OREGON SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION
921 SW WASHINGTON ST NO 200, PORTLAND, OR 972052819 www.orsymphony.org

---

Organizations Filed Purposes: THE OREGON SYMPHONY IS DEDICATED TO MOVING MUSIC FORWARD. OUR VISION IS BOLD AND ADVENTUROUS: TO INSPIRE AUDIENCES WITH EXHILARATING PERFORMANCES, PRESENT THE BEST MUSICIANS IN A WIDE RANGE OF STYLES, EXPLORE NEW ART FORMS, SHINE LIGHT ON CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND BUILD A STRONGER COMMUNITY.

THE OREGON SYMPHONY INSPIRES AUDIENCES AND BUILDS COMMUNITY BY CREATING OUTSTANDING MUSICAL EXPERIENCES.

THE 19/20 SEASON PRESENTED THE OREGON SYMPHONY, AND INDEED OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, WITH UNEXPECTED AND UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES. THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRETY OF THIS SEASON, THE SYMPHONY HAS REMAINED DEDICATED TO OUR MISSION TO BRING MUSIC TO MORE PEOPLE IN NEW WAYS. A GLOBAL PANDEMIC MAY HAVE PUT ON HOLD OUR NORMAL WAYS OF FULFILLING THAT MISSION, BUT THE ORGANIZATION REMAINS COMMITTED TO EXPLORING NEW WAYS AND METHODS OF INSPIRING HOPE, SUPPORTING YOUTH EDUCATION, AND CREATING CONNECTION THROUGH THE SHARED EXPERIENCE OF MUSIC. IN THIS REPORT, WE ARE PROUD TO SHARE THE WAYS WE CONTINUE TO LIVE OUT THIS MISSION IN THE FACE OF OUR CHANGED REALITY, AS WELL AS THE WAYS WE ARE PRESERVING ORGANIZATIONAL RESOURCES TO MITIGATE THE DEVASTATING FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.

