Jewish Community Orchestra, Portland, Oregon

05/08/2024

Save this date!

11/10/2023

Back by popular demand, our very own violinist Marette Whitney is once again offering a beautiful flower arrangement for the raffle at next Sunday's concert!

Marette has over 40 years of experience and specializes in flowers for weddings and events. If you're interested in placing an order, call or text Flowers by Marette at 971-282-6643.

11/10/2023

Will you be there?
https://fb.me/e/1o192xDk6

11/08/2023

For those of you who have come to JCO concerts in the past and enjoyed Karl Goldmark's work, you'll be glad to know that we are performing his second symphony in our Fall Concert!

11/06/2023

At the JCO, we're proud of our local artists. Next Sunday's concert will have a local composer, soloist - and soloist's instrument maker - all together in one room.

Come hear our esteemed Dr. Donald Appert conduct his original composition Fantasy for Viola and String Orchestra, featuring violist Wendy Edgar, whose viola was made by internationally respected and award-winning luthier Mark Moreland.

https://www.maestrodonappert.com
https://www.wendyedgarviola.com
https://markmoreland.com/

11/05/2023

JCO's next concert is only a week away! We hope to see you there. *Please plan on arriving earlier than usual.*

Due to the recent events in Israel and around the U.S., our concert venue, the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, has changed some procedures for anyone coming to their campus. Everyone entering the building will need to show their MJCC membership card or a government issued photo ID if they are not MJCC members. Additionally, there will be bag searches for anyone not presenting a membership card.

Thanks for your patience and cooperation in ensuring the safety of our community.

11/03/2023

If you'd like to hear music from Wendy Edgar, check out recordings of her recital from earlier this year in 2023, which include "Melodies of Japan for Viola and Piano" by Toshimitsu Tanaka and Romanze by Max Bruch
https://www.wendyedgarviola.com/2023-recital.html

10/29/2023

Wendy Edgar has the joy of being both a performer and a teacher. She has played with various groups in the greater Portland, Oregon area, including the Portland Opera Orchestra and the Oregon Ballet Theatre Orchestra. She also teaches private lessons and is an adjunct viola professor at Clark College.

Come hear Wendy Edgar perform Maestro Appert's Fantasy for Viola and String Orchestra this November 12!

10/26/2023

10/23/2023

This November, we are pleased to perform the Fantasy for Viola and String Orchestra written by our very own conductor Dr. Donald Appert !

As one of only five musicians chosen, Dr. Appert received the 2015 Honored Artists of The American Prize, the Honored Artists being "...individuals who have proven themselves to be musicians of "sustained excellence" over a number of seasons as contestants in the competitions."

Adding to this distinctive honor is his 2011 The American Prize in Orchestral Programming/Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award for his work with the Oregon Sinfonietta.

Dr. Appert again won The American Prize in Orchestral Programming in 2020 for his work with both the Clark College Orchestra and Jewish Community Orchestra.

10/20/2023

Themes in Franz Liszt's symphonic poem Les Preludes, which JCO performs in our Fall Concert on November 12.

The full preface which Liszt wrote for the 1856 score:
"What else is life but a series of preludes to that unknown song, the first and solemn note of which is sounded by Death? Love is the enchanted dawn of all life; but what fate is there whose first delights of happiness are not interrupted by some storm, whose fine illusions are not dissipated by some mortal blast, consuming its altar as though by a stroke of lightning? And what cruelly wounded soul, when the storms are over, does not seek solace in the calm serenity of rural life? Nevertheless, man does not resign himself for long to the enjoyment of that beneficent warmth which he first enjoyed in Nature’s bosom. So when the trumpet sounds the alarm and calls him to arms, no matter what struggle calls him to its ranks, he may recover in battle the full consciousness of himself and the entire possession of his powers."

10/16/2023

Franz Liszt invented the symphonic poem.

"In part to help the audience along, Lizst usually wrote prefaces to his symphonic poems. He knew that audiences of his time liked to attach stories to music. The prefaces enabled him to prevent anyone else from attaching a different narrative.

For a long time, most musicians believed that these prefaces explained Liszt’s intentions in composing the music, or as they were called, the program of the music. As it turns out, though, he composed the music long before he wrote the supposed programs."
- Read the full story at https://music.allpurposeguru.com/2012/02/franz-liszt-and-the-symphonic-poem/