March 25, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Shakespeare’s classic tragedy of star-crossed young love is portrayed in four different musical retellings as Assistant Conductor Mei-Ann Chen leads the Oregon Symphony in “Romeo and Juliet.” The second Youth Concert of the season, “Romeo & Juliet” is designed for sixth through twelfth graders and will be performed on Thursday, April 28 at 9:30 and 11 a.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and Tuesday, April 26 at 9:30 and 11 a.m. at Smith Auditorium in Salem.
During the 50-minute concert, students will experience “Romeo and Juliet” through the music of Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Berlioz and Bernstein, along with portrayals of the various characters by Grant High School drama students Joseph Ettinger and Keisha Strohecker. Students will also explore the central themes of the play, including civil disorder, angry teens, young love, parental control and family feuds through the different musical interpretations that span two centuries, two continents and several eras.
Oregon Symphony Youth Concerts are designed for elementary, middle and high school students throughout the state of Oregon and are attended by over 20,000 students each year. The Oregon Symphony presented its first “Music for Youth” Concerts in 1962 to junior and senior high school students in the Portland Public Schools. Youth Concerts are age-specific and support common curricular goals of the Oregon Content Standards in multiple subject areas. Oregon Symphony Education and Community Engagement works with area teachers, administrators and parents to develop concerts that provide students with quality experiences in the arts and that are relevant to their current learning skills and knowledge.
Tickets are $3 per student and the concert is free for students in the federal free or reduced-lunch programs. For more information call 503-228-4294 or visit the Symphony’s Web site at www.orsymphony.org.