Suzanne Nance chopping strawberries

A Sunday Brunch Recipe for Mother’s Day

Sunday Brunch host Suzanne Nance loves to explore Oregon’s foodie culture, and what better way than to go straight to the chefs of some of our most beloved restaurants and vineyards. Just in time for Mother’s Day, we are delighted to share the recipe for Crispy Chicken & Waffles by Chef Norma Buchholz from Brooks Winery. It’s a delicious treat to make for mom or another special someone in your life on Mother’s Day – or any day. Bon appétit!

Download the full recipe here, and be sure to tune in to Sunday Brunch every Sunday from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT. There’s always room at the brunch table!


Crispy Chicken & Waffles by Chef Norma Buchholz

Waffles:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 ¾ cups milk
  • ½ cup melted butter
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs, separated (egg whites beaten until stiff peaks form)
  1. Place the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder in a large bowl, and mix well.
  2. Add vanilla, butter, milk, and egg yolks. Mix well.
  3. Using a spatula, gently fold in the egg whites until well incorporated.
  4. Turn your waffle iron on to medium heat and place 1 cup of waffle batter in the iron, close and cook 1-2 minutes.
  5. Gently remove and let cool before plating.

Chicken:

  • 1 qt buttermilk
  • 3 tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 lbs chicken tenderloin
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 large eggs
  1. In a large bowl, mix together buttermilk and 2 tablespoons salt.
  2. Add chicken and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
  3. When ready to fry: Fill a Dutch oven fitted with a candy thermometer with vegetable oil 2″ to 3″ deep, then heat until oil reaches 300º.
  4. Prepare one sheet pan lined with paper towels and a wire rack.

YIELDS: 4 Servings | PREP TIME: 30 mins | COOK TIME: 20 mins | TOTAL TIME: 50 mins
Learn more at www.brookswine.com


Our Vision for the Future of All Classical

New Home in 2024: Relocation and Capital Campaign

Desktop banner announcing All Classical Portland's move to KOIN Tower in 2024

In 2024, All Classical will be moving to a state-of-the-art facility at KOIN Tower! Read more about our latest updates and campaign progress.

This new location in the heart of Portland, OR will allow All Classical to continue providing the beautiful music and high-quality programming you’ve come to rely on, while expanding opportunities for us to create new and engaging programming experiences, handcrafted just for you. Construction is underway, and the station anticipates its new headquarters will open in July 2024.

All Classical for All People: Our Vision

All Classical Radio is currently raising funds to build this one-of-a-kind arts and media center, which will include gathering spaces, production and recording studios, and an intimate performance space designed to accommodate rehearsals, spoken word, theater in the round, musical performances, and more.

If you would like to make a donation to support the relocation capital campaign, please click the button below, fill out this form, or contact Director of Development Allison Fuller at allison@allclassical.org or 503-802-9412.

Learn more in this special message from Suzanne Nance, President and CEO:

It is your incredible support that makes everything possible. Our commitment to our listeners and the arts community of the Pacific Northwest remains at the heart of what we do. For 40 years, All Classical Radio has provided barrier-free access to beautiful music and the arts. We are excited to welcome you into our new space very soon, and work together to renew downtown Portland through creativity, compassion, and community.


To learn more about this pivotal, strategic move, or to learn how you can contribute to our vital capital campaign, fill out this form, or contact Director of Development Allison Fuller at allison@allclassical.org or 503-802-9412.


In the News

Broadcaster All Classical Portland moving to downtown skyscraper next year
“It’s a great opportunity for All Classical to move into downtown Portland and help,” said President and CEO Suzanne Nance.
Jonathan Bach, Portland Business Journal – May 3, 2023


All Classical On the Move
Portland’s ambitious, forward-looking classical music radio station is expanding its scope, creating space for live performances, and relocating to downtown Portland.
Brett Campbell, Oregon ArtsWatch – May 3, 2023


Portland Radio Institution Intends to Move to Dishier Downtown Digs
We spoke with All Classical CEO Suzanne Nance about benefits of the move, like a new recording studio and additional space to foster classical-loving community.
Robert Ham, Portland Mercury – May 4, 2023


