Clips & Articles: News & Events
Classical saxophonist
Banks and eight other musicians will perform his new work "to be free," inspired by Nina Simone and the U.S. semiquincentennial, in two Chamber Music Northwest concerts July 12 and 13.
Originally Published in Oregon ArtsWatch July 2026
Steven Banks -- performer, composer, teacher -- talks about his life and love affair with the classical saxophone. See Angela's story. Photo by Julia Varga. Read More
Young muscians star in Portland
YAI, a part of CMNW's summer festival for the last five seasons, gathered 16 string players from all over the world for a series of concerts, masterclasses, and collaborations with local young composers.
Originally Published in Oregon ArtsWatch July 2026
Chamber Music Northwest's Young Artist Institute's mega-talented students give a hint of classical music's future. See Angela's story. Photo by Jon Anthony Thomson. Read More
Montréal’s jazz fest
Featuring Joshua Redman, Hiromi, Stacey Kent, and Béla Fleck's new BEATrio.
Originally Published in Oregon ArtsWatch July 2026
Check out a handful of musical postcards from the 10-day Canadian festival reviewing Hiromi, Joshua Redman, Béla Fleck's new trio, and Stacey Kent. See Angela's take. Photo by Jan van Santen. Read More
Emerging dancers
push/FOLD's sixth annual festival of contemporary movement includes companies from Oregon and beyond, and features both Portland and world premieres.
Originally Published in Oregon ArtsWatch May 2026
push/FOLD's annual festival showcases new premieres. See Angela's review of the late-spring show. Photo: Jingzi Zhao Read More
“Hold Fast”: A poetry and music collaboration
The orator and composer reunite to present their "Hold Fast to Dreams: The Poetry of Langston Hughes" in late May as a springtime prelude to the August festival.
Originally Published in Oregon ArtsWatch May 2026
Darius Wallace and Jasnam Daya Singh reunite for a spoken-word program accompanied by jazzy music honoring Langston Hughes' poetry as the first offering of the Siletz Bay Music Festival on the Oregon Coast. See Angela's story. Photo by Norm Eder Read More
BodyVox and WindSync
The Portland dance company and multi-city wind quintet collaborated for a well-integrated multi-sensory spectacle presented by Chamber Music Northwest and BodyVox.
Originally Published in Oregon ArtsWatch April 2026
"Drawing on the Walls," a springtime collaboration of BodyVox's always surprising dancing backed by contemporary chamber music performed by WindSync, proved exhilarating. See Angela's review. Photo by Blaine Truitt Covert Read More
A Mozart mash-up
The student opera program, led by Kelley Nassief, presented an imaginatively staged and well performed production made fresh by visiting director Layna Chianakas and local designers Kelli McDonough, Diana Trapp, and Sumi Wu.
Originally Published in Oregon ArtsWatch April 2026
Portland State University opera students put on a refreshing, if long, Cosi fan tutti. See Angela's review in Oregon ArtsWatch. Photo: Chad Lanning. Read More
PDX Jazz Fest glance
Three concerts from the recent Biamp PDX Jazz Festival featured dazzling singers and a quartet that was perhaps too loud for the venue.
Originally Published in Oregon ArtsWatch March 2026
Madeleine Peyroux, Shelly Rudolph, and Brandon Woody's Upendo band showed up at the two-week jazz festival with mixed results. Read Angela's Oregon ArtsWatch reviews. Read More
Critics’ Bash, Allen take lead on MCANA board
Oregon ArtsWatch writer Bash is the North American critics' group's new president and fellow ArtsWatch writer Allen is re-elected as secretary on the executive board.
Originally Published in Oregon ArtsWatch June 2025
James Bash and Angela Allen have taken leadership roles in the Music Critics Association of North America. Read more. Read More
