Hear John Pitman’s interview with Kondonassis and Esmail about their new joint project, Terra Infirma below:

Terra Infirma by harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and composer Reena Esmail is available now on Azica Records.

It’s high-risk, deeply collaborative, and exactly the kind of artistic leap that keeps live performance thrilling. This interview captures that in-between moment—where ideas are still in motion, and anything feels possible.

Catch this WindSync + BodyVox + Chamber Music Northwest April 24-26, 2026! Learn more at bodyvox.org and cmnw.org.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) Pride Month is observed each year in commemoration of the June 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York, a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Nationally, Pride Month is observed in June. Locally, the city of Portland celebrates its queer community in July.

In honor of Pride Month, All Classical is shining a spotlight on musicians from the LGBTQI+ community who bring so much beauty and joy to listeners around the world. Join us in celebrating the musical contributions of five extraordinary contemporary LGBTQI+ artists who we love to play on air all year round.

JENNIFER HIGDON

Jennifer Higdon, a Pulitzer Prize and three-time GRAMMY award-winning composer and flutist, has proven herself a major figure in contemporary classical music time and time again. Higdon’s exquisite music encompasses a wide range of genres, from large-scale pieces for orchestra and stage to intimate songs for voice and piano. Among her many accolades, Higdon’s first opera, Cold Mountain, won the International Opera Award for Best World Premiere in 2016 (the first American opera to do so), and her GRAMMY award-winning recording of Percussion Concerto was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2019.

Interestingly, Higdon had a relatively late start to music. At age 15, she taught herself to play flute, and she began formal studies in composition at 21. Nonetheless, Higdon’s path to a career in music has led her to become one of the most influential musical voices of our time. Her music is both distinct and accessible and has been praised as being “imbued with integrity and freshness.”

Together with her wife, Cheryl Lawson, the couple established their own publishing company, Lawdon Publishing (a fun combination of the couple’s last names), through which Higdon publishes all of her musical works. Fun fact – revered conductor Marin Alsop officiated the couple’s marriage in 2014.

CONNOR CHEE

Navajo pianist and composer Connor Chee is best known for combining his Western classical training with his Native American heritage. Making his Carnegie Hall debut at just 12 years old after winning the World Piano Competition, Chee is no stranger to the music world. Exposed to traditional Navajo music from a young age, Chee’s classical piano training proved to be a perfect companion for fulfilling the musician’s artistic spirit while also serving as a vehicle to preserve the beloved music of his ancestry.

Chee primarily writes for the piano and incorporates traditional Navajo chants and songs, in addition to piano transcriptions of Navajo music. In fact, writing down music that had previously been exclusively communicated orally was what drew Chee to composition in the first place. Currently based in Phoenix, Chee continues to perform throughout the United States. Several of his studio albums have earned accolades, including Best Instrumental Recording at the 16th Annual Native American Music Awards for The Navajo Piano.

CAROLINE SHAW

Violinist, vocalist, and composer Caroline Shaw is well known to All Classical audiences, as well as countless listeners around the world. The youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Music (she was 30 at the time), as well as the winner of several GRAMMY awards, Shaw has led an impressively prolific career—one that will undoubtedly continue to add meaningful works to the world’s musical vernacular. Her artistic collaborations include classical heavyweights such as Yo-Yo Ma, Renée Fleming, and Davóne Tines, as well as Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía, French music video director Woodkid, and the American rapper Nas, not to mention a long list of films, video games, podcasts, ballets, and more.

Shaw’s music doesn’t adhere to strict genre guidelines but rather crosses over in unexpected ways, both in musical style and artistic collaboration. If you looked up the word “visionary” in the dictionary, Caroline Shaw’s name would come up. According to her official bio, through her music, Shaw is “trying to imagine a world of sound that has never been heard before but has always existed.”

In addition to Shaw’s extraordinary work as a composer, together with her partner Danni Lee, the couple created the band Ringdown, which they describe as “the love child of Johannes Brahms and Brandi Carlile—if they were born in the same century and if Brahms was a queer woman.”

Shaw is one of the 40 trailblazing contemporary artists featured in All Classical’s Artist Anthology. You can read her profile, written by Kristen Millares Young and photographed by Jason Quigley, here.

