The Mountain That Loved a Bird

The Oregon Symphony brings The Mountain That Loved a Bird to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Sunday, November 15. It's a musical interpretation of Alice McLerran's children's book, with the story narrated live as the music unfolds around it. The book tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a barren mountain and a visiting bird named Joy.

There's a fair amount of company on stage for this one. The music is by Caroline Shaw, with narrator Pam Mahon reading the text. Su-Han Yang, the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer Associate Conductor, leads the Oregon Symphony, and they're joined by Dance West and the Pacific Youth Choir. So you've got the orchestra, a choir, and dancers all working the same story at once.

The performance is part of the symphony's Family Series, which they describe as programming best suited for children ages 5 to 12. Those shows tend to be shorter and lean on interactive elements, and this one fits the bill: the whole thing runs about an hour. It's also one of the offerings in the 2026/27 Sounds Like Portland festival.

If you're planning to bring kids, that hour runtime makes it a pretty easy outing. The show is at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Sunday, November 15, as part of the Oregon Symphony's Family Series.