Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

Norman Huynh, Conductor
Steiger Butte Drum and Singers, Native American ensemble
Members of Portland State University Chamber Choir, Ethan Sperry, Conductor
Oregon Symphony

STRAVINSKY Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Michael GORDON Natural History
Grace MIEDZIAK New work (Fear No Music Emerging Composers Fellow, Oregon Symphony commission)
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21

Inspired by Crater Lake National Park, Michael Gordon’s Natural History weaves Native and symphonic music in this paean to the natural landscape. Plus, hear works by two of classical music’s most intrepid pioneers: Stravinsky’s experimental musical essay on wind and brass sounds, Symphonies of Wind Instruments, and Beethoven’s vivacious and dramatic Symphony No. 1. Native Oregonian Grace Miedziak enhances the program with a new work that celebrates the Pacific Northwest.

A joyful holiday tradition filled with powerful voices, soaring harmonies, and the unmistakable spirit of gospel. Feel the warmth of the holiday season with this beloved concert, featuring the region’s premier gospel singers alongside the Oregon Symphony.

Sponsored by Courtney and David Angeli

• Charles Floyd Conductor & Orchestrator
• Northwest Community Gospel Chorus
• Oregon Symphony

This concert is part of the Special Concerts series, and is eligible for the Choose Your Own Series (Portland only).

This concert is part of the 2026/27 Sounds Like Portland festival.

A joyful holiday tradition filled with powerful voices, soaring harmonies, and the unmistakable spirit of gospel. Feel the warmth of the holiday season with this beloved concert, featuring the region’s premier gospel singers alongside the Oregon Symphony.

Sponsored by Courtney and David Angeli

• Charles Floyd Conductor & Orchestrator
• Northwest Community Gospel Chorus
• Oregon Symphony

This concert is part of the Special Concerts series, and is eligible for the Choose Your Own Series (Portland only).

This concert is part of the 2026/27 Sounds Like Portland festival.

December 9, 2026

Special Concerts

Ten-time GRAMMY-nominated Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández returns to Portland for another year of holiday cheer, celebrating the Christmas season with a dazzling blend of mariachi and holiday classics.

The Oregon Symphony does not perform.

Learn more about the visiting ensemble at mariachisoldemexico.com.

--

Nominados diez veces a los GRAMMYs, Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández regresa a Portland por otro año de alegría de las fiestas, celebrando la temporada navideña con una mezcla de mariachi y canciones clásicas de la navidad.

La Orquesta Sinfónica de Oregón no toca en este concierto.

Más información sobre los mariachis en mariachisoldemexico.com.

• José Hernández Musical Director
• Mariachi Sol de México

This concert is part of the Special Concerts series, and is eligible for the Choose Your Own Series (Portland only).

Bizet’s Carmen has haunted the artistic imagination for 150 years—romanticized, exoticized, and endlessly reinterpreted. Now, in celebration of that anniversary, Ballet Hispánico New York—the nation’s leading Latino dance company and recognized as one of America’s Cultural Treasures—reclaims her. Stirring, witty, and spectacular, CARMEN.maquia is the work of Valencian choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, whose Picasso-inspired vision strips away myth to reveal a fuller, more complex woman—intelligent and defiant. Inspired by tauromaquia—the art of bullfighting—CARMEN.maquia breathes contemporary life into this legendary character, fusing it with the grounded sensuality of the paso doble and flamenco. The result is a Carmen who belongs not to the gaze of others, but entirely to herself.

Travel to the magical worlds of Studio Ghibli with live performances of music from Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Spirited Away. In this one-night-only concert, the Oregon Symphony brings Joe Hisaishi’s iconic scores to life in a whimsical celebration of Japanese animation that you won’t want to miss!

This performance does not include on-screen visuals. Joe Hisaishi will not be in attendance.

• Wilbur Lin Conductor
• Oregon Symphony

This concert is part of the Special Concerts series, and is eligible for the Choose Your Own Series (Portland only).

Concert begins promptly at the time listed.

There is no Concert Conversation for this concert.

Making their White Bird debut—and appearing for one night only—Social Tango Project arrives from Buenos Aires with a performance that goes straight to the soul of Argentinian tango. Founded by Agustina Videla and Ramón de Oliveira César, the company’s production Social Tango traces a woman’s early struggles as she steps into the world of tango, evolving into a story of personal transformation and the discovery of a community united by the power of human connection. The performance is melodic and intricate, backed by five live musicians filling the room as ten dancers move through a world that feels unmistakably alive. Social Tango has been invited to perform in many of the most prestigious venues in North America, including Jacob’s Pillow and New York City Center.

A full screening with orchestra of the seminal film Metropolis by Fritz Lang, this 1927 silent masterpiece has, since its creation, cried out for a musical score that could match and even enhance its staggering images and strong emotional themes. In celebration of its 100th anniversary, here is a new performance version of Metropolis, a virtual “music video for film and orchestra” featuring collaboration by Fritz Lang with Schoenberg, Berg, and Grieg.

“This showed that if Metropolis responds well to good music, it emerges as an even richer work when set to great music.” – The Washington Post

This concert is part of the Film Concerts series, and is eligible for the Choose Your Own Series (Portland only).

Join the Oregon Symphony and Portland Art Museum in celebrating German Expressionism in Art and Film! Information on PAM’s exhibit running from February through July 2027 can be found on the Portland Art Museum website.

A celebration of the infinite creativity and daring imagination of American artists across generations.

MYS Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Raúl Gómez-Rojas, presents:

• Peachtree Street by Jennifer Higdon
• Adoration by Florence Price, arr. Thomas Taylor Dickey
• An American in Paris by George Gershwin (Revised F. Campbell-Watson)
• Dango Jiru by Kenji Bunch, in collaboration with Portland Taiko
• Satchmo! - A Tribute to Louis Armstrong (arr. Ted Ricketts)
• World premiere of a piece by student composer Alejandro Belgique, as part of The Authentic Voice commissioning series in partnership with Fear No Music’s Young Composers Project.
• This concert will also showcase one of the winners of MYS’ annual Concerto Competition.

MYS Interlude Orchestra, conducted by Erica Boland, opens the concert.