All Classical Radio Relocation FAQs

Capital Campaign Form

  • United States+1
  • United Kingdom+44
  • Afghanistan+93
  • Albania+355
  • Algeria+213
  • American Samoa+1
  • Andorra+376
  • Angola+244
  • Anguilla+1
  • Antigua & Barbuda+1
  • Argentina+54
  • Armenia+374
  • Aruba+297
  • Ascension Island+247
  • Australia+61
  • Austria+43
  • Azerbaijan+994
  • Bahamas+1
  • Bahrain+973
  • Bangladesh+880
  • Barbados+1
  • Belarus+375
  • Belgium+32
  • Belize+501
  • Benin+229
  • Bermuda+1
  • Bhutan+975
  • Bolivia+591
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina+387
  • Botswana+267
  • Brazil+55
  • British Indian Ocean Territory+246
  • British Virgin Islands+1
  • Brunei+673
  • Bulgaria+359
  • Burkina Faso+226
  • Burundi+257
  • Cambodia+855
  • Cameroon+237
  • Canada+1
  • Cape Verde+238
  • Caribbean Netherlands+599
  • Cayman Islands+1
  • Central African Republic+236
  • Chad+235
  • Chile+56
  • China+86
  • Christmas Island+61
  • Cocos (Keeling) Islands+61
  • Colombia+57
  • Comoros+269
  • Congo - Brazzaville+242
  • Congo - Kinshasa+243
  • Cook Islands+682
  • Costa Rica+506
  • Croatia+385
  • Cuba+53
  • Curaçao+599
  • Cyprus+357
  • Czechia+420
  • Côte d’Ivoire+225
  • Denmark+45
  • Djibouti+253
  • Dominica+1
  • Dominican Republic+1
  • Ecuador+593
  • Egypt+20
  • El Salvador+503
  • Equatorial Guinea+240
  • Eritrea+291
  • Estonia+372
  • Eswatini+268
  • Ethiopia+251
  • Falkland Islands+500
  • Faroe Islands+298
  • Fiji+679
  • Finland+358
  • France+33
  • French Guiana+594
  • French Polynesia+689
  • Gabon+241
  • Gambia+220
  • Georgia+995
  • Germany+49
  • Ghana+233
  • Gibraltar+350
  • Greece+30
  • Greenland+299
  • Grenada+1
  • Guadeloupe+590
  • Guam+1
  • Guatemala+502
  • Guernsey+44
  • Guinea+224
  • Guinea-Bissau+245
  • Guyana+592
  • Haiti+509
  • Honduras+504
  • Hong Kong SAR China+852
  • Hungary+36
  • Iceland+354
  • India+91
  • Indonesia+62
  • Iran+98
  • Iraq+964
  • Ireland+353
  • Isle of Man+44
  • Israel+972
  • Italy+39
  • Jamaica+1
  • Japan+81
  • Jersey+44
  • Jordan+962
  • Kazakhstan+7
  • Kenya+254
  • Kiribati+686
  • Kosovo+383
  • Kuwait+965
  • Kyrgyzstan+996
  • Laos+856
  • Latvia+371
  • Lebanon+961
  • Lesotho+266
  • Liberia+231
  • Libya+218
  • Liechtenstein+423
  • Lithuania+370
  • Luxembourg+352
  • Macao SAR China+853
  • Madagascar+261
  • Malawi+265
  • Malaysia+60
  • Maldives+960
  • Mali+223
  • Malta+356
  • Marshall Islands+692
  • Martinique+596
  • Mauritania+222
  • Mauritius+230
  • Mayotte+262
  • Mexico+52
  • Micronesia+691
  • Moldova+373
  • Monaco+377
  • Mongolia+976
  • Montenegro+382
  • Montserrat+1
  • Morocco+212
  • Mozambique+258
  • Myanmar (Burma)+95
  • Namibia+264
  • Nauru+674
  • Nepal+977
  • Netherlands+31
  • New Caledonia+687
  • New Zealand+64
  • Nicaragua+505
  • Niger+227
  • Nigeria+234
  • Niue+683
  • Norfolk Island+672
  • North Korea+850
  • North Macedonia+389
  • Northern Mariana Islands+1
  • Norway+47
  • Oman+968
  • Pakistan+92
  • Palau+680
  • Palestinian Territories+970
  • Panama+507
  • Papua New Guinea+675
  • Paraguay+595
  • Peru+51
  • Philippines+63
  • Poland+48
  • Portugal+351
  • Puerto Rico+1
  • Qatar+974
  • Romania+40
  • Russia+7
  • Rwanda+250
  • Réunion+262
  • Samoa+685
  • San Marino+378
  • Saudi Arabia+966
  • Senegal+221
  • Serbia+381
  • Seychelles+248
  • Sierra Leone+232
  • Singapore+65
  • Sint Maarten+1
  • Slovakia+421
  • Slovenia+386
  • Solomon Islands+677
  • Somalia+252
  • South Africa+27
  • South Korea+82
  • South Sudan+211
  • Spain+34
  • Sri Lanka+94
  • St. Barthélemy+590
  • St. Helena+290
  • St. Kitts & Nevis+1
  • St. Lucia+1
  • St. Martin+590
  • St. Pierre & Miquelon+508
  • St. Vincent & Grenadines+1
  • Sudan+249
  • Suriname+597
  • Svalbard & Jan Mayen+47
  • Sweden+46
  • Switzerland+41
  • Syria+963
  • São Tomé & Príncipe+239
  • Taiwan+886
  • Tajikistan+992
  • Tanzania+255
  • Thailand+66
  • Timor-Leste+670
  • Togo+228
  • Tokelau+690
  • Tonga+676
  • Trinidad & Tobago+1
  • Tunisia+216
  • Turkey+90
  • Turkmenistan+993
  • Turks & Caicos Islands+1
  • Tuvalu+688
  • U.S. Virgin Islands+1
  • Uganda+256
  • Ukraine+380
  • United Arab Emirates+971
  • United Kingdom+44
  • United States+1
  • Uruguay+598
  • Uzbekistan+998
  • Vanuatu+678
  • Vatican City+39
  • Venezuela+58
  • Vietnam+84
  • Wallis & Futuna+681
  • Western Sahara+212
  • Yemen+967
  • Zambia+260
  • Zimbabwe+263
  • Åland Islands+358
Composers we're celebrating on air for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

