Willamette Valley Symphony

11/03/2025

"Learning to play a musical instrument provides a peaceful retreat from the pressures of daily life. Therapeutic outcomes of playing music include better communication skills, improved emotional release, and decreased anxiety and agitation. Musical training promotes cognitive function, mental health, and a connection to others." https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6368928/
Willamette Valley Symphony provides space for our talented musicians to create music with others while bringing our community together!

11/03/2025

Amazing young musicians, David, Shane, and Tzippora, joined us this evening for rehearsal. Make sure to mark your calendar for Nov 22nd (Albany) or 23rd (Corvallis)! www.willamettevalleysymphony.org/buy-tickets

11/01/2025

"Celebrated as one of the iconic tracks in the Mexican popular music repertoire, ‘La Llorona’ traces its origins to the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca. The most renowned rendition is by the late Costa Rican singer Chavela Vargas. Other notable interpreters include Mexican artists such as Lila Downs, Aída Cuevas, and Natalia Lafourcade.

In recent years, this timeless song has gained newfound popularity among younger generations, largely owing to Ángela Aguilar. She recently delivered a stirring performance of ‘La Llorona’ before thousands of spectators in Mexico City’s Zócalo during the grand parade dedicated to the Day of the Dead."

The 'Day of the Dead' is one of the most emblematic and important celebrations of Mexican culture. It takes place on November 1st and 2nd.

10/31/2025

Get in the mood for the Halloween Holiday with Spooky Classical Music from Edinburgh's International Festival Spotify list!

Read time: approx 4 minutes

10/30/2025

WVS performed Freddy Vilche's Suite Afrocubana last Spring. WVS musicians recently reunited with Freddy to revisit this piece of music for a special recording opportunity.

Our next concert set is on November 22nd at Albany Performing Arts Center and on the 23rd at Ashbrook Independent School. Buy tickets at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/wvsymphony. Season tickets for the remaining four concerts are available for purchase.

10/30/2025

Introducing Shane Ong, one of our three Youth Concerto Competition winners! He will be playing Bruch violin concerto, movement III, at WVS’ November concerts. Shane is an 11th-grade violinist at Crescent Valley High School and the Assistant Concertmaster for the Corvallis Youth Symphony. He started learning violin at age eleven, beginning his musical journey in the Elementary Strings program and has been a dedicated member of CYSA programs since. He has been selected for OMEA All-State and NAfME All-Northwest Orchestras and was a winner at the OMTA Baroque Festival for three consecutive years (2023-2025). Shane placed first at the 2025 OMEA District Solo and went on to compete at state level. He gives back to the music community as an Elementary Strings Assistant Teacher, and enjoys playing in the pit orchestra of CSD Theaters productions as a musician such as Cinderella, Newsies, and Oliver. Shane also enjoys playing chamber music and frequently attends summer ensemble programs.

Buy tickets today for our November 22nd or 23rd concerts today: https://www.ticketleap.events/events/wvsymphony

Season tickets are available for our remaining four concert sets:
https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/wvsymphony/willamette-valley-symphony-season-tickets-4-concerts

10/28/2025

Introducing Tzippora Kreston-Duckles, one of our three Youth Concerto Competition Winners! She will be playing Elgar cello concerto movement, 1 at WVS’ November Concerts. Tzippy plays in the Corvallis Youth Symphony as well as the Camerata Orchestra at Corvallis High School. Tzippy also plays in her family quartet, the Quartissimos, who perform together many times throughout the year. Tzippy spends summers playing in music camps like the Delgani String Quartet Academy, Inside Music Academy Chamber Music Workshop, and the Xenia Camp in Italy.

Buy tickets today for our November 22nd or 23rd concerts today: https://www.ticketleap.events/events/wvsymphony

Season tickets are available for our remaining four concert sets:
https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/wvsymphony/willamette-valley-symphony-season-tickets-4-concerts

10/25/2025

Introducing David McDonald, one of our three Youth Concerto Competition Winners! He will be playing Fosyth viola concerto, movement 1, at WVS’ November Concerts. David McDonald first picked up the viola in 4th grade after his dad taught him how to hold it (possibly so David wouldn’t hold it like a guitar). Since then, he’s been trying very hard to convince people that the viola isn’t just a big violin.

Over the years, David has studied with several wonderful teachers — Nicole Atkinson, Abigail Stoughton, and now Anthea Kreston — who have all helped him become good enough to play pieces that make his parents cry (sometimes from emotion, sometimes from the practice hours). He currently holds the title of principal violist of the Corvallis Youth Symphony, which is a fancy way of saying he gets the best chair in the viola section.

Buy tickets today for our November 22nd or 23rd concerts today: https://www.ticketleap.events/events/wvsymphony

Season tickets are available for our remaining four concert sets:
https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/wvsymphony/willamette-valley-symphony-season-tickets-4-concerts

10/13/2025

Last night Willamette Valley Symphony got all dressed up to shoot a performance video of Freddy Vilche’s Suite Afrocubana ! Looking good, WVS! Can’t wait to share our finished product.

10/06/2025

Patrons gave a standing ovation to the Willamette Valley Symphony following their performance of Mendelssohn's 4th symphony. A tremendous amount of effort goes into organizing concerts. Volunteers are essential to all that we do as a community orchestra: musicians, many of whom assist with setup, takedown, and planning, trustees who provide leadership, and our volunteers assist with ushering and box office operations. If you are interested in volunteering at a future concert, please contact us at [email protected]; we would love your help! 🎵