Discover the 2024/25 Season and Exciting Changes Ahead for Portland Baroque Orchestra
The wait is over! Portland Baroque Orchestra is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated 2024/25 Season, accompanied by exciting changes for our downtown Portland performances. Drawing inspiration from the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi’s masterpiece, The Four Seasons, our 41st Season is a musical odyssey guiding us through a mercurial and evocative season dedicated to Mother Nature.
In addition to the captivating concert lineup, PBO is excited to announce the debut of its new downtown venue, Sanctuary Hall at First Congregational United Church, 1126 SW Park Ave, adjacent to Portland’5. This new location provides a more central location, increases our premium seating capacity by 100 seats, and allows greater flexibility in the timing and breadth of our musical offerings.
This coming season, we have also moved our evening start times from 7:30 PM to 7:00 PM based on patron feedback that earlier showings were preferable. You will also notice that one of the chamber concerts (The Hunting Horn) is a matinee, and Handel’s Messiah now has one evening performance and two matinees.
To make world-class Baroque music more accessible, PBO is introducing lower ticket prices for patrons under 35, with tickets priced at $25. Combined with existing discounts for $5 students and Arts for All tickets, this initiative aims to cultivate a new generation of Early Music enthusiasts.
Important Dates:
April 9 - May 31, 2024: Existing subscribers can renew their subscriptions, be the first to order Messiah tickets, and put in seating change requests.
June 1, 2024: Subscription purchasing open for new and lapsed subscribers.
August 1, 2024: Single tickets go on sale.
October 12, 2024: Season opening concert.
The 2024/25 Season at a Glance:
Handel & Vivaldi: Autumn Light (October 12 & 13) PBO opens this season of seasons by exploring the forces of nature. Vivaldi’s “Autumn” and “Winter” from The Four Seasons vividly depict elemental change, from vibrant hues to icy embraces, followed by Handel’s commanding Silete venti, where soprano Maya Kherani delivers us through the turbulence of fall storms into the comfort of long winter nights. Cozy up with this Italian-inspired concert as music and nature seamlessly entwine.
Bach & Telemann: French Finesse Chamber Concert (October 18) An intimate evening of French-inspired chamber music for gamba, violin, flute, and harpsichord. Telemann and Bach, two esteemed German composers and friends, draw inspiration from the sonic richness and rhythmic nuance of the French style, infusing this program with a unique vibrancy. From the graceful elegance of Telemann’s Paris Quartet to the counterpoint of Bach’s Trio Sonata, we embark on a journey through an exotic musical landscape.
The Royal Trumpeter: Kris’ Podium (November 16 & 17) Trace the fascinating evolution of the trumpet from its utilitarian roots on the battlefield to its emergence as a refined instrument of expressive virtuosity. Curated by Principal Trumpet Kris Kwapis, this program delves into the vibrant soundscape of late seventeenth-century London, where the trumpet takes center stage alongside strings, winds, and voices in England’s regal courts. Celebrate the brilliance of composers such as Purcell, Croft, and Eccles, whose works epitomize splendor and sophistication in an era defined by royal patronage.
Handel’s Messiah (December 6, 7 & 8) Arguably the most performed work in all of musical history, this is Handel’s Messiah as it was meant to be heard, performed as a complete oratorio on period instruments in an intimate setting. Under the direction of Artistic Director Julian Perkins, the orchestra and soloists infuse Handel’s timeless classic with renewed vitality. Hallelujah!
D’amore (February 15 & 16) An artist of “consummate taste and expressivity” (Cleveland Plain Dealer), guest director and oboist Debra Nagy leads a program of captivating beauty featuring Bach, Telemann, and Vivaldi. This program celebrates the fusion of the oboe d’amore and viola d’amore - an alluring sound Leopold Mozart described as “especially charming in the stillness of the evening.” The ethereal tones of the oboe d’amore will enchant your senses while the rich resonance of the viola d’amore evokes profound emotion.
The Hunting Horn: Handel, Couperin & Bach Chamber Concert (March 8) Featuring horn, oboe, violin, and harpsichord, this musical ride through the European countryside echoes with the thundering hooves and spirited chase of the hunt. Stölzel’s Sonata sets the scene with its evocative simplicity, capturing the essence of the outdoors. The complexity of the music then intensifies with works by Telemann and Fasch, mirroring the excitement and intensity of the hunt, while paying homage to the horn’s crucial role in signaling and guiding the pursuit.
Spring: Vivaldi, Guido & Samuel (March 15 & 16) A celebration of rebirth and renewal, from the much-loved “Spring” from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, to the world premiere of Rhian Samuel’s Gwanwyn (the Welsh word for spring), commissioned by PBO in response to Vivaldi’s interpretation of the season. We also explore Bach’s Harpsichord Concerto in G Minor, a ‘rebirth’ of one of his earlier works where the organic interplay of soloist and orchestra captures the nature of springtime.
Pergolesi: Stabat Mater (April 12 & 13) The season of seasons closes by honoring the themes of light, love, and rebirth through acclaimed works by Pergolesi, Scarlatti, Bach, and Vivaldi. In Vivaldi’s “Summer,” the cuckoo, dove, and goldfinch sing in the blazing sun before the winds begin to blow. Following an homage to Scarlatti, including his Salve Regina in G Minor, we conclude with a work that he inspired; Pergolessi’s final masterpiece, Stabat Mater. Its dancing rhythms and decorative trills contrast effectively with the tender, passionate text sung by countertenor Reginald Mobley and soprano Anna Dennis, rounding out the season with a sense of joy and hope.