AANHPI Composers We’re Celebrating On Air

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and all year round, All Classical Portland is programming music by Asian American and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (AANHPI) composers and musicians on our playlist. We love sharing music richly and meaningfully woven with a diverse array of influences.

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)

Tan Dun
Image by Nana Watanabe courtesy of Bard College

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)

Marika Takeuchi
Image courtesy of the composer’s website

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
Image courtesy of UMKC

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)

Image courtesy of the composer’s website

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)

Image courtesy of the composer’s SoundCloud

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.

Queen Lili'uokalani

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.


John Pitman Review: Benjamin Grosvenor Schumann Brahms

John Pitman Review: Benjamin Grosvenor Schumann & Brahms

All Classical Portland’s Program Director John Pitman recently spoke with British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, whose new recording touches on the relationships of Johannes Brahms and Robert and Clara Schumann.

Grosvenor chose works that link together Brahms as a young man meeting Robert and his wife, pianist and composer, Clara Wieck Schumann, and Brahms later in life, writing music that expresses his lifelong friendship with, Clara. Mr. Grosvenor shares the delightful backstory to the main work on his recording:  Robert Schumann’s Kreisleriana, inspired by the music-loving hero in a story by German Romantic author and composer E.T.A. Hoffmann.  Excellently and sensitively played, the music of three masters of classical music come to life in Grosvenor’s playing.

Enjoy his conversation with John below:

https://soundcloud.com/all-classical-portland/john-pitman-review-benjamin-grosvenor-schumann-brahms

Benjamin Grosvenor’s Schumann & Brahms is available now on Decca.


Hunter Noack and Kim Stafford for All Classical Portland’s Poetry Project 2023: The Improv Sessions

All Classical Radio’s Poetry Project: The Improv Sessions

Host Suzanne Nance is celebrating National Poetry Month on Sunday Brunch throughout April with music and poetry by Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Stafford and pianist Hunter Noack (All Classical’s 2019 Artist in Residence). Plus, enjoy beautiful music by Leoš Janáček, Robert Schumann, Frédéric Chopin, and more.

Join us every Sunday in April at 10:00 AM PT for All Classical Radio’s Poetry Project 2023: The Improv Sessions! Listen at 89.9 FM in Portland or from anywhere in the world through our free mobile app or via our live player on our website.


