.9 FM or streamed online at allclassical.org.

 You make these incredible programs possible. Thank you so much for your partnership and investment in Chamber Music Northwest!

Links:

• Imani Winds (CMNW Artists-in-Residence) Expanding Boundaries
• CMNW is resilient, despite a devastating fire

• 2018 Summer Festival Concert Guide (PDF)
  
• 2018 Education and Outreach (PDF)
  
• 2018 Chamber Parties (PDF)
  
• Beyond the Cultural Revolution (PDF)