Orchestrating the Future of the Oregon Symphony
From its inaugural concert at the Marquam Grand Theater in Portland on October 20,1896, the Oregon Symphony has grown to become one of the largest orchestras in the nation and one of the largest arts organizations in the Northwest. Still, despite its successes, the Oregon Symphony faces considerable financial challenges and is struggling to attract a new generation of supporters in a state with little classical music education.
On Friday, November 30, Carlos Kalmar, music director of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, will discuss the role of the Oregon Symphony in the cultural life of the city as well as specific changes made under his direction. He will also address the financial health of the symphony and efforts to reach out to the musicians and audiences of tomorrow.
Kalmar was appointed music director of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra in 2003 and is also principal conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago. Born in Uruguay to Austrian parents, he began studying violin at age six and by age fifteen his musical development led him to the Vienna Academy of Music. Prior to his arrival in Portland, Kalmar served as the music director of Vienna’s Tonkunstlerorchester, the Hamburg Symphony, the Stuttgart Philharmonic and the Anhaltisches Theater in Dessau, Germany.
