Celebrate Autumn with the Oregon Mandolin Orchestra’s October Weekend Concerts.

Christian McKee, OMO music director, said the natural world has been such a rich source of inspiration that he crafted the concert programs to bring those themes to the stage.
“And during my search, I spoke with the American composer and friend of the orchestra Joel Hobbs, who immediately offered to compose a piece for inclusion, and we’re happy to be premiering his new work, i will go down to the river and wait, at these concerts,” McKee said. “Given the breadth and wonder of nature, the audience can expect a wide variety of sounds.” “We also include music of mourning, following an untimely death in my extended family,” McKee said. “Edvard Grieg’s 2 Elegiac Melodies flow with sorrowful melodies, while the up-tempo Waterworks and Chris Acquavella’s lyrical Remembrance of a Beautiful Soul help us celebrate life while remembering two esteemed members of the international classical mandolin community, Mark Linkins and Alison Stephens.”

For the first time. the orchestra’s Guitar Section will open the concert, giving voice to Autumn’s arrival with a series of selections performed by duos, trios and quartets. Guitars were added to the OMO’s ensemble in 2024 to enhance the orchestra’s vocal reach.