NICO MUHLY

New York-based composer Nico Muhly is at the forefront of American classical music. Best known for his acclaimed operas, including Two Boys and Marnie (both commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera), Muhly is an incredibly sought-after musical voice. In addition to The Met, Muhly has received commissions from Carnegie Hall, LA Phil, Tallis Scholars, and St. John’s College, Cambridge, among others. Muhly’s musical influences range from American minimalism to the Anglican choral tradition. In addition to writing works for the stage and concert hall, Muhly frequently collaborates with choreographer Benjamin Millepied. Adding to his extensive list of projects, Muhly has also scored several films and TV shows, including the Academy Award-winning The Reader, and the BBC mini-series Howards End.

Muhly is not afraid to address queer subject matter in his music, as seen in the opera, Two Boys, inspired by a true case involving a toxic teenage relationship and its tragic repercussions, and the oratorio Sentences, based on the life of Alan Turing. Rather, he leans into his commitment to spotlighting voices that have been historically underrepresented in classical music.

JIMMIE HERROD

Powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Jimmie Herrod exploded onto the musical scene as a finalist on “America’s Got Talent,” and the world has been smitten ever since. Herrod has been a featured soloist with acclaimed orchestras nationwide, including Oregon, San Francisco, and Houston. Perhaps most notably, Herrod was a soloist for the globally televised PBS “Joni Mitchell Songbook” concert at The Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra, where he shared the stage with Renée Fleming, Lalah Hathaway, Raul Midón, and Aoife O’Donovan.

As a musician, Herrod’s musical style traverses many genres, including jazz, pop, and funk. A longtime resident of Portland, Herrod regularly tours with Pink Martini as a featured vocalist in addition to headlining his own shows. Praised for “a voice like a beacon of hope,” Herrod has a gift for piercing the hearts of his listeners and is changing today’s musical soundscape for the better.

Herrod’s recent program on All Classical Radio with Cédric Hanriot, A New Foray Into Fauré, is available in the Audio Archive until June 24, 2024. Herrod is also one of the 40 trailblazing contemporary artists featured in All Classical’s Artist Anthology. You can read his profile, written by Amber Flame and photographed by Frankie Tresser, here.

RECOMMENDED READING

If you’d like to keep learning, check out these blog posts from All Classical’s Arts Blog:

• Five LGBTQI+ Artists You Need to Know
• Music Exploring Queer Experiences
• Nine Fantastic LGBTQI+ Classical Music Groups in Oregon

JUST JIMMIE

The same week, Herrod was featured as the 28th creative profiled in All Classical Radio’s Artist Anthology, spotlighting 40 contemporary artists of the Pacific Northwest in honor of the station’s 40th anniversary. The spotlight takes viewers behind the scenes of Herrod’s artistry and career through an exclusive interview and photos.

Learn more at anthology.allclassical.org.

On May 29, 2024, at 5:00 PM PT, Herrod was interviewed by aspiring young musician Jayden on ICAN BECOME. The International Children’s Arts Network program pairs youth hosts with their career heroes.

Listen and learn more at icanradio.org.

ABOUT

With “a voice like a beacon of hope” (Seattle Times), vocalist Jimmie Herrod brings singular power and expressivity to his globe-trotting career as a singer, songwriter, and entertainer on stage and screen. Herrod first came to worldwide prominence as a finalist on the NBC nationally broadcast television show, “America’s Got Talent,” earning the rare “Golden Buzzer” recognition from actress Sofia Vergara, and returning the following year on the “America’s Got Talent: All-Stars” series.

As a solo artist, Herrod has appeared to critical and audience acclaim with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and with the symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Houston, and Oregon. Herrod was a soloist for the globally televised PBS “Joni Mitchell Songbook” concert at The Kennedy Center with the NSO, where he shared the stage with musical luminaries like Renée Fleming, Lalah Hathaway, Raul Midón, and Aoife O’Donovan.

Keep reading at jimmiebeingjimmie.com.

Cédric Hanriot is a pianist, composer, arranger, sound designer, and music producer. Winner of prestigious scholarships and international awards, he is known worldwide for his collaborations with Herbie Hancock, Terri Lyne Carrington, Robert Glasper, Donny McCaslin, and other big names in the jazz world.

Cédric Hanriot served as pianist and sound designer on Dianne Reeves’s album “Beautiful Life,” which won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2015. 

In 2022, Cédric Hanriot released his last album, “Time is Color”, under his label Morphosis Arts, created in 2019. “Time is Color” is a singular work, a powerful mixture of jazz, hip-hop, and urban music – an album that resembles himself. The album has been the subject of several glowing reviews (Le Monde, Blues and Soul Magazine, The Jazz Shows with Jamie Cullum, among others). The album was quickly voted CHOC by Jazz Magazine, 5 stars by BBC Magazine, and ranked among the ten best albums of the year 2022 by the English magazine MOJO. 