LISTEN TO THE IMPROV SESSIONS

Kim Stafford’s poem “In a Landscape” is exquisitely paired with Hunter Noack’s choice of “Good Night” from On an Overgrown Path by Leoš Janáček.
Kim Stafford’s poem “This Place Has Awaited You” is exquisitely paired with Hunter Noack’s choice of “Entritt/Entrance” from Waldszenen (Forest Scenes) by Robert Schumann. 
Kim Stafford’s poem “After Fire, Rain” Hunter Noack, piano, performing “The Raindrop” Prelude in D-flat Major, Op. 28, No. 15 by Frédéric Chopin.
Kim Stafford’s “Why the Beach” paired with Hunter Noack playing John Cage’s In a Landscape
Kim Stafford’s poem “Birding for the Blind” with Hunter Noack’s musical response: Bird as Prophet by Robert Schumann from Waldszenen (Forest Scenes)
Kim Stafford’s poem “Out Oak Island Road” with Hunter Noack playing Domenico Scarlatti’s Sonata in b minor, K. 87

ABOUT

Hunter Noack by Arthur Hitchcock

Hunter Noack

Hunter Noack is a classical pianist, naturalist, and founder of the award-winning, groundbreaking wilderness concert series, IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™.

Hunter grew up exploring, hunting, fishing, and kayaking the rivers of Oregon, forming a strong connection to nature. He started piano at age 4 and by the fifth grade he was up at 4am to light a fire and practice piano before taking the bus to school. After intensive training at Interlochen Arts Academy, San Francisco Conservatory, University of Southern California (B.M.), and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London (M.A.), Hunter returned to Oregon and founded IN A LANDSCAPE.

Thomas Lauderdale of Pink Martini praised the series as, “The most exciting classical music project in America. Hunter is making classical piano music relevant again.”

in 2019, Hunter was was All Classical Radio’s inaugural Artist in Residence, and in June 2022, Heinz Records released Noack’s debut CD, “In a Landscape,” which in its first week went to the top of Billboard’s classical music charts to make number one in Traditional Classical Music.


Kim Stafford

Kim Stafford, founding director of the Northwest Writing Institute at Lewis & Clark College, teaches and travels to raise the human spirit. He is the author of a dozen books of poetry and prose, including The Muses Among Us: Eloquent Listening and Other Pleasures of the Writer’s Craft and 100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do: How My Brother Disappeared. His most recent book is the poetry collection Singer Come from Afar (Red Hen, 2021). He has taught writing in dozens of schools and community centers, and in Scotland, Italy, Mexico, and Bhutan. In 2018 he was named Oregon’s 9th Poet Laureate by Governor Kate Brown for a two-year term.

Kim Stafford by Ken Dixon

Sunday Brunch

Sunday Brunch Suzanne Nance
All Classical Radio President & CEO, Suzanne Nance

We’ll save a seat for you at the brunch table!

Join host Suzanne Nance every Sunday at 10:00 AM PT at 89.9 FM in Portland or worldwide via our live player on our website.


John Pitman Review: Mao Fujita Takes On Mozart

John Pitman Review: Mao Fujita Takes On Mozart

Pianist Mao Fujita was born in Japan and now lives in Europe, where he is studying with Kirill Gerstein. Mao was invited to the renowned Verbier Festival in Switzerland a couple of years ago, on the strength of having a number of Mozart’s piano sonatas in his fingers. The Festival asked Mao if he could get the rest of them – 18 in all – ready for a live performance.  Mao did so, and the result of that was a signing to Sony, and this new recording of the complete Mozart sonatas.

Mao takes an approach that would have been absolutely expected by Mozart and others of his time: not to play the sonatas “note for note”, but rather to bring something different each time the phrase came back. This fresh approach is just one of the attractions of Mao’s new recording, the other is the sense of familiarity and intimacy he has with the music, as though he’s known this music his whole life. And in some ways, he has…

Hear All Classical Portland’s Program Director John Pitman‘s conversation with Mao, and enjoy some musical excerpts:

https://soundcloud.com/all-classical-portland/john-pitman-review-mao-fujita-takes-on-mozart

Mao Fujita’s Mozart: The Complete Piano Sonatas is available now from Sony at prestomusic.com.


Women We Love to Play On Air

Women We Love to Play On Air

At All Classical Portland, featuring women composers, conductors, and musicians as part of our regular programming is standard practice. We love to shine a spotlight on these historically overlooked figures in classical music and inspire our listeners with their skills and talents. This March, in celebration of Women’s History Month, we’d like to highlight a few women whose music All Classical plays on air all year long.

