Spring has sprung, dear reader, and that means another season of Classical Up Close is upon us. Now some of you are thinking, “hell yeah here we go again!” Whereas some of you are all like, “wtf is Classical Up Close?” Let’s let photojournalist extraordinaire Joe Cantrell (a founding board member of CLUC, as it’s known to kids in the know), tell you all about it.

Take it away, Joe:

“Full disclosure, I’m a founding board member of Classical Up Close, which is Oregon Symphony musicians independent of the symphony (fiercely so) putting on free concerts around the community every Spring.

“The series has become very popular in the community; multiple strangers all year stop me in public and ask how CLUC is doing, are we coming back to a specific venue, all that. It has become, truly, a precious and anticipated gift to the people who support Oregon Symphony’s musicians all year.

“Specifically, though, CLUC is the musicians’ work (a lot of work!) and artistry, independent of OSO itself. And it is FREE to the community.”

“This is our 13th year. The series was born from a scheduled trip to New York in 2012 which was canceled sort of last minute. The musicians, led by Concertmaster Sarah Kwak, confronted by that time in which they suddenly had nothing scheduled, had the generous, typical for them, idea of a series of free concerts around the Portland area, and it has grown and blossomed ever since. Now, there are many regular CLUCer aficionados who eagerly await every year.

“It’s in planning all year ’round now, but begins visually in earnest around January, when a year’s schedule is determined, printed and posted backstage at the Schnitzer, and people sign for the performances they want to play. Right now, those are the major performances in large venues, serious multi-movement music with multiple musicians.”

“World class musicians in your neighborhood (if you’re in the Portland area) and free!

“Soon, ‘pop-up’ performances will be scheduled. These are smaller groups or individuals playing in downsize venues, from Beaverton Library to someone’s favorite coffee shop, under an hour’s performance, very casual.

“It’s really a noble effort, I think OAW and CLUC are made for each other.”

We really are! Joe has been photographing this one for years, and he’s a staple of the ArtsWatch community. You’ve seen his work in myriad OAW stories over the years, most recently in Charles Rose’s review of Vijay Gupa with 45th Parallel Universe and James Bash’s review of Larry Sherman with Portland Chamber Orchestra. He’s also a creative force whose work you may associate most closely with composer-cellist Nancy Ives; their collaboration with Shoshone-Bannock storyteller Ed Edmo, Celilo Falls, has been making waves since its initial premiere. Even now, Joe is preparing for Oregon Symphony’s premiere of the full orchestral version this June. Read more about that here, here, and here; check out the preview video here:

Spring forth!

Classical Up Close gets rolling with its first pop-up concert April 22, when bassoonist Carin Miller and cellist David Eby perform in the Southwest Community Center lobby (that’s at 6820 S.W. 45th Ave., right at the edge of Gabriel Park in Multnomah Village, which is technically still Portland). On the 24th, violinists Shengnan Li and Shanshan Zeng play the Pearl Room at Powell’s Books in downtown Portland, kitty-corner to Sizzle Pie (grab a slice of Spiral Tap while you’re there).

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The full-length concerts start April 29 at Hillsdale Community Church. That one features a variety of chamber ensembles performing music by Brahms, Piazzolla, Golijov, Oskar Böhme, Mason Bates, and concludes with Rose City Brass Quintet performing Patrice Caratini’s Passages pour quintette de cuivres. Full program is right here.

The pop-ups and the full-lengths continue throughout April and May, concluding with three shows mid-May. On the 12th at Sellwood Community House, it’s an all-star string ensemble (violinist Emily Cole, violist Charles Noble, and the always impressive husband-wife cello duo of Trevor Fitzpatrick and Marilyn de Oliveira).

On the 16th at Moreland Presbyterian Church it’s the big closer, featuring OSO Music Director David Danzmayr and a bunch of music by Mozart (all of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, which is so much more than the infamous “bum-bumbum-bumbumbumbumbumbuuuum”), Lili Boulanger, Clara Schumann, the second Brahms Piano Quartet (Andrew Lewinter will be pleased), and Hindemith (his Sonata for Four Horns). And, just to round things out, on the 18th Tigard Library will host two kids’ concerts (at 10:30 and 11:45 a.m.).

Again, these are all free concerts. TANSTAAFL, of course. These performances are being paid for by somebody, or several somebodies: a variety of private donors, the generosity of the hosting venues, and of course the overflowing creative vitality of the musicians themselves.

But they’re free to you. Check it out!

We leave you with a variety of photographs taken at different CLUC events over the years. Play it again, Joe!

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