Learn more at cedrichanriot.com.

Carlos Simon

GRAMMY®-nominated composer Carlos Simon channels connection and empathy through his music. His work spans genres, not only musical—jazz, gospel, hip-hop, and neo-romanticism—but also medium, taking inspiration from written works and visual art. Simon is a powerful advocate for diversity in music and often addresses complex subject matter in his music, such as slavery and injustice. With works commissioned by some of the most renowned orchestras in the country, Simon has earned a reputation as a star on the rise. Simon is currently the Composer-in-Residence for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as the inaugural Boston Symphony Orchestra Composer Chair.

In October 2023, All Classical’s Director of Music and Programming, John Pitman, interviewed Carlos Simon about his recent album, Together. Here, you can listen to the full interview, woven with musical excerpts from the album.

Alexis Ffrench

British composer, pianist, and producer Alexis Ffrench is one of the most globally streamed classical artists of our time. As a self-described classical-soul pioneer, Ffrench takes classical traditions and weaves in R&B and roots music to dissolve the boundaries between musical genres. Ffrench’s music has accumulated half a billion streams, with the albums Evolution and Dreamland both reaching No. 1 on the classical music charts. In 2022, Ffrench joined the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) as their first-ever Artistic Director, where he actively advocates for increased awareness of contemporary composers. He is also a Governing Body Member and Trustee of the Royal Academy of Music.

Jessie Montgomery

GRAMMY®-nominated composer, violinist, and educator Jessie Montgomery has made her mark on the world with her captivating and unique musical voice. Montgomery has acquired a long list of impressive accolades, including being named Musical America’s 2023 Composer of the Year, the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, and the Leonard Bernstein Award from the ASCAP Foundation. Her body of work includes solo, chamber, vocal, and orchestral pieces and is frequently performed by leading artists and ensembles around the world. Montgomery’s music merges classical elements with vernacular music, improvisation, poetry, and social consciousness, dissolving the listener’s preconceived expectations of 21st-century classical music.

Kenyon Duncan

Kenyon Duncan is a composer, performer, conductor, and arranger whose music and skills as a performer have been featured on several studio albums to date. Grounded in the sonic traditions of the Black diaspora, Kenyon’s creative practice engages questions of embodiment and placemaking. A native of Northern California, Duncan is currently working on a solo recording project that will undoubtedly bring his music to eager listeners near and far.

Jeff Scott

Jeff Scott is a composer, French horn player, arranger, and educator who has led a robust decades-long career. Scott has performed in numerous Broadway shows, movie soundtracks, commercial recordings, and studio albums. He has also been a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Dance Theater of Harlem orchestras since 1995. Scott was a founding member of the renowned wind quintet Imani Winds and performed with the ensemble for over 20 years.

As a composer, Scott creates “Urban Classical Music,” rooted in European traditions and informed by his African American culture and urban environment upbringing in Queens, NY.

H. Leslie Adams

H. Leslie Adams is a composer whose highly accessible and evocative music touches a wide range of musical tastes. Having written large-scale orchestral works, choral music, and voice and solo piano pieces, Adams’s works have been performed worldwide. His songs have been sung by leading classical singers such as Kenneth Overton, Denyce Graces, Damien Geter, Louise Toppin, and more. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, where he still lives, Adams was awarded the Cleveland Arts Prize Lifetime Achievement Award in Music in 2015.

Daniel Bernard Roumain

Daniel Bernard Roumain is a Haitian-American composer, performer, educator, and activist whose creativity thrives in collaborative musical relationships. Roumain has made a name for himself as a genre-bending composer whose classical string sounds are infused with myriad electronic and African-American music influences. His oeuvre includes works for chamber ensemble, orchestra, opera, film, theater, and dance. Currently, Roumain is serving as the first Artistic Ambassador with Firstworks, the first Artist Activist-in-Residence at Longy School of Music, and the first Resident Artistic Catalyst with the New Jersey Symphony, among many other notable positions of influence. He is also a tenured Associate and Institute Professor at Arizona State University Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

Thomas Lauderdale

While celebrated as an extraordinary performer and bandleader globally, Thomas Lauderdale is an absolute icon among audiences of his Pacific Northwest hometown. Lauderdale has had a keen interest in politics and social justice since his teens and planned to run for political office after graduating (with honors) from Harvard University. Instead, in 1994, the musician founded the band, Pink Martini, to play events for progressive causes. Since its founding, Pink Martini has blossomed into a cultural staple integral to Portland’s identity while staying true to Lauderdale’s founding mission to participate in community interests actively. As a pianist and sought-after collaborator, Lauderdale is admired for his captivating stage presence and dazzling musicianship.