Louise Farrenc

Louise Farrenc (1804-1875)

As noted by Jessica Duchen in BBC Music Magazine, French composer and educator Louise Farrenc was “a major musical personality hiding in plain sight.” Farrenc established herself as a renowned concert pianist by her teens and went on to serve as Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatory for over 30 years. She was the only woman to hold a permanent, high-ranking position at the institution in the 19th century. Never one to be devalued for her skills and leadership, Farrenc fought for equal pay to that of her male colleagues at the conservatory… and won.

As a composer, she wrote primarily for her instrument, the piano. Her music is known for its technical difficulty and “down-to-earth” musical personality while avoiding overt sentimentality or unnecessary flashiness.   

Elfrida Andrée

Elfrida Andrée (1841 – 1929)

Swedish organist, composer, and conductor Elfrida Andrée achieved an impressive number of “firsts” during her career. She was the first Swedish woman to pass the nation’s professional organist exam while lobbying against laws preventing women from becoming organists at churches and cathedrals. Andrée was the first Swedish woman to not only compose chamber music and symphonic music but also to conduct a symphony orchestra.

Her catalog of works includes pieces for orchestra, stage, choir, voice and piano, small ensemble, and perhaps most notably, organ. While interest in her organ music continued beyond her death, a renewed enthusiasm in her entire musical output has developed in recent decades, especially in Scandinavia.

Mélanie (Mel) Bonis

Mélanie (Mel) Bonis (1858-1937)

Mélanie Bonis was a prolific French composer, publishing over 300 works for piano, chamber ensemble, choir, organ, and orchestra throughout her lifetime. She received formal music instruction from César Frank at the Paris Conservatory, where she made a name for herself as an emerging composer of note. Fun fact – Bonis studied at the Paris Conservatory around the same time as Claude Debussy.

During her time at the conservatory, Bonis realized that she would have more success as a published composer if she disguised her sex, thereby assigning the gender-neutral pseudonym “Mel Bonis” to her works. While Bonis made a name for herself during her lifetime, the memoir written by her children a few decades after her death helped maintain her notoriety among classical music listeners.

Bonis’s Femmes de légende, a collection of piano pieces referencing “legendary” women history, mythology, and literature, was recently recorded by All Classical Portland’s Artist in Residence, María García. The recording can be found on AMPLIFY, All Classical’s inaugural album from the Recording Inclusivity Initiative (RII).

Nora Holt

Nora Holt (1885-1974)

Nora Holt was an American composer, singer, pianist, and critic who studied with Nadia Boulanger and maintained friendships with prominent figures of the Harlem Renaissance, such as Carl Van Vechten and Langston Hughes. Through various points in her life, she would focus on composing or performing at any given time. However, journalism seemed to be her most constant creative focus. In fact, Holt became the first woman music critic in the United States. She was known for championing music by African American composers and new, emerging performers.

As a composer, Holt wrote about 200 works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, and piano. Unfortunately, only one or two pieces are known to have survived. Before embarking on a trip abroad, Holt had placed her compositions in storage, which were subsequently stolen along with many other possessions.

Ruth Gipps
Photo of Ruth Gipps courtesy of the British Music Collection

Ruth Gipps (1921-1999)

English musician and composer Ruth Gipps was a child prodigy who published her first musical works at just eight years old. A master of the piano and oboe, Gipps went on to study at the Royal College of Music under notable musicians such as Ralph Vaughan Williams. Sadly, she suffered a hand injury in her early 30s, ending her performing career. From that point on, Gipps focused on composition and conducting.

Interestingly, her role as a conductor was where Gipps emerged most prominently as a trailblazer. Due to discrimination against her sex while seeking conducting positions, Gipps founded her own orchestras – the London Repertoire Orchestra and the Chanticleer Orchestra.

Jennifer Higdon
Photo of Jennifer Higdon by J.D. Scott courtesy of the composer’s website

Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962)

Jennifer Higdon is an acclaimed American composer and flutist who came to composition relatively late in her musical journey; however, her late start has done nothing to thwart her achieving a position as one of America’s most frequently performed composers of contemporary classical music.

Higdon’s works encompass a wide variety of genres, from large-scale pieces for orchestra and stage to songs for voice and piano. In 2010, she received the Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto. Additionally, Higdon’s music has been widely recorded, resulting in three Grammys so far for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

All Classical host Andrea Murray recently took us behind-the-scenes of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s recent West Coast premiere of Jennifer Higdon‘s Cold Mountain Suite. Listen in the All Classical Portland Audio Archive until March 17, 2023.  

