Cities, regardless of how big or small, are often defined by their artistic landscapes. These cultural and social elements reflect the city’s identity and include everything from the performing arts to the creative spirit of its citizens.
Two esteemed local institutions, the Oregon Bach Festival and the Eugene Symphony, embody all those traits and more. Both groups are deeply embedded in the community, providing acclaimed performances, preserving traditions, and nurturing artistic growth.
The internationally renowned Oregon Bach Festival, which will begin its 56th season this summer, was founded in 1970 by German conductor Helmuth Rilling and University of Oregon choral music professor Royce Saltzman. Created to celebrate the music and legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), the festival is part of the university’s School of Music and Dance (SOMD).
Josh Gren, communications director at SOMD, says the festival plays a significant cultural role in the community. “It’s about traditional classical music, but it’s much more than that,” he says. “There’s theatrical staging, dance, and many other components that bring all these disciplines together.”
Gren says the festival offers something for everybody. There are free concerts, lectures, receptions, and opportunities to meet with some of the musicians, for example. “We try to make everything we offer here to be accessible to anyone,” he says. “This is what makes this festival unique and so important to Eugene.”
The annual event focuses primarily on Bach-related programs, but it has also showcased notable artists such as vocalist Bobby McFerrin and cellist Yo-Yo Ma (both Grammy winners), as well as Tony-winning dancer/choreographer Savion Glover. The Oregon Bach Festival itself was awarded a Grammy in 2001 for Best Choral Performance for the recording of Krzysztof Penderecki’s “Credo.”
About 300 musicians from around the world perform at the Oregon Bach Festival each year, with the bulk of performances taking place at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. “The quality of the musicians, it’s really something,” Gren says. “They come from all over—Europe, Asia, South America. It’s a big group of talented people, and that’s what makes the festival so special.”
This year’s festival starts June 27 and runs through July 12, featuring performances by pianist Dan Tepher (June 27), Ukrainian conductor Natalia Ponomarchuk (June 28), organist Paul Jacobs (July 6), and mandolinist Chris Thile (July 11), to name a few. For the full list of performances, go to oregonbachfestival.org.
A resident company of the Hult Center, the Eugene Symphony has a rich heritage of artistic development and community engagement and is considered one of the nation’s preeminent orchestras.
The symphony was created by two local residents who decided that Eugene needed an orchestra of its own. “Going back to 1965, this started in a living room by a couple of musicians,” says Executive Director Dave Moss. The orchestra has 77 members today.
“Our season typically runs from September through May,” Moss says. “We do between 18 and 24 performances here at the Hult Center, and during the summer, we do our annual Symphony in the Park (at the Cuthbert Amphitheater).”
Other symphony activities include a family series that’s offered four times a year in the Hult Center lobby. “We have a free concert geared for kids under the age of 12 and we have story time that goes with the music,” Moss says. “We like to give kids this kind of experience.”
“The core of what we do, in the fall and the spring, is youth concerts,” he says. “We have schools come up from Grants Pass to Oakridge and Florence, and the sound of 2,000 fourth graders watching a live performance is a great experience. For some of these kids, that’s the only exposure they have to art and culture during the year.”
And having access to art and culture fosters appreciation and builds a stronger community, Moss says. “We are very grateful to the community here. It’s a very exciting time. We have a great team and great musicians.”
Some of the upcoming symphony performances include Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony (May 1), Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi in Concert (May 3), Piano Master Class with Claire Huangci (May 12), and Forces of Nature: Grieg and Nielsen (May 14). For a complete list, go to eugenesymphony.org.