Last month, Lauderdale joined All Classical host Christa Wessel at the station to chat about his new collaboration with legendary Portland surf rock band Satan’s Pilgrims called “Thomas Lauderdale Meets The Pilgrims.” Listen to Christa and Thomas’s conversation here.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Canadian-born and Grammy Award-winning conductor and pianist Yannick Nézet-Séguin has led the world’s most acclaimed orchestras and opera houses, not to mention his seemingly endless collaborations with the most distinguished singers and musicians of our time. Currently, Nézet-Séguin serves as Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, Artistic and Music Director of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Orchestre Métropolitain in his native Montreal. The conductor has become a beloved household name known for his fresh perspective, his dedication to the art form, and his charisma. In an industry where prominent arts leaders historically have rarely been openly gay, Nézet-Séguin is a beacon of hope for up-and-coming musicians who otherwise may have feared discrimination.

Edna Vázquez

Edna Vázquez is a multifaceted performing artist whose music seamlessly spans the genres of rock, folk, pop, and R&B. Her Mexican heritage plays a vital role in her identity as a performer whose roots are in mariachi music (she grew up in Jalisco, the heartland of the musical genre). Additionally, Vázquez regularly tours with Pink Martini as a featured soloist and even released an album, “Bésame Mucho,” with the ensemble. She has become a household name for her powerful vocal performance and passion that permeates any listener’s heart.  When Vázquez first came out as a lesbian as a teenager, she was culturally isolated. Ever since, the musician has been a fierce advocate for LGBTQI+ rights and spreading the message of love and cultural healing through music.

Marin Alsop

American conductor Marin Alsop is a trailblazer in classical music, known for modernizing the world’s leading orchestras with her fresh, diverse programming. Among her list of inspiring accolades are an impressive collection of “firsts” – the first woman to lead a major orchestra in the United States, South America, Austria, and Great Britain, the first (and only) conductor to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, and the first female conductor of BBC’s Last Night of the Proms, among many others. As an openly gay woman conductor, Alsop creates a sense of hope among aspiring conductors and musicians about the future of inclusivity and equity in the industry and beyond.

In breaking news, Alsop has just been appointed as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, in addition to continuing to serve as Chief Conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Hunter Noack

Pianist Hunter Noack is a native Oregonian and All Classical’s inaugural Artist in Residence whose love of the outdoors has manifested in the innovative musical experience IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™. In the annual series, Noack and his 9-foot Steinway replace the concert hall with some of this country’s most stunning natural backdrops, bringing his gorgeous interpretations of classical music to larger and more diverse audiences. Noack earned degrees from the University of Southern California and Guildhall School of Music & Drama and has toured nationally and internationally with his partner, Thomas Lauderdale’s band, Pink Martini. In 2022, the musician released his debut album, “In a Landscape,” which topped Billboard’s classical music charts.

Revisit Noack’s recent stunning collaboration with poet Kim Stafford on Sunday Brunch: “All Classical Portland’s Poetry Project 2023: The Improv Sessions.”

Recommended Reading

To keep learning, check out these posts from All Classical’s Arts Blog:

• Music Exploring Queer Experiences by Emma Riggle
• Nine Fantastic LGBTQI+ Classical Music Groups in Oregon by Kelly Lantz

Host Christa Wessel spoke with Pink Martini bandleader and Portland pianist Thomas Lauderdale about his new collaboration album with legendary Portland surf rockers Satan’s Pilgrims. Over 25 years in the making, the new album, Thomas Lauderdale Meets The Pilgrims, features new takes on beloved standards such as Night and Day, Malagueña, and George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

Infusing classical music and Thomas’s sparkling piano work with the Pilgrims’ signature surf rock sound, it’s the perfect summer party record you can enjoy all year round!

Hear Christa and Thomas‘s exciting conversation below:

Thomas Lauderdale Meets The Pilgrims is available now on CD and vinyl at pinkmartini.com!

Experience the album live at the Crystal Ballroom on Thursday, May 18, 2023. Tickets and more information at crystalballroompdx.com.

