Portland Youth Philharmonic Reveals Plans for Its 100th Season

The Portland Youth Philharmonic, which remains the longest continually performing youth orchestra in the United States, has announced plans for its 100th season.

“The 100th anniversary season is a momentous occasion for PYP and the entire Portland community. We are immensely proud of our legacy and of the countless musicians who have made PYP what it is today,” music director David Hattner said in a statement.

He added, “This season, we have curated a series of performances that celebrate our past, embrace the present, and look forward to the future. We look forward to celebrating with our community throughout the year.”

The season kicks off on Nov. 11, with performances of Anna Clyne’s “This Midnight Hour,” Antonín Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony, and Camille Saint-Saëns’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (with pianist and 2023 Portland Piano International Concerto Competition winner Nolan Tu).

Other upcoming concerts will include the traditional Concert-at-Christmas (on Dec. 26) and a collaboration with the Grammy-nominated quintet Imani Winds (on March 22, 2024). Still, the biggest draw of the season is likely to be the celebratory “A Century of Unforgettable Music” concert (May 5).

Not only will that concert features a performance of Franz Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony (the first piece ever performed by PYP, back when it was known as the Portland Junior Symphony), but PYP will be joined by Pink Martini’s Thomas Lauderdale and Hunter Noack (the pianist best known for his outdoor In a Landscape concert series).

“For 100 years PYP, has created a space for students of music to learn and excel,” said board president Leslie Wu. “To put it simply and in terms I might have used back when I was in the orchestra—PYP is awesome. I think 100 years’ worth of other musicians would agree.”