Q&A with Adam Eccleston

Tell us about your history with the station.
My history with All Classical Portland has changed my views on music, and on the word community. All Classical Portland is doing everything they can to make classical music accessible to all listeners as well as offering innovative programs to our community of all ages.

What are you most looking forward to as part of this role with All Classical Portland?
I am looking forward to connecting with the Portland community in new and profound ways! Those of you that know me, know that I am a conversationalist. All Classical Portland is offering me a space to do things that I love: talking, listening, and learning about the arts!

Tell us about a favorite piece or composer that you are currently listening to or that has been important in your life over the last few years.
I have lots of favorite pieces and composers that I’ve been listening to recently. I just performed a mini recital at The Old Church and played Joseph Bologne’s Sonata for Harp and Flute, which was my first time playing that piece. I loved it so much that I’ve been listening more to his works. I’m also listening to Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Piano played by Gidon Kremer and Martha Argerich with the Orpheus Chamber Ensemble. My gosh, I listen to that piece on repeat. It’s just magnificent!

Is there something you are looking forward to in the Pacific Northwest art scene over the next year?
I am looking forward to attending more concerts and experiencing new sensations in the arts. For instance, I cannot wait to attend concerts at Patricia Reser Center for the Arts! They already have a stellar line up of artists for their inaugural season!

Q&A with Robert McBride

Tell us about your history with the station.
I started working at All Classical Portland in 2000, and I retired in 2018. My last day (night, actually) on the air was the day before my 65th birthday. That evening was really memorable: a two-hour Club Mod Live show with several local musicians and a studio audience.

What are you most looking forward to as part of this role with All Classical Portland?
Two things, one inward and one outward: after not doing the work for four years, will I remember how? How much will I have to relearn? More importantly, I treasure the opportunity to connect with listeners again. It’s hard to put into words how meaningful that can be.

Tell us about a favorite piece or composer that you are currently listening to or that has been important in your life over the last few years.
I’ve been interested in Anton Bruckner’s music for many years, partly for his unique combination of a feet-on-the-ground celebration of his Austrian environment (he was an avid dancer in his youth, and played the fiddle when other people danced), his religious mysticism, and his determined mastery of essential techniques like harmony and counterpoint. I recently purchased William Carragan’s “Red Book” about all the Bruckner symphonies and their many versions, and I’m looking forward to immersing myself in that.

Is there something you are looking forward to in the Pacific Northwest art scene over the next year?
Yes! Carlos Kalmar’s last concert as music director of the Oregon Symphony was supposed to feature Mahler’s 9th, but that was postponed because of the pandemic. But Carlos will be back, with that music, in May, and I’ll be doing the preconcert conversations with him, as I have many times in the past. I am profoundly grateful for that opportunity and many others that have come my way because of my association with All Classical Portland.

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