ABOUT

Thomas Lauderdale was raised on a plant nursery in rural Indiana. He began piano lessons at age six with Patricia Garrison. When his family moved to Portland in 1982, he began studying with Sylvia Killman, who to this day continues to serve as his coach and mentor. He has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras and ensembles, including the Oregon Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, the Portland Youth Philharmonic, Chamber Music Northwest and Oregon Ballet Theatre (where he collaborated with choreographer James Canfield and visual artists Storm Tharp and Malia Jensen on a ballet based on Felix Salten’s Bambi, written in 1923).

Lauderdale currently serves on the boards of the Oregon Symphony, Pioneer Courthouse Square, the Oregon Historical Society, Confluence Project with Maya Lin and the Derek Rieth Foundation. He lives in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Learn more at pinkmartini.com.

Satan’s Pilgrims formed in 1992 during a series of house parties hosted by the members of the band, and were playing shows in their hometown of Portland, Oregon by 1993. Twisting their name from the 60’s AIP film “Satan’s Sadists” and donning their now familiar matching outfits complete with vampire capes, they became a band. 

The Pilgrims are one of the most influential surf instrumental bands around and while much of their sound has a definite Southern California influence, what sets them apart is the legacy of their Pacific Northwest rock ‘n’ roll ancestors and other influences, creating their own sub-genre of surf instrumental that many fans call “Pilgrim Rock”.

Read more at satans-pilgrims.com.

Keep reading to learn about five phenomenal artists we’re featuring on air, and be sure to tune in to All Classical Portland on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at 7:00 PM PT for a special edition of The Concert Hall with John Pitman featuring music by composers of Asian ancestry, from India to the Philippines, to China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.

Tan Dun (b. 1957)

Composer and conductor Tan Dun spent his early life working as a rice planter and performer of Peking opera during China’s Cultural Revolution. He encountered Western classical music for the first time while studying at Beijing’s Central Conservatory and soon became a leading composer of contemporary music in China. Since moving to the U.S. in 1986, Tan Dun has significantly impacted the musical scene nationally and abroad. His oeuvre of opera, chamber works, and orchestral compositions have broken down barriers between classical music and multimedia performance while beautifully incorporating Eastern and Western traditions. His score for Ang Lee’s film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon won the composer both a Grammy and an Oscar. In 2018, Tan Dun was appointed dean of the Bard College Conservatory of Music.

Marika Takeuchi (b. 1987)

A native of Japan, Marika Takeuchi has been actively working on projects in the States as a composer, pianist, orchestrator, arranger, and educator for the past decade. Since moving to the U.S. in 2009 to study at Berklee College of Music, Takeuchi has produced an impressive number of albums and commissions. Much of her music has been scooped up for use in commercials, short films, and advertisements around the world. Fun fact – Takeuchi has a special connection to broadcasting. One of her earliest career experiences was composing for NHK Radio.

Zhou Long (b. 1953)

Zhou Long is a Chinese American composer whose music combines Chinese folk songs and modernist classical influences. His unique blend of East and West has made him a pioneer in translating traditional Chinese idiomatic sounds and techniques to Western ears. In addition to numerous prestigious accolades, Dr. Zhou was awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Price in Music for his first opera, Madame White Snake. He also received the 2012-2013 Elise Stoeger Prize from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The composer currently serves as Bonfils Distinguished Professor of Composition at UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. Dr. Zhou’s wife, Chen Yi, is a composer and violinist whose music also graces our airwaves.   

Reena Esmail (b. 1983)

Indian American composer Reena Esmail blends the worlds of Indian and Western classical soundscapes in her music. She has written diverse orchestra, chamber, and choral works for several acclaimed ensembles, including the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Seattle Symphony, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and Kronos Quartet. Her works address humanity in art and create a sense of belonging and inclusivity among its listeners. In addition to writing emotionally rich compositions, Esmail is the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s 2020-2025 Swan Family Artist in Residence. She also serves as Artistic Director of Shastra, a non-profit organization that promotes cross-cultural music connecting the music traditions of India and the West.

Wei-Chieh Lin (b. 1982)

Born in Taiwan, Wei-Chieh Lin is an American composer who received formal musical training at The Julliard School under Milton Babbitt. His music has been performed around the world in such establishments as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Centre Pompidou, and the National Concert Halls in Taiwan. Wei-Chieh frequently draws on his Taiwanese heritage through folksongs, traditional melodies, and other media, in addition to popular genres and jazz. The composer’s award-winning catalog ranges from works for solo instruments to works for orchestra and chamber ensembles.