Valerie Coleman
Photo of Valerie Coleman by Matthew Murphy courtesy of the composer’s website

Valerie Coleman

Contemporary American composer and flutist Valerie Coleman has been identified as one of the “Top 35 Women Composers” by The Washington Post as well as Performance Today’s 2020 “Classical Woman of the Year.” Her works, especially her pieces for woodwinds, are quickly becoming standard repertoire among performing ensembles nationwide. As a performer, Coleman has dazzled audiences at such distinguished institutions as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and Bravo! Vail.

As part of her commitment to arts education, in 2011, Coleman created the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival, a New York-based mentorship program welcoming young leaders from over 100 institutions worldwide. Coleman currently serves on the Mannes School of Music faculty for flute and composition.

Helen Habershon
Photo of Helen Habershon courtesy of the composer’s website

Helen Habershon

British musician Helen Habershon may be equally well-known for her work as a clarinetist as she is for composition. Though she pursued both performing and composition growing up, by her early 20s, Habershon established herself as an international clarinetist. Her turn to composition resulted from a serious injury that left her unable to play the clarinet for several months.

Habershon credits “our beautiful planet” as the source of inspiration for much of her music and has sought ways of blending the natural world with her beloved musical one, including collaborating with polar explorer Jim McNeill to give talks on the overlap of music and nature.


If you’d like to keep learning about women in classical music, check out these past posts from All Classical Portland’s Arts Blog:


All Classical Portland’s 2023 Young Artist in Residence + Youth Ambassadors!

All Classical Portland’s 2023 Young Artist in Residence + Youth Ambassadors!

All Classical Portland is proud to announce 16-year-old pianist, violinist, and composer Amir Avsker as its 2023 Young Artist in Residence. A sophomore at Westview High School in Beaverton, OR, Amir began playing the piano in 2014 and the violin in 2019. He has participated in and won several local and international music competitions and festivals, including the 29th Young Artist Debut Competition and the 2022 InterHarmony International Music Festival in Italy. To date, Amir has written over 40 original compositions, including works for solo instruments, chamber ensembles, and orchestras.

“This residency will be an extraordinary experience for me,” says Amir, “But also for aspiring young musicians, whom I hope will be inspired and empowered to see the immense support for classical music in our community. The most important and enjoyable part of making music for me is working with other passionate musicians. With this title, I hope to bring together my generation of talented musicians.”

Violinist and pianist Amir Avsker
Amir Avsker, 2023 Young Artist in Residence. Photo: Christine Dong.

Amir will help create content for the station’s digital channels as well as perform on a future episode of Thursdays @ Three, hosted by Christa Wessel. He will work closely with pianist María García, All Classical Portland’s professional Artist in Residence.


2023 YOUNG ARTIST AMBASSADORS!

First launched in 2019, All Classical Portland’s Young Artist in Residence program has continued to grow and flourish since its inception. In 2022, the station expanded its youth residency program with the first-of-its-kind Young Artist Ambassadors, building upon its commitment to serving youth regionally and across the country.

Now, the station is proud to announce a new cohort of Ambassadors for 2023:

  • 18-year-old cellist and vocalist Catherine Hartrim-Lowe
  • 16-year-old violinist Ellie Kim
  • 17-year-old violinist Timothy Lee

Meet our 2023 Young Artist in Residence and Ambassadors.


ABOUT

The Artists in Residence program provides young and professional musicians with opportunities for career advancement, creative development, and audience exposure. The program is a part of All Classical Portland’s initiatives dedicated to equity and inclusivity in the arts.

All Classical Portland is committed to supporting our Artists in Residence by providing them with new resources and opportunities to connect with audiences, expand their musical portfolio, and reach new creative heights as our partners, including:

  • Access to All Classical Portland’s recording facilities
  • Access to the station’s digital music archives for research and development
  • Encouragement and support for professional development as artists
  • A financial award to assist with projects and performances

We believe All Classical Portland’s Artists in Residence program is a truly unique and all-encompassing opportunity for musicians to grow, learn, and expand, and we are thrilled to continue the program after its successful inaugural years.


