Hillsboro Symphony Orchestra
Encyclopedia
Hillsboro Symphony Orchestra (HSO) is an amateur orchestra
based in Hillsboro
in the Portland metropolitan area
of the U.S. state
of Oregon
. Founded in 2001, the non-profit group has about 65 musicians and is led by conductor Sharon Northe. They perform three concerts per year at Hillsboro's Liberty High School
. Additionally, the orchestra also has five ensembles
that perform at other events in the area.
Rehearsals started in September 2001, and HSO planned on three concerts that year with a total of 30 members. Their first conductor was Stefan Minde, who had been the conductor of the Portland Opera
from 1970 until 1984. Musicians ranged from high school students to housewives. The group's debut concert was November 16, 2001, held at J. B. Thomas Middle School in Hillsboro with almost 500 people in attendance. The concert was free to attend, as were their other early concerts, and featured pieces from Richard Wagner
, Johannes Brahms
, and Gioachino Rossini among others. In these early days of the group, Portland’s Metropolitan Youth Symphony and Pacific University
in Forest Grove donated sheet music to the orchestra.
For the Hillsboro Orchestra’s second concert, the event was moved to Hillsboro High School’s new auditorium. That concert was held in March 2002, and by that time the group had grown to almost 40 people. Minde left the group in 2003 and Sharon Northe took over as conductor. By 2004, concerts had moved to the auditorium of the new Liberty High School
, which included their spring 2004 concert entitled a “Collection of America's Favorite Music” that included works by Aaron Copland
. The group’s fall convert that year was An Austrian Reverie and featured works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
and Ludwig van Beethoven
, among others.
Their winter concert in March 2005 mainly used work by Jean Sibelius
, a Finish composer, and featured an owl from the Oregon Zoo
for a Harry Potter
-themed piece. By December 2006 the group was led by conductor Sharon Northe and totaled 65 musicians. That month the orchestra performed Russian Rhapsodies, a concert featuring the works of Russian composers.
During November and December 2007 the Hillsboro Symphony performed “A Musical Horn of Plenty”. In December 2007, the orchestra was given a $1,318 grant from the Regional Arts & Culture Council. The grant was to allow the group to put on a May 2008 concert with a pirate theme at Liberty High School. The group held a concert in March 2008 at Liberty entitled A Glimpse of Leyden Magic arranged by Norman Leyden. Down by the Sea and A Salute to the Big Bands were the two titles to HSO's March 2009 concert. For the group's March 2010 concert they featured pieces by Ottorino Respighi
and Elliot Del Borgo
in a show entitled Dawn of Ancient Melodies. That show also included a performance by a belly dancer
.
on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area
. Sharon Northe has been the conductor of the group since 2003, and Frank Kenny has been the president since 2008.
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
based in Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
in the Portland metropolitan area
Portland metropolitan area
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Founded in 2001, the non-profit group has about 65 musicians and is led by conductor Sharon Northe. They perform three concerts per year at Hillsboro's Liberty High School
Liberty High School (Hillsboro, Oregon)
For schools with similar names, see Liberty High School.Liberty High School is located in Hillsboro, Oregon, just west of Portland. It opened in 2003, with only freshmen, sophomores and juniors...
. Additionally, the orchestra also has five ensembles
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
that perform at other events in the area.
History
The orchestra was organized in the spring of 2001 by several people, including Mike Graves, Barbara Hanson, and Morgan Brown. Organized as a non-profit group, the community orchestra sought local amateur musicians who were tired of driving to neighboring Portland in order to participate in an orchestra, or who had stopped performing altogether due to the lack of a local group. In the beginning the group rehearsed at Hillsboro High School and attracted musicians from Hillsboro along with those from the neighboring cities of Forest Grove and Beaverton.Rehearsals started in September 2001, and HSO planned on three concerts that year with a total of 30 members. Their first conductor was Stefan Minde, who had been the conductor of the Portland Opera
Portland Opera
Portland Opera is an American opera company based at The Hampton Opera Center in Portland, Oregon. Its mainstage performances take place in the Keller Auditorium, while the Portland Opera Studio Theater at the Hampton center is used for performances of chamber operas...
from 1970 until 1984. Musicians ranged from high school students to housewives. The group's debut concert was November 16, 2001, held at J. B. Thomas Middle School in Hillsboro with almost 500 people in attendance. The concert was free to attend, as were their other early concerts, and featured pieces from Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
, Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
, and Gioachino Rossini among others. In these early days of the group, Portland’s Metropolitan Youth Symphony and Pacific University
Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
in Forest Grove donated sheet music to the orchestra.
For the Hillsboro Orchestra’s second concert, the event was moved to Hillsboro High School’s new auditorium. That concert was held in March 2002, and by that time the group had grown to almost 40 people. Minde left the group in 2003 and Sharon Northe took over as conductor. By 2004, concerts had moved to the auditorium of the new Liberty High School
Liberty High School (Hillsboro, Oregon)
For schools with similar names, see Liberty High School.Liberty High School is located in Hillsboro, Oregon, just west of Portland. It opened in 2003, with only freshmen, sophomores and juniors...
, which included their spring 2004 concert entitled a “Collection of America's Favorite Music” that included works by Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
. The group’s fall convert that year was An Austrian Reverie and featured works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
and Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
, among others.
Their winter concert in March 2005 mainly used work by Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
, a Finish composer, and featured an owl from the Oregon Zoo
Oregon Zoo
The Oregon Zoo, formerly the Washington Park Zoo, is a zoo in Portland, the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located southwest of Downtown Portland, the zoo is inside Portland's Washington Park, and includes a narrow-gauge railway that connects to the International Rose Test Garden inside...
for a Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
-themed piece. By December 2006 the group was led by conductor Sharon Northe and totaled 65 musicians. That month the orchestra performed Russian Rhapsodies, a concert featuring the works of Russian composers.
During November and December 2007 the Hillsboro Symphony performed “A Musical Horn of Plenty”. In December 2007, the orchestra was given a $1,318 grant from the Regional Arts & Culture Council. The grant was to allow the group to put on a May 2008 concert with a pirate theme at Liberty High School. The group held a concert in March 2008 at Liberty entitled A Glimpse of Leyden Magic arranged by Norman Leyden. Down by the Sea and A Salute to the Big Bands were the two titles to HSO's March 2009 concert. For the group's March 2010 concert they featured pieces by Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi was an Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his orchestral "Roman trilogy": Fountains of Rome ; Pines of Rome ; and Roman Festivals...
and Elliot Del Borgo
Elliot del Borgo
Elliot A. del Borgo is an American composer for winds and strings. He is also in demand as a guest conductor. Though Del Borgo's primary instrument is trumpet, his love of percussion is apparent in his works, which typically focus around intricate percussion parts and an immense variety of...
in a show entitled Dawn of Ancient Melodies. That show also included a performance by a belly dancer
Belly dancer
A belly dancer is one who performs a belly dance. The phrase may also refer to:*"Belly Dancer" , a single by R&B singer Akon*"Belly Dancer" , a hip hop song*The Belly Dancer, a 2001 Turkish drama film...
.
Details
Hillsboro Symphony Orchestra is an all-volunteer, community-based orchestra. The non-profit group performs a total of three concerts each year, once in March, once in May, and once in December. New seasons begin with the December concert. Members of the group range from high school students to doctors to teachers and engineers, among others. The orchestra mainly draws members from within Washington CountyWashington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area
Portland metropolitan area
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S...
. Sharon Northe has been the conductor of the group since 2003, and Frank Kenny has been the president since 2008.
External links
- Jeffrey Olenick debuts first symphony next month – Jewish Review