PYP Closes 94th Season With Mussorgsky, David Hattner's 10th Anniversary, And The Return Of Huw Edwards

It's not just a youth orchestra, it's PYP! Locally-grown since 1924, Portland Youth Philharmonic caps off an astonishing 94th concert season with Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition on Sunday, May 6, 2018. The 4:00 PM performance in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall celebrates Musical Director David Hattner's tenth anniversary with the return of former Musical Director Huw Edwards as guest conductor.

"Huw is a huge part of PYP's history. Only its third conductor, his seven-year tenure was marked by many memorable evenings," says Hattner. "Many times I have heard from members of our audience about Huw's performances featuring the combined Seattle and Portland Youth Orchestras. He established PYP's very popular Peer Mentor program, which pairs advanced PYP musicians with beginning instrumentalists for private lessons. It has been 10 years since Huw conducted a PYP concert and I hope that Portlanders will turn out to pay tribute to someone who gave so much beautiful music to the city and to PYP."

Edwards served as PYP's Musical Director from 1995 to 2002. He is now in his 15th season as Music Director of the Olympia Symphony Orchestra in Washington State-currently celebrating its 65th anniversary year. Edwards will conduct a lush piece by Butterworth, as well as Finzi's Clarinet Concerto, with Hattner as soloist! The concert will also feature violinist Nicholas Dill, winner of PYP's 2017-18 Soloist Competition, playing Vitali's Chaconne, and the whole orchestra will perform Mussorgsky's enchanting classic Pictures at an Exhibition.

"To round out our 94th season of spectacular, familiar masterpieces, I chose Ravel's orchestration of Mussorgsky's famous piece," explains Hattner. "The work's origin is unusual. The 'pictures' in question were painted by a friend of Mussorgsky, Victor Hartmann. Not all of the original paintings survive today, and the score was neither published nor performed during the composer's lifetime. Ravel's 1922 orchestration, based on a 'corrected' version by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, was premiered 40 years after the composer's death. An 'original version' was not published until 1931."

Tickets for Pictures at an Exhibition range from $5 to $60, and are available now on the PYP website. Students of all ages (with ID) may attend any PYP performance for just $5.

Founded by Mary V. Dodge in 1924, Portland Youth Philharmonic proudly celebrates 94 years of fearless artistry, adventurous programming, and excellent performances. Visit www.portlandyouthphil.org to purchase tickets and to learn more about the concert.