INNOVATING ONSTAGE AND ON THE SCREENTHE OREGON SYMPHONY'S 19/20 SEASON BROUGHT EXHILARATING ART AND INNOVATIVE PERFORMANCES TO THE STAGE IN PORTLAND AND SALEM. DURING THE FIRST TWO-THIRDS OF OUR SEASON, WE WELCOMED AN EXCITING LINEUP OF MUSIC TO OUR STAGE, REPRESENTING A RICH DIVERSITY OF GENRES AND STYLES. WE PREMIERED FOUR NEW ORCHESTRAL COMMISSIONS FROM INNOVATIVE COMPOSERS GABRIELLA SMITH, ANDY AKIHO, OSCAR BETTISON AND GABRIEL KAHANE. WE CELEBRATED MUSICAL TRADITIONS FROM MARIACHI, JAZZ, GOSPEL, MOTOWN, FILM SCORES, AND MORE. WE COLLABORATED ACROSS DIFFERENT ARTISTIC MEDIA OREGON BALLET THEATER DANCERS JOINED US FOR OUR NEW YEAR'S EVE CONCERT FEATURING VIENNESE WALTZES; THE ACROBATIC ARTISTS OF TROUPE VERTIGO AMAZED AUDIENCES WITH THEIR PERFORMANCES IN CIRQUE NUTCRACKER; AND HIGHLY ACCLAIMED DIRECTOR MARY BIRNBAUM STAGED AN ORIGINAL PRODUCTION OF THE TEMPEST THAT INCORPORATED SIBELIUS' BRILLIANT MUSICAL SCORE, THE FIRST OF OUR SOUNDSIGHTS ANCHOR SERIES PRODUCTIONS.SPRING 2020 SAW THE RELEASE OF TWO NEW OREGON SYMPHONY ALBUMS. ASPECTS OF AMERICA: THE PULITZER EDITION FEATURED THREE PULITZER-WINNING ORCHESTRAL WORKS FROM THE 20TH CENTURY ORCHESTRAL LITERATURE. GRAMOPHONE REMARKED, "THE OREGON SYMPHONY REALLY SHOW THEIR METTLE HERE, AND THE DELICACY OF THEIR PLAYING IS AS IMPRESSIVE AS THEIR COLLECTIVE VIGOUR." SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE CELEBRATED THE RELEASE OF OUR 2018 RECORDING OF GABRIEL KAHANE'S EMERGENCY SHELTER INTAKE FORM, AN OREGON SYMPHONY COMMISSIONED WORK THAT CONFRONTS OUR NATION'S HOMELESSNESS CRISIS. THE PIECE HAS ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED OR PROGRAMMED BY ORCHESTRAS NATIONWIDE INCLUDING THE DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY. WITH ITS RELEASE ON CD, MANY MORE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR THIS MOVING PIECE, AND MORE ORCHESTRAS WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO INCLUDE IT IN THEIR FUTURE SEASONS.WITH THE ONSET OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC IN EARLY MARCH, WE WERE FORCED TO CANCEL THE REMAINING PORTION OF OUR SCHEDULED PERFORMANCES, NEARLY A THIRD OF OUR SEASON. OUR REMAINING SOUNDSIGHTS PRODUCTIONS BERIO'S SINFONIA WITH ANIMATOR ROSE BOND AND REVUELTAS' NIGHT OF THE MAYAS WITH MICHAEL CURRY COULD NOT TAKE PLACE; WE ARE HOPING TO RE-SCHEDULE THESE PRODUCTIONS IN A FUTURE SEASON, SINCE MUCH OF THE PRE-PRODUCTION WORK IS COMPLETE. OTHER PERFORMANCES FROM THIS PERIOD, INCLUDING OUR WORLD PREMIERE OF AN AFRICAN AMERICAN REQUIEM BY PORTLAND COMPOSER DAMIEN GETER, WE HAVE ALREADY RESCHEDULED FOR 2021. KNOWING THAT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD BE FACING A PROLONGED PERIOD OF ISOLATION AND MOURNING, WE FELT OUR MUSIC COULD PROVIDE COMFORT, HOPE, AND CONNECTION TO HELP US PERSEVERE THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT MOMENT. OUR STAFF AND MUSICIANS SPRANG INTO ACTION TO DEVISE NEW WAYS OF BRINGING ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE TO OUR COMMUNITY WHILE WE WERE KEPT FROM THE STAGE. SOME KEY INITIATIVES INCLUDED:A NEW WEB SERIES CALLED MINUTE FOR MUSIC WENT LIVE IN MARCH, FEATURING SHORT VIDEOS SUBMITTED BY SYMPHONY MUSICIANS PLAYING IN THEIR HOMES AND NEIGHBORHOODS. THE SEGMENT CONTINUED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR AND BEYOND, WITH NEW VIDEOS PUBLISHED ACROSS OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND ON OUR WEBSITE AT LEAST TWICE WEEKLY. THE VIDEOS FEATURED MUSIC FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF TRADITIONS CLASSICAL, FOLK, JAZZ, AND POPULAR MUSIC, AMONG OTHERS AND OFFERED AUDIENCES A CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH MUSICIANS, SHARE MUSICAL CONTENT WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND ENJOY THE EMOTIONAL RELEASE OF LISTENING TO MUSIC WHILE WE ALL REMAIN PHYSICALLY SEPARATED. IN APRIL, WE EMBARKED ON AN ARTISTIC RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC THAT WOULD BRING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER IN GRATITUDE FOR THE MANY PEOPLE WHOSE TIRELESS WORK IS HOLDING OUR NATION TOGETHER AT THIS DIFFICULT TIME. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR CREATIVE CHAIR GABRIEL KAHANE, ESSENTIAL SOUNDS IS A FREE, SIX-PART PROGRAM THAT USES MUSIC, STORYTELLING, AND IMAGERY TO HELP US HONOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR MOST ESSENTIAL WORKERS. EACH EPISODE PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON A SPECIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE, AND COMBINES OUR MUSICIANS' PERSONAL STORIES, GUEST APPEARANCES FROM SOME OF THE FOREMOST ARTISTS AND COMPOSERS OF OUR TIME, AND MOVING PERFORMANCES FROM OUR OWN OREGON SYMPHONY MUSICIANS FOR AN IMMERSIVE AND ENGAGING EXPERIENCE. THE SERIES GARNERED NATIONAL ATTENTION AND IS BEING FEATURED ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO'S LIVE SESSIONS; WE ARE THE ONLY ORCHESTRAL GROUP FEATURED ON LIVE SESSIONS AMIDST SOME OF THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER AND ACCLAIMED PERFORMERS OF OUR TIME.IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTSLANDIA, MUSIC DIRECTOR CARLOS KALMAR DEVELOPED AND HOSTED MONDAYS WITH THE MAESTRO, A SERIES OF HAPPY HOUR VIDEO CHATS EXPLORING DIFFERENT CONCEPTS IN MUSIC. EACH WEEK, CARLOS EXPLORED A PARTICULAR EMOTION, AND USING EXAMPLES FROM THE CLASSICAL ORCHESTRAL LITERATURE, HE DEMONSTRATED THE WAYS THAT DIFFERENT COMPOSERS EXPRESSED EACH EMOTION THROUGH THEIR MUSIC. ASSOCIATE MUSIC DIRECTOR NORMAN HUYNH TOOK TO OUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT TO HOST ASK A MUSICIAN, A LIVE-STREAMED WEEKLY CHAT WITH A DIFFERENT OREGON SYMPHONY MUSICIAN EACH WEEK. FOLLOWERS COULD SUBMIT QUESTIONS FOR THE MUSICIANS AHEAD OF TIME, AND NORMAN WOULD SELECT HIS FAVORITES FOR A WIDE-RANGING, INFORMAL DISCUSSION WITH MEMBERS OF THE SYMPHONY. OUR PIVOT TO DIGITAL CONTENT HAS ALLOWED THE SYMPHONY TO EXTEND THE REACH OF OUR MUSIC CONSIDERABLY. NO LONGER BOUND TO THE CONCERT HALL, DIGITAL PROGRAMMING MAKES OUR WORK ACCESSIBLE TO OREGONIANS ACROSS ALL CORNERS OF THE STATE. ESSENTIAL SOUNDS ALONE REACHED AN AUDIENCE OF MORE THAN 117,000 VIEWERS, AND IN TOTAL THE ABOVE PROGRAMMING RECEIVED MORE THAN 213,000 VIEWS ON OUR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS. IN A TYPICAL SEASON WE SERVE A SIMILAR NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH OUR IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING; BY ADDING THIS SEGMENT OF OUR WORK WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SIGNIFICANTLY EXPAND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ACCESS OUR ART. THESE LARGE VIEWING NUMBERS DEMONSTRATE THAT THE MUSICAL CONTENT WE CREATE IS VALUABLE TO THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN THIS TIME OF CRISIS. FURTHERMORE, EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE IN BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL OUTLETS HAS CONFIRMED THE OREGON SYMPHONY'S PLACE AS A LEADING ARTS INSTITUTION. OUR LOCAL TV STATIONS HAVE BEEN EAGER TO SHARE OUR UPCOMING CONTENT WITH THEIR AUDIENCES AS SOMETHING THEY KNOW THEIR VIEWERS WILL VALUE; NEWS MEDIA REPORTED ON OUR CANCELATION AND FURLOUGH DECISIONS AS NEWSWORTHY, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY'S ARTISTIC VIBRANCY AND DUE TO THE OUTSIZE ECONOMIC IMPACT OUR ORCHESTRA HAS ON OREGON'S ECONOMY. PRESIDENT SCOTT SHOWALTER HAS APPEARED IN THE WASHINGTON POST AND OTHER NATIONAL OUTLETS DISCUSSING THE PANDEMIC'S IMPACT ON THE ARTS AT A NATIONAL SCALE, HELPING TO ADVANCE OUR REPUTATION AS A LEADER IN OUR FIELD.

INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITYOVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON, OUR MUSICIANS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS PARTICIPATED IN 275 COMMUNITY EVENTS, BOTH DIGITAL AND IN-PERSON. OUR PROGRAMMING IMPACTED THE LIVES OF MORE THAN 27,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN-PERSON, INCLUDING 24,000 CHILDREN IN K-12 SCHOOLS. DIGITAL PROGRAMMING DURING THE PANDEMIC INCREASED OUR REACH TO AN ADDITIONAL 35,000 VIEWERS ABOVE AND BEYOND THE VIEWERS REFERENCED IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION.IN EARLY MARCH, WE PRESENTED FIVE YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS TO 9,400 STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-8: TWO AT ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL IN PORTLAND, TWO AT SMITH AUDITORIUM IN SALEM, AND A FIRST-TIME PRESENTATION IN NEWBERG ON THE CAMPUS OF GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY. STUDENTS ACROSS A TEN--COUNTY REGION JOINED US FOR AN ENGAGING PERFORMANCE OF BENJAMIN BRITTEN'S CLASSIC YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA, ALONG WITH AN ASSORTMENT OF POPULAR AND CLASSICAL FAVORITES. THESE CONCERTS ARE FREQUENTLY STUDENTS' FIRST EXPOSURE TO THE POWER OF LIVE ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE, AND OFTEN THEIR FIRST TIME IN A CONCERT HALL. THIS YEAR WE FACILITATED MORE STUDENTS THAN EVER BEFORE TO HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE, AND TWO-THIRDS PARTICIPATED FOR FREE DUE TO THEIR ENROLLMENT IN FEDERAL FREE/REDUCED LUNCH. WE WERE ALSO PLEASED TO OFFER BUS SUBSIDIES TO ELEVEN TITLE 1 SCHOOLS TO HELP DEFRAY TRANSPORTATION COSTS THAT MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED THEIR 1,500+ STUDENTS FROM PARTICIPATING. STUDENTS JOINED US FROM AS FAR AS WARM SPRINGS IN CENTRAL OREGON AND GEARHART ON THE COAST. THESE ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL CONCERTS ARE A KEY STEP TO INSPIRING MUSIC PARTICIPATION FOR STUDENTS, AS WELL AS HELPING STUDENTS UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE DIFFERENT CONCEPTS IN THE MUSIC THAT THEY HEAR.IN AN EFFORT TO SUPPORT TEACHERS AND PARENTS WITH EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL IN THE HOME, WE LAUNCHED OUR BELOVED SYMPHONY STORYTIME PROGRAM IN A NEW DIGITAL FORMAT. 13 VIDEO EPISODES NINE IN ENGLISH AND FOUR IN SPANISH DEBUTED ON THE OREGON SYMPHONY WEBSITE STARTING IN JUNE. EACH VIDEO FEATURES A READER WHO SHARES A BELOVED CHILDREN'S BOOK STORY, AND AN OREGON SYMPHONY MUSICIAN WHO USES THEIR INSTRUMENT TO PROVIDE THE 'SOUNDTRACK' TO THE STORY. THIS AWARD-WINNING PROGRAM HELPS PROMOTE LITERACY FOR CHILDREN 7 AND UNDER. THESE VIDEOS MARK THE FIRST TIME WE OFFERED SYMPHONY STORYTIME IN SPANISH, ALLOWING US TO REACH OUT TO NEW AUDIENCES. THE PROGRAM EARNED COVERAGE ON OUR LOCAL UNIVISION TV STATION'S WEBSITE AND EL LATINO DE HOY NEWSPAPER, INDICATING THAT OUR LOCAL LATINO COMMUNITY FOUND VALUE IN THIS CONTENT. FREE TO VIEW ON OUR WEBSITE AND YOUTUBE CHANNEL, OUR DIGITAL SYMPHONY STORYTIMES HAVE DELIGHTED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VIEWERS, NOT ONLY ACROSS OREGON BUT ALSO ACROSS THE COUNTRY.THE THIRD YEAR OF THE LULLABY PROJECT IN MEMORY OF DORIS CECLIA STORMS WENT LIVE IN APRIL 2020, ALTHOUGH WE WERE UNABLE TO HOST A COMMUNITY CONCERT AS WE HAD IN YEARS PAST. THE EIGHT BEAUTIFUL SONGS, EACH WRITTEN BY PARENTS RECEIVING HOUSING SUPPORT FROM PORTLAND HOMELESS FAMILY SOLUTIONS, ARE ALL AVAILABLE FOR FREE LISTENING ON THE OREGON SYMPHONY WEBSITE. OUR MUSICIANS WORKED WITH PARENTS AND LOCAL SINGER-SONGWRITERS TO BRING THESE SONGS TO LIFE, EACH ONE AS UNIQUE AS THE CHILD WHO INSPIRED IT. PARENTS EACH RECEIVED A PERSONAL CD COPY OF THE SONG COMPILATION TO PLAY AS THEIR CHILD GROWS. THIS PROJECT, ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED BY CARNEGIE HALL, USES MUSIC CREATION AS AN EMPOWERMENT TOOL AND PROMOTES BONDING BETWEEN PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN AS THEY FACE DIFFICULT SITUATIONS LIKE HOUSING INSECURITY.OUR MUSICIANS MADE SPECIAL EFFORT TO CONNECT WITH MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY LIVING IN FULL-TIME CARE FACILITIES THROUGH VIDEO MUSICAL GREETINGS. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS PANDEMIC, ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES HAD TO ENFORCE SOME OF THE MOST STRICT QUARANTINE PROCEDURES TO KEEP RESIDENTS SAFE. IN THE FACE OF PROLONGED ISOLATION, WE KNEW MUSIC COULD PLAY A ROLE IN FORGING CONNECTIONS WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD AND PROVIDING ENGAGING CONTENT TO SHARE WITH RESIDENTS. WE WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SIX DIFFERENT ASSISTED-LIVING FACILITIES ACROSS THE PORTLAND AND SALEM METRO REGIONS, PLUS TWO COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS WHO SERVE ELDERLY AND ISOLATED COMMUNITY MEMBERS MAYBELLE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY, AND THE MARIE SMITH ADULT DAY CENTER. DEPENDING ON THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND TECHNOLOGY SET-UP OF EACH PARTNER, OUR MUSICIANS USED A COMBINATION OF LIVE ZOOM CALLS, PRE-RECORDED PERFORMANCES, AND "FIRESIDE CHAT"-STYLE DISCUSSIONS OF THE MUSIC THEY WERE SHARING TO CONNECT WITH HUNDREDS OF ISOLATED PEOPLE.

---

---

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202110929349300136_public.xml