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The Columbian: Vancouver Symphony Orchestra rides wave of enthusiasm into 45th year, opens season with Prokofiev

Eager to build on the success of August’s Vancouver Arts & Music Festival that drew crowds to Esther Short Park, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is loading up a panoply of terrific concerts for its 45th season.

Music Director Salvador Brotons has scheduled a vibrant mix of beloved gems and less familiar works. That should appeal to patrons and attract newbies to Skyview Concert Hall, where the hometown orchestra has performed since 1999.

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Northwest Reverb: Inaugural Vancouver Arts and Music Festival a smash hit!

The inaugural Vancouver Arts and Music Festival turned Esther Short Park into a magical, canopied landscape (August 4 -6). Kids jumped, climbed, slid, ran, and had a blast at the playground. People strolled into avenues of artisanal food vendors and galleries promoting the visual arts. The weather was downright perfect, and that contributed to the big turnout. The large lawn in front of the main stage was chock a block with blankets, low-profile chairs, and lots of people eager to hear the Vancouver Symphony and a lineup of international artists.

The orchestral portion of the festival featured Time for Three on Friday night (August 4), violinist Anne Akiko Meyers on Saturday evening (August 5), and pianist Orli Shaham on Sunday afternoon (August 6). VSO Music Director Salvador Brotons led the first concert, and Gerard Schwarz helmed the second and third concerts.

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Classical Voice North America: Blazing New Pathways In Washington, Oregon

PERSPECTIVE — A lot of attention has been directed to the out-migration from cities like San Francisco in recent years. This phenomenon is turning out to be more complex than the cliché of “urban exodus” offered by pandemic-related stories. All of that redistributed energy has to flow somewhere — and with it the impetus to improve the cultural institutions of the destination cities.

Like Boise, Vancouver in southwest Washington State presents another striking example of a smaller city that has become a magnet by offering increased affordability along with a less-stressful lifestyle. Vancouver’s leaders want to establish the city’s identity as not just a bedroom community to Portland but a desirable alternative on its own merits.

Vancouver and the surrounding region rank among the fastest-growing areas in the state. This newfound attractiveness is stimulating a fresh sense of promise and ambition for the arts. As the city’s largest performing arts organization, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA has been a presence for decades.

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Broadway World: Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA to Present Inaugural Vancouver USA Music And Arts Festival in 2023

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA will present its inaugural Vancouver USA Music and Arts Festival celebrating music and art inspired by America, spanning three days from Friday, August 4 through Sunday, August 6.

The multidisciplinary art festival features performances from the VSO conducted by VSO Music Director, internationally renowned composer and conductor Maestro Salvador Brotons and Maestro Gerard Schwarz. Known as a champion of American composers, Gerard Schwarz has received hundreds of honors and accolades in his five decades as a respected classical musician and conductor including 9 Emmy Awards, 14 GRAMMY nominations, 8 ASCAP Awards, and numerous Stereo Review and Ovation Awards, in addition to being the first American named Conductor of the Year by Musical America. Renowned guest soloists include violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, pianist Orli Shaham, and the genre-defying trio Time for Three. Presented in close collaboration with the city of Vancouver and Vancouver Downtown Association, the Festival is made possible by the $600,000 grant awarded to the VSO by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust for program expansion to engage performing and visual arts patrons.

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