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Chamber Music Northwest

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Chamber Music Northwest
Formation1971
FounderSergiu Luca
Location
Websitecmnw.org

Chamber Music Northwest (CMNW) is an American non-profit organization in Portland, Oregon, dedicated to the performance and promotion of chamber music. In addition to its annual Summer Festival, the organization also presents individual chamber music concerts throughout the year,[1] as well as educational and community engagement programs.

History

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Former artistic director David Shifrin

CMNW was founded in 1971 by violinist Sergiu Luca.[2][3] Clarinetist David Shifrin was the artistic director from 1981[4][5][6] to 2020.[7][8] He was succeeded by spouses Gloria Chien (piano) and Soovin Kim (violin), who are also the co-artistic directors of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival.[9][10][11]

CMNW launched the concert series Protégé Project in 2010.[12]

CMNW is a frequent commissioner of new music, premiering several new works by leading and emerging composers each year. A number of its commissions are available on recordings released by the Delos record label, including Spring Forward (2019) featuring new works by Peter Schickele, Richard Danielpour, and Aaron Jay Kernis, and Clarinet Quartets for Our Time (2019), featuring new works by Valerie Coleman, Chris Rogerson, and David Schiff. The organization regularly features many of the world's greatest chamber music performers and its performances are featured on NPR's Performance Today.[13]

The organization's offices on Southwest Macadam Boulevard burned in January 2018. Sheet music and physical recordings (compact discs, vinyl) were lost in the fire, and CMNW used office space provided by BodyVox Dance temporarily.[14] During the COVID-19 pandemic, CMNW hosted online classes taught by musicians in the ensemble during the pandemic.[15]

Summer Festival

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The organization's main presentation is its annual five-week Summer Festival,[16] that occurs during the months of June and July. Performances are held at the Kaul Auditorium on the campus of Reed College and in Lincoln Hall at Portland State University, as well as other venues.[17] The Oregonian has described Summer Festival as the city's "most ambitious summer classical event",[18] as well as the largest chamber music festival in Oregon.[19]

Performances were streamed online in 2020, during the pandemic; in-person performances resumed in 2021.[20] The theme for the 2023 event was Poetry in Music; the festival featured the world premiere of "Gulistan" ("Flower Garden") by Kian Ravaei and other works by Mozart and Brahms.[21] The 2024 event highlighted Beethoven.[22][23]

References

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  1. ^ "Rating for Chamber Music Northwest". CharityNavigator.org. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  2. ^ "Music View". The New York Times. December 16, 1979.
  3. ^ Stabler, David (December 8, 2010). "Sergiu Luca, founder of Chamber Music Northwest, dies of cancer". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  4. ^ "Chamber Music Society Names Head". The New York Times. March 4, 1992.
  5. ^ Dresbeck, Rachel (March 1, 2011). Insiders' Guide to Portland, Oregon (7th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7627-7477-7.
  6. ^ Dresbeck, Rachel (March 18, 2014). Insiders' Guide to Portland, Oregon. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4930-0781-3.
  7. ^ Wang, Amy (January 10, 2019). "Chamber Music Northwest's artistic director to step down after 40 years". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  8. ^ Vondersmith, Jason (January 21, 2019). "Shifrin ready to pass baton". PortlandTribune.com. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  9. ^ "Chamber Music Northwest features in-person performances at summer festival". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  10. ^ Vondersmith, Jason (October 5, 2020). "Chamber Music Northwest improvises during COVID". PortlandTribune.com. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  11. ^ "Chamber Music Northwest's new artistic directors". Northwest Asian Weekly. January 21, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  12. ^ "Chamber Music Northwest's Protégé Project". Willamette Week. June 23, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  13. ^ "Chamber Music Northwest Celebrates 35 Years". npr.org. July 1, 2005.
  14. ^ "24 hours after Chamber Music Northwest Burned Down, the Last Concert in the Series Went on as Planned". Willamette Week. February 14, 2018. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  15. ^ "Portland Arts Organizations Have Spent the Pandemic Putting Out Free Programming". Willamette Week. February 10, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  16. ^ Smith, Giselle (October 1, 2004). Best Places Northwest: The Locals' Guide to the Best Restaurants, Lodgings, Sights, Shopping, and More!. Sasquatch Books. ISBN 978-1-57061-417-0.
  17. ^ Fodor's Oregon. Fodor's Travel. August 11, 2020. ISBN 978-1-64097-267-4.
  18. ^ Stabler, David (June 16, 2014). "Chamber Music Northwest 2014: 5 nights not to miss – insider's guide". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  19. ^ Stein, Rosemarie (June 16, 2020). "Chamber Music Northwest moves summer festival online due to coronavirus". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  20. ^ "Chamber Music Northwest's Summer Festival Will Host In-Person Concerts This Year". Willamette Week. May 10, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  21. ^ Bash, James (June 19, 2023). "Chamber Music Northwest season bridges poetry and music". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  22. ^ Vondersmith, Jason (June 24, 2024). "'The Beethoven Effect': Chamber Music Northwest features the great composer in its Summer Festival". PortlandTribune.com. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  23. ^ "Chamber Music Festival Shows 'The Beethoven Effect'". Willamette Week. June 13, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
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