Downtown Portland has been derided by numerous naysayers in regard to its livability and viability for the future, with some proclaiming that the city has become an “Urban Doom Loop.” But not all have succumbed to that negative message. All Classical Radio (KQAC 89.9 FM), Portland’s international broadcaster of classical music, has relocated to the heart of the city, settling into a versatile, ultra-modern top-notch headquarters that is jaw-dropping optically and technologically.
“We have a strong belief in the core of the city,” said President and CEO Suzanne Nance. “We especially want to support our local art organizations that are based downtown. Time after time, we have seen how the arts have regenerated communities across the nation. Since we outgrew our space at the Hampton Opera Center on the Eastside, it made sense to find a new home. So we looked and found the perfect place at KOIN Tower.”
All Classical Radio’s Director of Music and Programming John Pitman recently spoke with John-Henry Crawford. Since the Louisiana-based cellist’s 2021 debut, Dialogo, Crawford has always had “dialogues” with the composers whose music he performs, and his album featuring Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, is no exception.
John-Henry has known these two works since he was a budding cello student, listening over and over again to the Rostropovich recording. Collaborating with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra on the new album seems a natural partnership as they are familiar with Tchaikovsky through his ballets, John-Henry’s interpretation gives the music a dance-like quality, and continues his “dialogues” with the composers, as well as his fellow musicians, in this new release.
A locally-based radio station grew in popularity so much — it needed a bigger space. On Friday night, KOIN 6 News was there during a celebration of the new home of All Classical Radio and its media arts center.
All Classical Radio — 89.9 KQAC FM Portland — is our newest neighbor here in downtown Portland’s KOIN Tower.
In the December 5, 2024, Oregonian, James Bash writes, “All Classical Radio (KQAC 89.9 FM), Portland’s international broadcaster of classical music, has relocated to the heart of the city, settling into a versatile, ultra-modern top-notch headquarters that is jaw-dropping optically and technologically.
“We have a strong belief in the core of the city,”’” said President and CEO Suzanne Nance. “‘”We especially want to support our local art organizations that are based downtown. Time after time, we have seen how the arts have regenerated communities across the nation….”
With more than 12,000 members, All Classical Radio is making the most of its new digs.
All Classical Radio and Portland Opera name new resident artists, PSU’s Coty Raven Morris is a Grammy nominee again, Seattle Symphony names a new music director, and more.
Portland’s All Classical Radio has named violinist Emily Cole and clarinetist James Shields as its 2024/2025 Artists in Residence.
From the station’s press release: “Participants in All Classical Radio’s Artists in Residence program enjoy access to the station’s world-class studios, research database, digital music archives, and industry contacts and network. With these powerful tools at their fingertips, artists can develop their portfolios; share their work on All Classical Radio’s wide-reaching radio and digital platforms; and deepen their engagement with audiences regionally and around the world. They have ample ability to record and produce in-studio, create digital content, and perform on the air and in the community. Artists also receive a financial award to support their creative and career development.”
By Allison Van Etten for Musical America Worldwide
All Classical Radio has named violinist Emily Cole and clarinetist James Shields as its 2024/2025 Artists in Residence. The network’s Artists in Residence program, one of the first and only artist residencies created by a radio station in the USA, provides opportunities to established and emerging artists for career advancement, radio and community performances, and creative development.
Portland State University choir professor and All Classical Radio host Coty Raven Morris is a top-25 semifinalist for the Grammy’s 2025 Music Educator Award. This is the second year in a row that Morris has been in the running for the award for U.S. music teachers, which is presented by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum.
About 2,400 people were nominated for the award this year.
“Coming off the nerves and excitement of last year, my students and I made a pact that no matter what happens with these kinds of acknowledgments and recognitions, we would celebrate each other’s growth as a part of our community practice, win or lose,” Morris said on social media.
For the second year in a row, a Portland State University choir professor and All Classical Radio host has been named a semifinalist for a GRAMMY educator award.
Coty Raven Morris, PSU’s Hinckley assistant professor of choir, music education, and social justice, was one of 25 teachers selected as semifinalists for the GRAMMY 2025 Music Educator Award. The initial pool included more than 2,400 nominees from across the United States.
Portland State University’s School of Music & Theater faculty member and All Classical Radio host Coty Raven Morris has, for the second year in a row, been named a semifinalist for the GRAMMY 2025 Music Educator Award.
Morris, the Hinckley assistant professor of choir, music education and social justice, is one of just 25 music teachers selected as semifinalists for the award. Those 25 were selected out of an initial pool of more than 2,400 nominees from 49 states across the country.
We are thrilled to name violinist Emily Cole and clarinetist James Shields as All Classical Radio’s 2024/2025 Artists in Residence. Both James and Emily are esteemed musicians, known in the Pacific Northwest and across the country, and we are excited to showcase their artistry on the air and beyond. As part of their residency, they will participate in exclusive performances, interviews, and special events with the station, offering listeners a deeper look into their creative process and musical journey.
