Lyrical & Joyful Melodies

The Oregon Symphony takes the stage at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Saturday, March 20, with a program built around three lyrical works. It's a night that leans into melody, and the lineup brings together a Russian classic, a mid-century American concerto, and a contemporary piece written from a very personal place.

The evening centers on Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44. It was his final symphony, written while he was living in America, and it's held a place as a crowd favorite for the same reason most people love Rachmaninoff: those sweeping, trademark Romantic melodies, though these are sharpened by the modernist touches he'd picked up by the end of his career.

Sharing the spotlight is Leonard Bernstein's Serenade, a violin concerto inspired by Plato's Symposium. It's one of Bernstein's most lyrical and appealing works, and it's the piece that brings violinist Vadim Gluzman to the front of the stage. The third work is I Wish You Daisies and Roses by Sophia Jani, written to capture the joy that followed the birth of her first child. It's a contemporary addition to the bill, and it shares the same melodic thread as the other two.

Conductor Kevin John Edusei leads the symphony, with Gluzman on violin. The concert is part of the Oregon Symphony's 2026-27 season, and you can find more details on their website.