$75,000 grant brings grandiose projects to Oregon Bach Festival

Thanks to the support of a generous $75,000 grant, Oregon Bach Festival (OBF) has enriched its 2024 season with two extraordinary concerts guaranteed to leave audiences in awe.

OBF, with University of Oregon Advancement, applied for the grant funds provided by the Oregon Community Foundation Hult Endowment. 

The Planets – An HD Odyssey 

Courtesy of the grant, audience members will experience the Oregon premiere of a multimedia special project titled “The Planets – An HD Odyssey” on July 7.  

“There’s a reason this is the first time that it’s ever been done in Oregon,” OBF Director of Programming and Administration James Boyd said. “It’s an expensive but special experience, and it’s not something that audiences are going to have a chance to access often, probably once in a blue moon!” 

The event combines Gustav Holst’s epic and cinematic The Planets with a visual display of NASA images entitled “An HD Odyssey.” 

Led by Russian guest conductor Alevtina Ioffe, the jolting rhythms, grand tunes, and eerie atmospheres of The Planets have been the inspiration for sci-fi and adventure films since the late 1910s.

Alevtina Ioffe

“An HD Odyssey,” produced by Duncan Copp, will be displayed on a giant screen above OBF’s Modern Orchestra as they perform Holst’s magnificent work. The high-definition NASA images will seamlessly synchronize with the music to immerse spectators in a spectacular sensory experience.  

New York Times review of the project stated, “The images in the movie, produced and directed by Duncan Copp, were often astonishing. Photographs from rovers and satellites, radar images and computer-generated graphics were combined to give the audience the impression of circling individual planets and sometimes flying over their awesomely barren landscapes.” 

This performance will also include Stravinsky’s beloved Symphony of Psalms. Tickets to The Planets may be purchased at OregonBachFestival.org. 

Organ Symphony 

In celebration of a decade of musical excellence from the OBF Organ Institute (OI), July 11th’s “Organ Symphony” concert comes to life through the invaluable support of the Hult grant.  

The milestone program will feature Grammy Award-winning OI director Paul Jacobs as a solo organist. Thanks to the generosity of the grant, OBF has secured the rental of an organ console and speaker system, which the Hult Center does not currently have.

Paul Jacobs, Organ Institute director

With the console brought in specifically for the concert, audiences will witness Jacobs perform a work co-commissioned by world-renowned and award-winning composer Lowell Liebermann. Premiered in 2023, the composition was praised for showing the full capabilities of the organ and the wonderful colors produced in combination with the orchestra.  

“You simply can’t experience this type of music in our region without renting an organ system, so I’m deeply grateful to the Oregon Community Foundation for supporting us this year and making this level of creativity possible for our community,” Boyd said.  

The evening will also include a captivating commission by Damien Geter, alongside the well-known work “Symphony No. 3” by Camille Saint-Saëns. Performers will be conducted by OBF fan favorite Gemma New, who currently leads the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. 

Secure your tickets to Organ Symphony at OregonBachFestival.org.