PAST ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

Previous Young Artists in Residence include double bass player Maggie Carter (2022), pianist Natalie Tan (2020), and cellist Taylor Yoon (2019). The station named its first-ever Young Artist Ambassadors in 2022. The inaugural class of Ambassadors included violinist Noah Carr, flute player Diego Fernandez, oboist Ben Price, and violinist Nate Strothkamp. All Classical Portland’s previous professional Artists in Residence include concert pianist Hunter Noack (2019) and flutist Adam Eccleston (2020-2021).

Meet all of All Classical Portland’s Artists in Residence.


Maria Garcia's Five "Must Listen To" Women Composers

María García’s Five “Must Hear” Women Composers

All Classical Portland is proud to announce that the station has extended pianist María García‘s residency! In honor of Women’s History Month, she is shining a spotlight on five incredible composers.


What is history? Who has been in charge of telling these stories, and how have those choices shaped us? Stories are not created in a vacuum, and many facets help create a complete narrative. Yet traditional books often paint a monochromatic portrait that focuses on a slim portion of the population. For example, throughout the history of Western music, women (and many other groups) have been underrepresented and seen as second-class citizens in a world where they did not create the rules.  

In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to share five “must listen to” women composers. All Classical Portland’s Artist Residency has given me an opportunity to bring focus to my art, and a top priority throughout my residency has been to highlight women composers, both living and deceased.

As I research women composers, I’ve often asked myself, “Is the past relevant to our present, and what is our responsibility to it as performers?” None of the books I studied at conservatory talked of women composers, especially those of the past. I have never composed a single piece of music, and my interest doesn’t lie in that realm, so my career as a performer has aligned more with the general role given to women throughout the ages – that of muse and recreator of mostly male art.

When we think of the most commonly known women composers, names such as Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Maria Anna Mozart come to mind. These women lived, to varying degrees, in the shadows of men. Clara was able to compose and tour as a performer, but after Robert’s death, she chose to dedicate herself to curating his music, performing, and teaching. Fanny Mendelssohn couldn’t publish her own works and instead had to publish under her brother’s name. And what of Maria Anna Mozart, who was said to be equally talented to her brother Wolfgang, yet no scores survive?

This month, I honor the tenacity and incredible talent of women whose shoulders we stand on by spotlighting a few women composers who have both been overlooked and are leading the way into the future. 

Emilie Mayer (1812-1883)

Emilie Luise Friderica Mayer was a German composer who began her serious compositional study relatively late in life, at age 28, after the death of her father. She composed eight symphonies, seven symphonic overtures, eight violin sonatas, twelve cello sonatas, seven string quartets, six piano trios, a piano concerto, and an opera, among other works. Mayer is believed to not only have been the first woman to write a romantic symphony but also the most prolific German woman composer of the Romantic era. Yet, only a few of her pieces have been published. Most remain in their original handwritten form, making it difficult for groups to play her music. In addition to composing, Mayer was also a gifted sculptor whose works are featured in collections around Europe.

Below is one of her beautiful compositions for piano, violin, viola, and cello – Piano Quartet in G Major:

Mana-Zucca (1885-1981)

The daughter of Polish immigrants, American musician Mana-Zucca (born Augusta “Gussie” Zuckermann) was a child prodigy who began composing at an early age. At just eight years old, she is said to have performed Beethoven’s first piano concerto with the New York Symphony Orchestra. While some aspects of her earlier life have yet to be verified, we can safely say that the young musician took the world by storm.

Mana-Zucca had three distinct but interconnected careers: one as a concert pianist of great renown, one as a singer who performed leading roles in musical comedy, and one as a prolific composer. Her published works total approximately 400, including music for piano, orchestra, and voice. In addition, she also composed music for young students. Her most famous work is “I Love Life,” written in 1923 with lyrics by her husband, Irwin Cassel.

Below is one of her evocative works for solo piano, Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 27:

Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994)

Dame Elizabeth Violet Maconchy LeFanu was an Irish-English composer considered one of the finest composers from Great Britain. While enrolled at the Royal Conservatory of Music, she studied with Vaughn Williams, among others. Maconchy’s early compositions clearly show the influence of European composers, especially Bartók. In addition to her writing, Maconchy did much to improve the conditions of composers. She was elected Chair of the Composers Guild of Great Britain in 1959, a position she held for several years, and she was also President of the Society for the Promotion of New Music.

Maconchy produced over 200 works. Her cycle of thirteen string quartets, composed between 1932 and 1983, is regarded as the peak of her musical achievements and most distinctly shows her musical individuality. Music historian Anna Beer has contended that the composer “…loved the quartet form because it represented a debate, a dialectic between four balanced, individual, impassioned voices.”

