Oregon Mandolin Orchestra | |
---|---|
Short name | OMO |
Founded | 2010 |
Location | Portland, Oregon, United States |
Music director | Christian McKee |
Website | oregonmandolinorchestra.org |
Oregon Mandolin Orchestra (OMO) is an all-volunteer community orchestra based in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2010, the OMO consists of about 30 members and has been led by music director Christian McKee since April 2017. [1]
The orchestra was started in January 2010 by Brian and Elizabeth Oberlin. [2] It was the first such orchestra in Oregon since the Portland Mandophonic Orchestra stopped performing in 2001. [3] OMO was founded during a revival of mandolin orchestras, which had once been widespread across the United States. [4] [5]
Brian Oberlin is a mandolinist and music teacher who serves as the musical director, while his then wife Elizabeth was the executive director. [2] [6] Brian also started the River of the West Mandolin Camp. [7] Elizabeth, an attorney by profession, organized the orchestra while Brian recruited members. [2] The orchestra performed its first concert on April 9, 2010, at the Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center in downtown Hillsboro. [8] One of the first members of the new group was Bill Jordens, who had been a member of the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra in Wisconsin. [2]
OMO's April 2011 concert featured works by Antonio Vivaldi and was held at The Old Church in Portland. [2] The group's May 2011 concert included a version of Led Zeppelin's " Kashmir", as well a pieces from Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn, among others. [9] At the time of the concert, the orchestra had grown to 24 members. [9]
The group received a grant from the Hillsboro Arts & Culture Council in 2011 [10] and again in 2013. [11] The funds come from the City of Hillsboro's Parks and Recreation Department. [10] By the September 2011 concert, the group had grown to about 30 members, with the concert again held at the Walters Cultural Arts Center. [12] The group also gained sponsorships at that time from The Hillsboro Argus, KUIK, and Tuality Healthcare, among others. [12] Oregon Mandolin Orchestra's 2011 holiday concert in December featured a Brazilian Choro duo as well as a selected portion of the Nutcracker Suite. [13] At the time, it was the only mandolin orchestra in Oregon. [13] OMO's Fall 2013 concert in Hillsboro featured Evan Marshall, [14] while the December 2013 concert featured holiday music. [15]
The Oregon Mandolin Orchestra is modeled after similar orchestras that were popular in the United States during the late 19th century. [13] The orchestra features mandolins, mandolas, mandocellos, and string basses. [2] The approximately 30-piece group presents about four concerts each year across the Portland area. [3]