Yo-Yo Ma to kick off Oregon Symphony’s 2023-24 season

Celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma will kick off the Oregon Symphony’s upcoming 2023-24 season. It will be a one-night spectacle, where the Grammy-winning artist will share the stage with the orchestra at Portland’s Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Sept. 10. While subscribers get early access to tickets, individual tickets go on sale in August.

The Oregon Symphony announced Yo-Yo Ma’s performance and revealed its upcoming season during a press event on Tuesday. Live concerts will take place at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall as well as the Smith Auditorium in Salem.

The symphony also revealed that it will be canceling its Waterfront Concert – which was free – due to budget constraints. Associate conductor Deanna Tham made her debut at last year’s waterfront event.

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“The focus of the 2023-24 season will explore the themes of adversity and resilience, and how they impact composers and their music,” said Oregon Symphony Music Director David Danzmayr in a press release. “Every concert presents an opportunity for the Oregon Symphony to offer our audiences a thought-provoking and inspiring experience that will stay with them long after the performance has ended.”

The classical series also includes Mahler’s evocative First Symphony (Sept. 30-Oct. 2) and Tchaikovsky’s soulful “Pathétique” (Nov. 4-6) – both conducted by Danzmayr.

To bring in the holiday cheer, the symphony will also perform Handel’s Messiah (Dec. 2-4), which will be followed by Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Mozart’s Requiem next year.

Critically acclaimed guest musicians to perform with symphony

Finally, on May 11-13, 2024, Delyana Lazarova will conduct Dvorak’s Seventh Symphony.

The Oregon Symphony will also welcome cellist Joshua Roman, who will perform Elgar’s Cello Concerto from Oct. 14-16, as well as composer/pianist Conrad Tao, who will perform Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D Major on Jan. 13-15, 2024. In May next year, pianist Simon Trpčeski will perform Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

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Additionally, composer-in-residence Andy Akiho will also perform his own composition inspired by Japanese American artist Jun Kaneko’s work on Nov. 4-6, 2023.

When classical music meets pop

Stepping away from the classical calendar, the symphony’s Pops Series will include “Legendary Worlds of John Williams with the Oregon Symphony.”

American singer-songwriter Storm Large and “America’s Got Talent” star and fellow Portland-resident, Jimmie Herrod, are also scheduled to perform next year.

The Popcorn Concert Series also returns, in which the orchestra will perform scores live of feature films including “Toy Story,” “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.”