October 29, 2026: Host Christa Wessel welcomes Dessa and the Oregon Symphony; and Kevin Lefohn, violin & Derek Chiu, piano to the Irving Levin Performance Hall.

Singer, rapper, and author Dessa joins the Oregon Symphony for soaring ballads, writerly pop songs, and rap anthems. Then, violinist Kevin Lefohn, violin and pianist Derek Chiu perform an exclusive recital for All Classical.

Tune in Thursday at 3:00 PM PT at 89.9 FM in Portland, OR or from anywhere in the world on our website.

Spanning genres and disciplines, Dessa’s style is defined by tenderness, ferocity, candor, and wit. As a musician, she’s co-composed for large choirs; crowd-surfed at rock clubs; recorded a live album with the Grammy-winning Minnesota Orchestra; and contributed a track to the #1 album The Hamilton Mixtape. Her TED Talk, which recounts her science experiment on how to fall out of love, has notched more than 5 million views. She’s written for The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler; hosted two seasons of a podcast for the BBC; and published several poetry books and literary collections including the memoir-in-essays My Own Devices (Penguin Random House).

Keep reading at dessawander.com

The multi-GRAMMY Award-nominated Oregon Symphony, led by Jean Vollum Music Director David Danzmayr, serves hundreds of thousands of people annually through concerts, education initiatives, and community programs. With a 130-year legacy, it is the oldest orchestra in the Western United States.

Learn more at orsymphony.org.