Oregon East Symphony Youth Orchestra Spring Concert

The Oregon East Symphony Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Education Director Zach Banks, will present its Spring Concert at 7:00pm on Thursday, May 15th, 2025 at the Vert Auditorium. Works to be performed include the Overture to Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 20" by Elgar, and "Danza Finale" from Ginastera's "Estancia."

Also performing will be the beginner level Preludes Orchestra under the direction of Emma Norquist. Preludes will perform "Minuet" by Handel, the Korean folk song "Arirang," and an orchestral arrangement of "Seven Nation Army" by the rock band The White Stripes.

The Spring Concert will be followed by an encore performance at the Pendleton Farmer's Market at 5:30pm, on Friday, May 16th, 2025 (weather permitting).

The Vert performance will also feature the year-end performance by students from the Symphony Strings program. Symphony Strings is an after-school beginning strings instruction activity produced in collaboration with the Pendleton School District made available to Pendleton area 4th and 5th grade aged students.

This free concert is made possible with support from Banner Bank Pendleton and the Pendleton Farmers Market.

Oregon East Symphony Summer 2025 Concert

The Oregon East Symphony concludes its 2024-2025 concert season at 2:30pm with a performance of British composer Edward Elgar's mysterious musical cryptogram "Enigma Variations." Each movement of "Enigma Variations" is dedicated to a member of his circle of close acquaintances and the entire work is a currently unsolved puzzle which "contains a dark saying" in the counterpoint. Also to be performed will be Jean Sibelius's "Symphony No. 7," an unusual work in the Finnish composer's oeuvre due to its short duration and having only one movement (in contrast to the standard symphonic formula of four movements).

This concert will be presented in memory of the late Dr. George Nelson, a founding member of the Oregon East Symphony, and his colleague Dr. Albert Baxter.

This concert is made possible with support from the Pendleton Foundation Trust and Lorie Baxter.

Information of where to receive free, unreserved seating will be published on May 9th, 2025.

Reserved seating (floor and balcony level) can be purchased online or by calling/visiting the OES Office (541-276-0320, 345 SW 4th, Pendleton, OR, 10am-2pm, M-Th).

The Bach Yard Party

The Oregon East Symphony's volunteer board of directors will present the Bach Yard Party fundraiser at 6pm, Saturday, June 14th, 2025 at The Secret Garden (480 SW Dorion Ave, Pendleton, OR). Proceeds from the Bach Yard Party will support Playing for Keeps, the Oregon East Symphony's classical music education program for rural youth. PFK is composed of a variety of activities designed for different ages and skill levels including two preparatory orchestras, an after school beginning strings activity, a summer camp, a mentoring program for advanced student musicians, and free student concert tickets. Not wanting lack of finances to be a barrier to participation, OES will reduce or waive activity registration fees if a student cites financial need and offers an instrument lending library for students who cannot afford to rent or purchase an instrument. OES also offers private lesson financial assistance for students who wish to carry their studies on further with a qualified instructor.

This year's Bach Yard Party will serve a BBQ picnic dinner featuring Hines meat. There will be an auction featuring a wide variety of items up for auction.

Early Bird Tickets- $65.00 (Sales ending May 9th)

Regular Tickets- $80.00

Tickets can be purchased online or by calling/visiting the OES Office (541-276-0320, 345 SW 4th, Pendleton, OR, 10am-2pm, M-Th)

Our mission is:

“To sustain a symphony orchestra, chorale and music education program to enhance the cultural richness of Umatilla and Morrow Counties and the Umatilla Indian Reservation.”

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