Bizet & Boléro

The Oregon Symphony brings Bizet & Boléro to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in February, with three performances to choose from: Thursday, February 18 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, February 20 at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, February 21 at 2:00 PM. The program is led by conductor Chloé van Soeterstède, with Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski taking the solo spots.

The evening opens with Bizet's Symphony in C major, a work he wrote when he was just seventeen. It's a youthful, bright piece that sets the tone for the rest of the night. From there, the focus shifts to Trpčeski, who handles two distinct works back-to-back: Ginastera's Concierto Argentino, which is a surging, high-energy concerto, and Albéniz's Rapsodia española, a dance festival that pulls in flamencos, jotas, and malagueñas. Between the two, you get a good look at how the piano can pivot from the driving force of a concerto to the rhythmic, dance-heavy textures of Spanish music.

The concert closes with Ravel's Boléro, one of those pieces almost everyone recognizes. It's built on a single tune that repeats over and over, getting louder and more elaborate as more and more instruments join in. It's a slow build that takes over the whole room by the end.

All three performances are part of the Oregon Symphony's 2026/27 Classical Series. Tickets run from $43 to $161, and the venue is the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall at 1037 SW Broadway in downtown Portland.