“For the first time since the program’s launch in 2019, All Classical Radio is thrilled to invite two Artists in Residence,” says Kristina Becker, the station’s Communications & Operations Manager, who oversees the program. “We are honored to celebrate and support Emily and James – a dynamic husband-and-wife duo whose artistic achievements and commitment to music and education are beautifully aligned with All Classical’s vision and values.”
Emily and James kicked off their residency with Christa Wessel on October 10, 2024, on Thursdays @ Three. This special program included performances of music composed by James himself, and conversations about what it means to be a performing artist in Portland today, and a resident artist at All Classical Radio.
Q&A With Emily & James
Photo by Frankie Tresser
We caught up with our new Artists in Residence to get to know them a little better. Read on for their responses to some of our questions.
Can you please tell us how you felt when you first heard the news that you were chosen as All Classical Radio’s 2024/2025 Artists in Residence and what this residency means to you?
James: I was very excited! All Classical is such a fantastic station, and many folks who work here were already familiar members of my community. It seemed like an exciting opportunity and I had specific projects that I thought might tie into All Classical’s mission in interesting ways.
Emily: I felt (and continue to feel!) deeply honored that All Classical would want me involved with the station community in this capacity. Being given the opportunity to collaborate with James on shared projects on behalf of the station is a dream!
What does All Classical Radio mean to you? How would you describe the station to someone who is not familiar with it?
Emily:I’ve been listening to All Classical since the moment I first moved to Portland in 2011. I scanned the radio waves, found the classical music station, and that was that. Since then, I’ve volunteered during fundraisers, gotten to know the on-air hosts, performed on Thursdays at Three, and been involved in the Recording Inclusivity Initiative, not to mention logging hundreds of listening hours in the car and at home! I truly can’t imagine my musical life in Portland without All Classical Radio.
James:All Classical is the station that we listen to most often in the car and around the house. It’s a place where we expect to hear a wide variety of classical music, ranging from internationally renowned recordings to live local performances featuring our friends and colleagues. The station and the hosts are very accessible to the public and to performing musicians in Oregon, which sets All Classical apart from other stations.
What do you hope to accomplish with this residency?
James:I’d like to focus in part on activities that involve both Emily and me together, for instance, an on-going composition project that I’ve been working on which focuses on expanding the repertoire for Violin and Clarinet. I’m a composer myself, and I’ve completed around 15 new duos, many of which we have recorded this summer. I hope to approach some other composers about adding works to this project.
I’d also love to try and share my own personal experiences as a musician, including the good, bad, and ugly. Of course, musicians face pressures to present a “curated” version of ourselves to the public. However, as artists I think we have a duty to show all sides of our humanity, because art deals with the full range of human emotions. I’d like to discuss and write about the up and down relationship I’ve had with my instrument and music over the years, and what it takes to keep the passion alive through the various successes and failures one encounters on the journey of crafting a life in the performing arts.
Emily: I’m so looking forward to collaborative opportunities within the All Classical community, including with the Young Artist in Residence and ICAN. James and I plan to be present both in person and over the airwaves, and we are especially excited about helping to celebrate the opening of the James DePreist Recording Studio!
You are involved with a few organizations who champion works by women and musicians of color in your performances. How important is supporting works by underrepresented musicians for you?
Emily:With my string quartet, mousai REMIX (with violinist Shin-Young Kwon, violist Jennifer Arnold, and cellist Marilyn deOliveira), I’ve been fortunate to study and perform works by underrepresented composers from the past as well as a diverse array of composers working today. It’s been a rich experience for us over the years, and it’s rewarding to know that each and every performance expands the music’s reach.
James:I think classical music is still very much in a time where we need to focus consciously on diversifying our repertoire. It would be great if this could be a more subconscious process, but I think we’ll need to put active attention towards performing more works by underrepresented composers for at least a few more generations. Things are changing in a more positive direction though. Little by little the conversations musicians tend to have about “oh, have you heard so and so’s music?” or “you gotta check out this piece” are shifting to include more and more works by folks who aren’t dead, white, European males. This is a welcome change, and we need to make sure this trend continues.
Our Artists in Residence often mentors our Young Artist in Residence and youth ambassadors. Do you have any advice for young musicians just getting started in their musical career?
James:Focus on what you love most of all, and listen to lots of music. Be openminded about where your career might lead you. There are many ways to be a professional musician, and some activities will be a better fit for you and what you are most interested in will shift over time. I have been fortunate to have a diverse range of interests, ranging from composing, teaching, orchestral performing, chamber music performing, and arts management and advocacy. Having many interests will both make you more employable and will give you the opportunity to fine-tune how you are spending your time if things get stale. And I’d say cherish your friends in the arts – they may become lifelong collaborators.
Emily: My best advice for young musicians: learn to take precious care of your body and mind! A performing career can be physically and emotionally taxing, and you must be your own advocate every step of the way. Being a respectful colleague and retaining a curious spirit are also crucial!
