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!
Violinist Augustin Hadelich was born in Italy to German parents, and then moved to the U.S. two decades ago to study at Juilliard, where he has lived ever since. Hadelich and his music embody the idea of the “American melting pot,” as does his new album, American Road Trip.
On the album, he reflects as much on his own travels and experiences with American culture as he does on the composers whose music he features. There are composers expressing the Black American experience, including Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson and Daniel Bernard Roumain; musings on the east coast by Aaron Copland, the Jewish-American composer who evokes the Wild West better than anyone; and of course, women adding their voices to the rich American tapestry, such as Amy Beach. The recording feels very comprehensive, and yet Hadelich and his piano partner, Orion Weiss, know they are just scratching the surface here.
All Classical Radio’s Director of Music and Programming John Pitman recently spoke with Hadelich about American Road Trip, and more.
For this edition of John Pitman’s Reviews, John has invited All Classical host and producer Lisa Lipton to sit down with Larry Schoenberg, son of composer Arnold Schoenberg.
Lisa, along with microtonal composer Richie Greene, and 45th Parallel Universe musicians Ron Blessinger and James Shields, asked Larry what it was like having one of the 20th century’s greatest, and most controversial composers as a dad. The conversation runs the gamut from the inner workings of the 12-tone method that Schoenberg created, the many celebrities who were friends of the family, to the toys and games the composer created to entertain and teach his children, including Larry.
This interview was conducted in anticipation of 45th Parallel’s October 22, 2024 concert featuring chamber arrangements by Arnold Schoenberg of music by Gustav Mahler. Learn more at 45thparallelpdx.org.
Arnold Schoenberg, with his three children: Larry, Ron and Nuria.
As we approach Halloween, now is the perfect time to get into the fall spirit by celebrating National Horror Movie Day on October 23. The best horror movies create an eerie atmosphere, are full of tension and suspense, and most importantly, have a hauntingly good soundtrack.
To celebrate, we’re sharing 10 of our favorite horror film scores to iconic, spine-tingling movies that are perfect for the spooky season. And if you’re craving more spooky sounds this month, tune in to The Score with host Edmund Stone on Saturdays and Sundays at 2PM PT for deep dives into horror-themed film music throughout October.
Hereditary (Colin Stetson, 2018)
Released in 2018, Ari Aster’s first feature film Hereditary is recognized as one of the most haunting films in recent memory. Avant-garde composer and multi-instrumentalist Colin Stetson aimed to make the film sound “evil.” From the use of clarinet choirs to the human-sized bass saxophone, Stetson’s score takes on a disturbing and sinister character of its own in the film.
Candyman (Philip Glass, 1992)
Minimalist composer Philip Glass is regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. His film scores can be heard in movies such as Kundun (1997),The Truman Show (1998), and The Hours (2002). Known for his repetitive structures and shifting layers, Glass’ score for Candyman delivers a hypnotic and intense atmosphere.
The Thing (Ennio Morricone, 1982)
The 1982 version of The Thing, directed by John Carpenter, is the quintessential sci-fi horror film for those looking for an extraterrestrial thrill. Italian composer Ennio Morricone is one of the most prolific film composers of all time with hundreds of compositions in a wide variety of genres. Morricone creates a cold and unsettling sound that fits perfectly in this science fiction classic.
Suspiria (Thom Yorke, 2018)
Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria (2018) is a remake of the original 1977 horror classic by Dario Argento. The film follows a young American dancer who travels to Berlin to study at a world-renowned dance school and soon uncovers the academy’s dark secrets of witchcraft and murders. Radiohead’s Thom Yorke provides melancholic and solemn, yet beautiful songwriting to the film with tracks like “Suspirium” and “Unmade.”
Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann, 1958)
Widely regarded as one of the most impactful film composers, Bernard Herrmann’s compositions have been featured in classics such as Psycho (1960) and Taxi Driver (1976). In the track “Prelude and Rooftop” from Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, the use of repetitive dissonant motifs in the strings mixed with the heavy low brass underscores the intensity and suspense of the film. The story follows an ex-detective who is hired to guard a possessed woman obsessed with death.
The Shining (Wendy Carlos, Rachel Elkind, Krzysztof Penderecki, et al., 1980)
The Shining is one of the most recognizable horror films of all time. Many people can identify the use of the traditional liturgical chant “Dies Irae,” which is a key sound element to the film’s identity. Based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel, The Shining is a psychological thriller that heavily utilizes pre-existing music from classical composers such as Bartók, Ligeti, and Berlioz.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Danny Elfman, 1993)
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect family-friendly spooky movie to watch as the seasons change. Whether you watch it on Halloween or Christmas is completely up to you. Danny Elfman’s soundtrack for this iconic stop-motion film has given The Nightmare Before Christmas its place in pop culture along with a massive cult following.
It Follows (Disasterpeace, 2014)
In the film It Follows directed by David Robert Mitchell, a teenage girl’s new boyfriend passes a curse onto her of a shape-shifting entity that is out to get her. Richard Vreeland, also known as Disasterpeace, is a masterful electronic composer of video game, chiptune, and film music. He uses sinister-sounding synths and distortions to give It Follows a throwback horror film score sound.
Psycho (Bernard Herrmann, 1960)
Released in 1960, Alfred Hitchcock once again collaborated with Bernard Herrmann in the cult classic movie, Psycho. The intense string ostinati in the “Prelude” track are still widely recognized today. In music, an ostinato describes a repeating musical phrase derived from the Italian word for “stubborn” or “obstinate.” In this track, the ostinati elevate the panic in Marion’s drive to the Bates Motel, letting the audience know that something terrible is to come. Not to mention, the iconic shower scene with the track “The Murder,” where the piercing violins elevate both the musical and cultural identity of this influential slasher film.
Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
Horror genre legend John Carpenter wrote, directed, and composed the score for the timeless classic, Halloween. The main theme of the soundtrack is an essential leitmotif linked with one of the most famous horror film villains, Michael Myers. A leitmotif is a recurring musical theme that often represents a character or person (think Darth Vader and the Imperial March, or the famous Jaws theme). Inspired by learning about 5/4 time signatures on the bongos as a child, John Carpenter’s use of minimalist, repetitive, and rhythmic patterns helped produce one of the greatest horror film franchises of all time.
