What you can expect from A Musical Offering Bach: Old vs. New By Julian Perkins Life in Bach’s household must have been frenetic, with as many mouths to feed as there were pieces to write. Yet it’s touching that Bach somehow made time to nurture his children musically. Their paws would have been molded by Bach’s two- and three-part Inventions so that they could cultivate – in his own words – “a cantabile style of playing, and at the same time acquire a foretaste of composition.” His so-called French Suites, with their concise and varied dances, would have been a natural next step, after which ..read more

By Hilary Butler Autumn is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year. This autumn is particularly special to me as the Pacific Northwest weather welcomes me back home, and with it ushering in the opening concerts of PBO’s 40th anniversary season. Portland has always held a special place in my heart. Despite the challenges our city has seen over the past few years, this is a wonderful, vibrant community, where we continue to persevere. Arts here are not just a pastime; they are a lifeline that keeps our city’s heartbeat strong. As we step into this new season with Portland Baroque Orchestra ..read more

While a fair number of monumental works written by J. S. Bach are among the typical Baroque canon, at least among the reach of the enthusiastic readers of this blog, specific works among the catalog of cantatas tend to be lesser known and subsequently not as frequently programmed. Most attentive audience members are at least familiar with the larger pieces such as the Mass in B Minor, Magnificat, and Christmas Oratorio, which, of course, are outstanding works of art that also happen to have wonderful (and delightfully challenging!) trumpet parts. But the cantatas, perhaps because Bach wrote ar ..read more

Join us in welcoming Krystal Peak as Portland Baroque Orchestra’s new Marketing Manager. She joins our organization with more than 12 years of marketing, public relations, and communications experience. Krystal got her start in the world of business journalism when she became the San Francisco Business Times’ first social engagement manager and eventually created and filled the role of multimedia producer where she was able to create online multimedia projects highlighting some of the most innovative entrepreneurs in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has also worked in public relations for tech ..read more

Now that I’m back home in London, I’m focusing my energies on PBO’s 40th season. Thanks to our indefatigable team, the nuts and bolts are in place. Rehearsal schedules are finalized; our musicians are booked; music editions are sourced; orchestral parts are marked up; program notes are written and tasks unknown to me have been accomplished. So, what happens next for me in terms of preparation? In short, practice – of the right kind. Our opening program, Shout for Joy!, features a range of music that has a range of challenges. Perhaps my biggest challenge is how to be best prepared without losi ..read more

With summer comes the welcome onset of festivals. In the UK, operagoers love playing roulette with our variable weather systems by planning posh interval picnics, while the BBC Proms battles on valiantly amidst continuing uncertainties in arts funding. For me, this year’s clutch of summer music festivals means packing bags that encompass several unrelated projects. Will I pack the right concert clothes for each project? Will I pack the right music? And, crucially, will I pack enough of that most elusive of musical tools – the pencil! First stop was a welcome return to Munich to perform in Moza ..read more

On Sunday June 4 Julian gave a virtuosic harpsichord performance at the Loft at 8th Avenue which also included his trademark engaging insights about the music and composers. Guests enjoyed food and drink inspired by a traditional high tea, including a refreshing gin cocktail we named Lord Willoughby’s Gimlet in honor of William Byrd’s, “Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home,” the first piece on a stimulating program of solo harpsichord. The harpsichord program included: William Byrd. / Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home, BK 7 from My Ladye Nevells Booke (1591) Girolamo Frescobaldi / Canzona Terza in G f ..read more

On May 31 Julian was gifted an honorary membership to WEKA and invited to a reception to mark the special occasion. For 25 years, WEKA has served the early keyboard community in the western United States. Through events, meetings, instrument show & tells, and their in-depth newsletter, WEKA promotes and celebrates the art of the early keyboard with professionals and enthusiasts alike. Because music is Julian’s favorite method of communication, he played a small selection of pieces at the gathering. The pieces complement the programs of PBO’s upcoming 2023-24 Season. Julian also shared fasc ..read more

On Friday June 2, as part of his first visit to PDX, Julian played three free outreach recitals, first at the Tualatin Public Library and then for two local elementary schools: Tualatin and Byrom Elementary. Together with Executive Director Hilary Butler and “Little Red,” (PBO’s harpsichord of note) Julian played excerpts from Bach and Scarlatti, as well as the new classic, “Black Bear’s Roar!” the Tualatin Elementary school song, which received a rousing (perhaps ear-splitting) response from the assembly of 450 K-5th graders. Several brave students who play the piano stepped up and gave Littl ..read more

It’s been a strange couple of years. As you all know, the pandemic hit classical musicians hard. Not only were we out of work and kept from doing the thing we loved most, but many of us had to adjust to being at home all the time after spending a considerable part of the year on the road. As we all started to reemerge, I was shocked by how hard it was to readjust to being away again. Even though I was ready to pay good money to be able to spend time anywhere other than my 550 square foot apartment, I found out fast that leaving the house again came with its own difficulties. After almost two ..read more