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“I believe in building communities through music, involving and inspiring the community through the orchestral experience.”

Tigran Arakelyan
Conductor & Artistic Director

2024-2025 Concert Season Dates

Sundays at 2 pm, Chimacum Auditorium

October 27, 2024
December 8, 2024
February 23, 2025
April 27, 2025

Concerts are Sunday afternoons at 2 pm.
Chimacum School Auditorium
91 W. Valley Road, Chimacum

PTSO concerts are free to attend, but not free to produce. Donations are always gratefully accepted at the door, through the mail or with Paypal.

Open dress rehearsals are held at 7 pm on the Friday evening before each Sunday afternoon concert.

Program details here

UPCOMING CONCERT: October 27, 2024

FEATURING Seattle-based percussionist/bandoneonist/composer Ben Thomas started playing bandoneon in 2006, traveling to Argentina and working with tango musicians from across the world. He tours regularly with the Atlas Tango Project and can be heard on their most recent album, “Estaciones y Sueños”. He was a guest artist with the Eugene Opera in 2018 as the bandoneon soloist for Piazzolla’s “Maria de Buenos Aires”.  Thomas has released five albums of original music on Origin Records, spanning jazz, chamber music, and tango. His music explores both traditional tango and how it continues to grow as it encounters new times and new influences. Following the lead of some of the pioneers of the current scene in Buenos Aires, such as Diego Schissi and Exequiel Mantega, Thomas builds pieces combining rhythmic intensity with lush harmonies, whimsy, and an emphasis on storytelling.  He studied mathematics and music at Swarthmore College before going to the University of Michigan for a Master of Music in Contemporary Improvisation and the University of Washington for a DMA in Percussion Performance. Thomas has taught music theory, composition, and performance at Highline College since 2001.

PROGRAM

Antonín Dvorak, Carnival Overture 
Florence Price, Dance in the Canebrakes
New piece for bandoneon and orchestra* Premiere with Ben Thomas (soloist and composer)
Jennifer Higdon, Blue Cathedral
Alexander Borodin, In the Steppes of Central Asia

PTSO Chamber Music Series

Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 3 pm

Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Chimacum
45 Redeemer Way, Chimacum, WA 98325

This FREE concert series features local award-winning soloists, recitalists, chamber musicians and PTSO members. Donations are always gratefully accepted at the door. Seating is limitedand no tickets or reservations are required. We hope you can join us for a short reception after the concert.

Artistic directors for the series are pianist Michael Carroll and cellist Pamela Roberts.

Featured artists for this program are Joel Wallgren, clarinet * Michael Carroll, piano * Marina Rosenquist, violin * Marcy Stewart, viola * Pamela Roberts, cello * Sung-Ling Hsu, piano * Jeanie Oneppo, soprano * Vincent Oneppo, clarinet * Lisa Lanza, piano.

PROGRAM

~ Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 128, Mov. 3 & 4 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
~ Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 13 – Andante by Richard Strauss
~ Sonata for Violin and Piano in E minor, K. 304 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
~ Élégie Op. 24 for Cello and Piano by Gabriel Fauré
~ Zwei Gesänge, Op. 91 for Soprano, Clarinet and Piano by Johannes Brahms
~ “By Strauss” for Soprano and Piano by George Gershwin

Questions? Contact Pamela Roberts at ChamberMusic@PTSymphony.org.

More details here

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About the Symphony

The Mission of the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra is to entertain, inspire and engage our community through musical excellence and affordable concerts.

Artistic Leadership

Tigran Arakelyan
Conductor & Artistic Director

Tigran Arakelyan is an award-winning conductor, who holds a number of posts in addition to the Port Townsend Symphony. He is the Music Director of Northwest Mahler Festival and ORS of Tacoma. Previously, he was the assistant conductor of California Philharmonic and made his Walt Disney Concert Hall conducting debut in 2019. Tigran played alongside Sir James Galway during Galway’s induction into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Most recently, 425 Business named Tigran in the 40 under 40 for 2023. He received a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Washington.

http://www.tigranarakelyan.com/

“I believe that it is the conductor’s duty to communicate with the audience throughout the concert to make it an enjoyable and a learning experience for everyone involved.

I believe in building communities through music, involving and inspiring the community through the orchestral experience. An orchestra is an integral part of the community and should work as such through collaborations.

The goal of a symphony orchestra should include, providing education for the community through a variety of projects. This can be done through concerts but most importantly through collaborations. Collaborations with local artists, choirs, dance companies, museums, galleries, theaters, community and professional arts organizations are vital for the growth of a symphony orchestra.”

Joining PTSO

The Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra was formed in 1987. Orchestra members are your friends, neighbors, and co-workers — the people you see and work with every day in the community. PTSO is an all-volunteer orchestra. We welcome accomplished musicians of all ages and backgrounds. Auditions are held on an as-needed basis. To learn more about joining the Orchestra, please drop us a note.

Email PTSymphony

Rehearsal Schedule

  • Rehearsals are typically held Tuesday nights from 7-9 pm. Please contact PTSO for rehearsal location.
  • Rehearsals run through the months of September, October, November, January, February, March and April.
  • Often, but not always, the second rehearsal is a strings sectional.

Concert Dates

Dates can change, but this is the standard formula:
Last Sunday in October
First Sunday in December
Last Sunday in February
Last Sunday in April

Dress Rehearsals

Dress rehearsals are on the Friday evenings before each performance from 7:00 to 9:00 at the concert hall at Chimacum School Auditorium, 91 W Valley Rd, Chimacum, 98325.  Dress rehearsals are casual.

Concert dress

Ladies, all black (slacks, dresses, or skirts), including hosiery and shoes: no bare legs or feet. Dresses and skirts at least knee-length when seated. Long or 3/4 length sleeves: no bare arms. Gentlemen, black suits with jacket, white shirt and black bow tie, black socks and shoes.

Performance call time is 30 minutes before the concert begins.

Latest Press!

PTSO Press – check it out!

News articles about PTSO concerts and activities are archived here.

Our full orchestra photo portrait can be accessed by clicking here!

Get Involved!

You Can Get Involved!

We invite your active involvement with the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra! Below are links to information related to being a Donor, Sponsor or Volunteer. Click on “Learn More” for details and if you have any questions feel free to contact us. We would love to have you on our team!

Be a Donor

Every dollar you can give helps us continue to perform great music and supports our special programs to promote music learning and engagement in the Port Townsend community.

Learn More

Be a Sponsor

We work with many types of sponsors and grants, including matching grants, sponsorships for licensing music for recording and broadcasting, and sponsorships for special programs.

Learn More

Be a Volunteer

Our volunteers run the donations and refreshments tables at our performances, help guests find seating, take photos for our social media and marketing endeavors, and man the lighting and sound booth.

Learn More