To continue learning, check out Emma Riggle’s past post for the Arts Blog, “The Songs of Lili’uokalani, Queen of Hawaii.” This post explores the musical life of the last monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

AMPLIFY is now available for purchase in the All Classical Portland Gift Shop.

On October 28, 2022, the station aired a special On Air CD Release Party, sharing the world premiere of music from AMPLIFY on the radio. This special program was hosted by Suzanne Nance and Adam Eccleston, and featured music from the album, interviews with Raúl Gómez-Rojas and All Classical Portland Artist in Residence María García, and more.

All Classical Portland’s Recording Inclusivity Initiative is a response to the classical music industry’s longtime need for greater diversity, with the purpose of increasing awareness and opportunity for previously marginalized artistic communities. Learn more at recordinginclusivity.allclassical.org.

Comprised of leaders from the radio, recording, publishing, and performing arts industries, the RII Panel and Executive Advisors selected five winning compositions from a pool of over 100 entries for inclusion on AMPLIFY. Including three pieces from living composers, and two posthumous works, the album was recorded at the NM Bodecker Foundation’s Halfling Studios in Portland, Oregon.

A pre-release single, A Spark and a Glimmer by composer Lauren McCall was made available on Friday, October 21, 2022. Hear an exclusive snippet of Lauren’s piece and learn more.

The full album was released on Friday, October 28, 2022, and featuring works by All Classical Portland Composers in Residence Jasmine Barnes, Keyla Orozco, and McCall. AMPLIFY will also include two posthumous works by Mélanie Hélène Bonis (1858-1937) and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004).

AMPLIFY’s album cover artwork was created by Monica Obaga, an illustrator and graphic designer focused primarily on producing artwork in support of women, the environment, and positive African media representation.

ABOUT

Broadcasting from the heart of the Pacific Northwest, All Classical Portland is consistently ranked in the top three classical music radio stations in the United States. Creator of the award-winning Recording Inclusivity Initiative (RII), All Classical Portland is leading the public radio industry nationwide by amplifying composers of our time and expanding access to outstanding classical music recordings. RII seeks to address the gap of classical music composers and musicians from underrepresented communities that make it onto the airwaves. All Classical Portland is globally recognized for its unique programming, innovative collaborations, and community outreach.

The Recording Inclusivity Initiative was made possible in part by the generous support of the Oregon Cultural Trust, The Sorel Organization, the Regional Arts and Culture Council, and IBEW Local 48.

Learn more at recordinginclusivity.allclassical.org.

PARMA Recordings works with artists across genres, backgrounds, and borders, effectively bringing musical projects to completion with accuracy. By beginning with the end in mind and keeping quality at the forefront, we create projects recognized by the Recording Academy, Billboard, Gramophone, and BBC Music, and performed onstage at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and more.

Navona Records offers listeners a fresh taste of today’s leading innovators in orchestral, chamber, instrumental, and experimental music as well as prime pieces of classic repertoire. Since the label’s foundation in 2008, Navona Records artists have been breaking barriers and breathing new life into the traditions of classical music. Our music is meticulously performed by the finest musicians and handpicked to ensure the most rewarding listening experience. Navona Records is a classical imprint of music production house PARMA Recordings.

AMPLIFY is now available for purchase in the All Classical Portland Gift Shop:
shop.allclassical.org/amplify-all-classical-portlands-rii-vol-1

Learn more about the album, the composers and musicians, and other ways to buy/stream it at navonarecords.com.

The AUXART sculpture and sound work grew from Philip Krohn’s 9 week residency in Portland’s new creative space Building 5. AUXART is a play on the idea of using an installation space and large scale structural sculpture to amplify various creative inputs across artistic disciplines. As an exclamation point and project finale Nancy Ives played her cello from the heart of the sculpture. Nancy’s performance combined the work of Bach and works of her own composition she felt were harmonically tuned to the spirit and feeling of the sculptural environment.

Nancy Ives’ program included —

Prelude from Suite for cello and Vocal Obligato
J.S. Bach: Prelude from Suite in G Major for Violoncello Solo
Nancy Ives: Allemande from Suite for cello and Vocal Obligato
J.S. Bach: Allemande from Suite in G Major for Voloncello Solo
Nancy Ives: Sarabande! from Suite for Cello and Vocal Obligato
J.S. Bach: Sarabande! from Suite in G Major for Voloncello Solo
Celilo Fisherman by Nancy Ives, poem by Ed Edmo (used with permission)
On the Root Glacier by Nancy Ives