Oregon East Symphony

2026 Sue Nelson Festival: Také to Ito with Bill Crane

2:30pm, Sunday, October 4, 2026 |Pendleton First Presbyterian Church (201 SW Dorion Ave, Pendleton, OR)

Free admission

The Oregon East Symphony and Pendleton First Presbyterian Church invite you to the 2026 Sue Nelson Festival, a free concert honoring the memory of beloved Pendleton musician, educator, and longtime OES supporter Sue Nelson.

This year's festival brings together pianist Bill Crane and the Japanese instrumental duo Také to Ito - koto master Curtis Patterson and shakuhachi virtuoso Bruce Huebner - for a rare Eastern Oregon performance blending Japanese classical tradition with Western keyboard artistry.

Admission to the Sue Nelson Festival is free, though goodwill donations are welcomed for the Dr. George and Sue Nelson Memorial Endowment Fund, which supports the operations and youth music programs of the Oregon East Symphony. The fund was initiated by Sue and the OES Board in 2018 and renamed in her and Geroge's honor in 2021.

Patterson and Huebner

Patterson and Huebner have performed together as Také to Ito since 2003, drawing on more than forty years of combined study, performance, and teaching in Japan. Their music moves fluidly between traditional honkyoku and jiuta and contemporary works by John Coltrane, Ralph Towner, and Edward MacDowell, rooted in the aesthetic of wabi-sabi and a deep reverence for the natural world. The duo recently completed an acclaimed tour of Australia and brings its distinctive sound to the US West Coast in September and October 2026. Curtis Patterson trained under modern koto luminary Tadao Sawai and was the first foreign graduate of the NHK traditional Japanese music program, with performances at Malaysia's Rainforest World Music Festival and the Kennedy Center. Bruce Huebner made history in 1993 as the first non-Japanese graduate of the Traditional Japanese Music Department at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, studying under National Treasure Yamaguchi Goro, and performs and teaches across Japan and abroad.

Bill Crane

Bill Crane, who considers himself an "honorary Pendletonian," has performed frequently in the community and built strong ties with local audiences over the years. Educated at Florida State University and the Schola Cantorum in Paris, he currently serves as Executive Director of Portland Piano International, where he curates world-class performances and brings emerging artists to Eastern Oregon for Symphony concerts and recitals.

Sue Nelson

Sue Nelson was a charter member of the Oregon East Symphony since its founding in 1986. She served as pianist for symphonic and chamber concerts, accompanist for the OES Chorale, and vice-president of the OES volunteer board of directors. She was also organist for Pendleton First Presbyterian Church, accompanist for the Pendleton Men's Chorus, and a piano teacher to generations of local youth.

Experience an exciting season of live orchestral music with the Oregon East Symphony's 2026–2027 Season Ticket Package. Season ticket holders enjoy reserved balcony or floor seating for all four major concerts and a 20% discount compared to if you purchased the entire season per concert. From inspiring masterworks, festive holiday favorites to outstanding guest artists and a spectacular season finale, the 41st season offers unforgettable musical experiences for audiences of all ages. Family packages are available, and patrons may also enhance their season with the optional Chamber Music Festival, an intimate evening featuring OES musicians, guest artists, wine, and hors d'oeuvres.

Season Tickets for the 2026-2027 Season are now available online and at the Oregon East Symphony Office!

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.”