Below is one of her earlier works, String Quartet No. 3:

Vítězslava Kaprálová (1915-1940)

Czech composer and conductor Vítězslava Kaprálová was born into a musical family. Her father was a composer, and her mother was a singer. She studied composition and conducting both at the Brno Conservatory and with Bohuslav Martinů in Prague. In 1946, in appreciation of her distinctive contribution to music, the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Arts awarded Kaprálová membership in memoriam. At the time, the honor had only been bestowed on 10 women out of the 648 members of the Academy.

Despite her untimely death at 25, Kaprálová created an impressive body of work. Kaprálová’s catalog includes art songs, works for solo piano, chamber music, and orchestral works. Much of her music was published during her lifetime and continues to be performed and recorded today.

My introduction to Kaprálová’s music came from this stunning performance of April Preludes, Op. 13 by my dear friend and powerhouse performer, Francine Kay, on her new album release, which is a must-listen item all on its own!

Johanny Navarro (b. 1992)

Puerto Rican composer Johanny Navarro is a rising dynamo. She has composed works for Boston Opera Collaborative, the American Harp Society, New World Symphony, Victory Players, and Coralia Vocal Ensemble. Navarro has an ample catalog of diverse work deeply rooted in Afro-Caribbean musical aesthetics, essentially in Puerto Rican musical culture. Moreover, her music has been presented in Cuba, Mexico, Spain, and France. Navarro’s opera, ¿Y los Pasteles? Ópera Jíbara en dos actos (And the cakes? Native Opera in two acts) was awarded the 2020 Discovery Grant from Opera Grants for Female Composers. She is currently a resident artist at the American Lyric Theater in New York.

Below is Navarro’s work for bassoon and tambourine, Plena Gritería para Fagot y Pandero. I hope to present in the near future, not playing the bassoon part but learning the hand drum part! Why not? It’s never too late to continue evolving and challenging myself as an artist. 


On Thursdays @ Three on March 30, 2023, I will be performing a solo recital of music by women composers. Some of the composers above will be a part of the concert program, so be sure to tune in to the broadcast!

This post on women composers was only possible with the incredible research efforts of Sandra Mogensen and Erica Stipes of Piano Music She Wrote. Their directory is a great place to start if you’re looking for a thorough catalog of works by women composers throughout the ages.

María García, All Classical Portland’s Artist in Residence


This post was edited by Rebecca Richardson, All Classical Portland’s Music Researcher & Digital Producer.


John Pitman Review: Eldbjørg Hemsing's 'Arctic'

John Pitman Review: Eldbjørg Hemsing’s ‘Arctic’

Arctic is a new release by Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing that asks questions, through music, about the effects of climate change on the Arctic region, and on the life that exists there. Ms. Hemsing, who grew up near the Arctic Circle, says “the Arctic is often misrepresented as stark and uninhabitable wasteland.” Yet Hemsing explains that “it’s a region of matchless beauty abounding in life, one that magically illustrates how all things cohere in fragile cycles.”

With new pieces by composers including Jacob Shea, Frode Fjellheim, and James Newton Howard, as well as Norwegian heroes of the past such as Ole Bull and Edvard Grieg, Arctic is a compelling compendium of musical ideas about a region that plays a vital role in the health of the entire planet. 

Enjoy All Classical Portland’s Program Director John Pitman‘s conversation with Eldbjørg Hemsing below.

https://soundcloud.com/all-classical-portland/john-pitman-review-eldbjorg-hemsings-arctic
John Pitman Review: Eldbjørg Hemsing’s ‘Arctic’

Eldbjørg Hemsing‘s Arctic is available now on Presto Classical or through Hemsing’s website: eldbjorgmusic.com.


Our Sponsors

Plank and Coil logo
Logo: Art in the Pearl, Fine Arts & Crafts Festival
AniChe Cellars
logo: the horswell collection, Windermere Real Estate

Meet all of our sponsors  |  Become a sponsor

  • KQAC 89.9 Portland/Vancouver
  • KQOC 88.1 Newport/Lincoln City
  • KQHR 88.1 Hood River/The Dalles
  • KQHR 96.3 Columbia Gorge East
  • KQMI 88.9 Manzanita
  • KSLC 90.3 McMinnville
  • 95.7 FM Corvallis/Flynn