Portland Chamber Orchestra
Intimate · Enduring · Uplifting · Harmonious
Mission
To provide an extraordinary musical experience through an imaginative fusion of the arts.
About
With its enduring and nationally significant legacy, the Portland Chamber Orchestra delivers bold, intimate, and enriching performances that uplift audiences while generating peace and harmony.
As the country’s longest-standing chamber orchestra, PCO embraces its unique scope of history, reimagining the concert experience for modern relevance and offering programming that promotes personal and collective compassion. From its origin story tracing back to World War II, the organization evolved under visionary leadership to model culturally significant roles for this type of ensemble, sharing performances that are “universal in their artistic, social and political impact.” (Oregon ArtsWatch)
Founded in 1946 by violinist, composer, and conductor Boris Sirpo after he fled his war-torn home country of Finland, PCO began as an all-female string orchestra based at Lewis and Clark College. Having studied at the Berlin Musikhochschule, and in the Prague and Vienna Conservatories, Sirpo led the PCO with an uncommon level of world-class musicianship for twenty years. Subsequent Artistic Directors include John Trudeau, Paul Bellam, Charles Schneider, Anthony Armore, and most recently Yaacov Bergman, whose enduring influence shaped the organization into a modern legacy.
A beacon of unity that embraces all people, PCO leads collaborative projects that showcase a diversity of voices through the lens of shared human experience, building community and connection. By thoughtfully leveraging multimedia and interactive programming, PCO ensures that the outstanding music it presents has deeper, more integrated, and holistic impact. “PCO is a group to open your ears to… No matter your race, tribal affiliation or beliefs, good world citizens will be better off exposing themselves to all kinds of cultures and listening to the music that goes along with them.” (Oregon ArtsWatch)
PROGRAMMING
Dedicated to fostering a more peaceful and harmonious world, PCO cultivates and offers programs that promote personal and collective compassion by way of outstanding music.
In recent years, the PCO presented groundbreaking, highly acclaimed and socially conscious World Premieres by local composers such as Duncan Neilson (Monster), Nancy Ives (Celilo Falls, We Were There), and Jasnam Singh Daya (My Word Are My Sword featuring actor Darius Wallace). The group involves audience members in concerts such as American Indigenous rituals and dances with Fish Martinez, Jewish Klezmer music by David Krakauer with attendees dancing in the aisles, and the organization’s incredibly popular series of musical lectures featuring neuroscientist Dr. Larry Sherman.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT
The Portland Chamber Orchestra has made a choice to be a beacon of unity that celebrates, welcomes, and embraces all people. Our concerts have always been and will continue to be a place to not just enjoy an artistic fusion experience but also serve as a haven where cultures and experiences are celebrated on stage in an effort to bring diverse people together learning with and from one another.
The arts and artists have always served to spotlight social justice (or injustices) and invite open inquiry and discussion.
There is no time like the present to have approachable and kind conversations as we, the residents of an extremely diverse and progressive Portland, explore our similarities and the special traits that make each of us unique. Music and the arts must serve to unite communities. As artists, community members, and enthusiasts of the arts, we must all answer the call to be bridge builders. By honoring our uniqueness, we unite as one.
To this end, Portland Chamber Orchestra is committed to the following philosophies and principles:
1. We are motivated to be reflective of the audiences we serve. The driving force for the programmatic activities we create and perform is to create representation of all cultures, races, ethnicities, and gender identities of Greater Portland in our musicians and our work.
2. It is our desire to continue to evolve the audience we serve to ensure progressively becoming ever more reflective of rapidly diversifying community.
3. Reduce economic and transportation barriers to create inclusion in the arts community for all residents.
4. Through both our traditional concert season as well as newly developed neighborhood activities, we will diversify and create equity among our own audiences. Further, we are energized to join in thought leadership with other arts and community partners to develop diversity-, equity- and inclusion-based programming opportunities that will explore topics in sexuality, race, social justice, and culture through multiple lenses.
As a collaborative innovator in the creative sector, Portland Chamber Orchestra is honored and excited to provide beauty and a sense of community to all of Portland. We are committed to excellence –making our community happier, more vibrant, and ensuring all residents the opportunity to connect to the arts and to each other.
- YAACOV BERGMAN
Posthumous Emeritus Artistic Director