Values and Commitment Statement

June 2020

It is moments like these that compel us to consider all of the ways we are using our public media platform to serve our diverse communities, and to be clear about All Classical Portland’s values: to listen deeply and amplify all voices; to embrace equity; to build trust, and to be accountable in our mission to provide access to the arts for all.

In a pre-pandemic world, May 23rd would have been the day All Classical Portland broadcast the world premiere of Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem live from the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon. This groundbreaking work, which was commissioned by Resonance Ensemble and to be co-presented with the Oregon Symphony, memorializes the Black lives lost to racial violence—from the founding of our country, to Eric Garner’s death in 2014.

This is not political. This is human. All Classical Portland condemns racism in all forms and across all sectors of society. We believe that Black Lives Matter.

The artist Nadia Fawad once said, “Art reflects the innermost realities of humanity.” Through the music played on All Classical Portland, we put forth an opportunity to understand the truths of our shared humanity. In addition to beauty and comfort, the music we share provides a powerful vehicle for reflection, grieving, and growth.

The classical music industry has historically marginalized the voices of Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color. We are committed to changing the narrative of our industry.

While public declarations are important and meaningful, we believe in doing the work. Lasting change requires action and commitment.

We have a responsibility to continue to expand access and share diverse perspectives, ensuring that the voices of those historically underrepresented and those often excluded today have a place at the microphone, in the office, at the Board table, on the stage, and in the concert hall.

Here are some of the actions we have taken and are taking to drive change:

Amplify Black artists, issues, and voices through programs like Where We Live, The State of the Arts, and Thursdays @ Three, as well as the Artists in Residence program. In addition to programming and initiatives that amplifies Black voices in particular, All Classical Portland is also committed to expanding opportunity, access, and visibility to the broader Indigenous communities and to People of Color.

Address the industry-wide shortage of broadcast-quality recordings of works by underrepresented composers. Once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, we will partner to produce high-quality studio recordings ourselves through All Classical Portland’s Recording Inclusivity Project. In the meantime, All Classical Portland has a dedicated team of music researchers working to unearth lesser-known pieces and recordings of works  by composers of color, creating a resource list that can be shared with other stations.

Expand youth access to music and mentorship. In 2017, we launched our JOY! Program (Joyous Outreach to Youth/You) dedicated to equity and inclusivity. The four pillars of the program include (1) Youth Roving Reporters, an arts journalism mentorship program for high-school students; (2) Where We Live, a radio segment dedicated to the intersection of art and social issues; (3) an Artists in Residence Program; and (4) ICAN (the International Children’s Arts Network), launched in April 2019. ICAN is a station for children designed to expand cross-cultural awareness and to promote empathy and emotional literacy. In its first year, ICAN shared content in more than 10 languages and recognized 15 cultural holidays.

We recognize that much more needs to be done. We will continue to increase opportunities for equity and advancement, internally and externally, and to be inclusive of different voices and perspectives. Action also requires partnership and collaboration and we hope you will join us on the long road ahead.

I hope you and your loved ones remain safe and healthy.

In solidarity,
Suzanne Nance
President & CEO
All Classical Portland

Trail-Blazing Trans Women of Color in Classical Music

In this article, we highlight three trans women of color who are turning the classical music world on its ear. May we learn from their stories and lift up their voices.

Photo courtesy of the GLAAD website.

Classical Music Inspired By Young People

Some of classical music’s most charming repertoire has been music for, or about, children. Some classics, like Schumann’s Kinderszenen and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, are familiar favorites with audiences of all ages. In this list, we’ll explore a few familiar children’s pieces, as well as some lesser-known gems inspired by young people.

Champions of Music

This piece is dedicated to the unsung champions of classical music: the friends and encouragers who have come together to help the arts thrive. In this list, we’ll meet arts patrons, composers’ roommates, community leaders, aunts, teachers, choir directors, and letter writers. Each, in their own way, gave the support that was needed for music to flourish.

Composers at Home

Many people are at home right now – working from home, studying at home, isolating at home. Have you wondered what self-isolation would have looked like for classical composers? Let’s explore some historical images and meet some Composers at Home.

What is Art Song?

Today we call them art songs, but when this specific genre first appeared in the late 18th century, they were simply “songs,” nearly always scored for what is now a classic combination: piano and voice. At the time, the Industrial Revolution was helping to create a new class of music lovers. The new Middle Class was wealthy enough to want access to musical entertainment at home, but not wealthy enough to hire live-in court musicians like the aristocratic classes. What they could afford was the perfect new domestic instrument: the piano.

The ability to play the piano and sing became a status symbol for middle and upper middle class families, especially among women (as you might know from the novels of Jane Austen or the Brontë sisters). This made home music a lucrative market for composers. The earliest Lieder [pronounced “leader”], or German art songs, were written for voice and simple piano accompaniment, so that home musicians could accompany themselves or their friends at the piano.

Throughout the 19th century, the genre of art song developed into a sophisticated art form for the concert stage as well as for the home. However, in one sense, it’s never abandoned its domestic beginnings: most art songs are still scored for voice and piano. In this post, we’ll take a lightning tour of art song history, featuring a few of the countless great works in this genre. In addition to the videos, click on the text links to listen to a few more art songs.

10 Iconic Pieces of Classical Music

Classical music has stood the test of time for many reasons, its beauty, complexity, and the vastness of repertoire have inspired audiences for hundreds of years. Within classical music, there are several pieces that have become iconic through use in special events such as graduations, weddings, classic films, and even cartoons! In this list, we’ll take a closer look at just a handful of the many iconic pieces of classical music.

Composers on Nature

Countless musicians have been inspired by nature, and many have left us quotations describing their feelings for the natural world. Here is a collection of seven quotes about nature from classical composers, paired with compositions that reflect their love of the natural world.

Seven Instrumental Pieces Inspired by Poetry

“Music and poetry have ever been acknowledg’d Sisters, which walking hand in hand, support each other; As Poetry is the harmony of Words, so Musick is that of Notes; and as Poetry is a Rise above Prose and Oratory, so is Musick the exaltation of Poetry. Both of them may excel apart, but sure they are most excellent when they are join’d…”

Henry Purcell wrote that in 1650, reflecting on vocal music. But poetry has often been a supporting sister for purely instrumental music as well, especially in the Romantic era, when instrumental composers were fascinated with extra-musical inspiration. Here are seven compositions for instruments which were inspired by poetry.

John Pitman Review: Miró Quartet complete their Beethoven cycle

The Miró Quartet, who visited Portland in February hosted by Chamber Music NW, is celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth with the release of the complete string quartets. They began around 2005 with the Opus 18 (Beethoven’s first published set), recording them at the same age the composer was when he wrote them, in other words, their late twenties.

While they realized it might not be practical to wait until they were in their 50s and 60s to finish the Opus 135, violinist Daniel Ching and violist John Largess do share the story of how they went about recording the complete set, as well as shedding light on America’s early encounters with the string quartet repertoire through several trailblazing groups of the early 20^th century.

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets / Miro Quartet: BUY NOW

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