March Music Moderne

In its third season, the upstart citywide celebration of 20th- and 21st-century classical music has become one of the biggest stories in an increasingly active indie classical scene. Thursday’s opening night preview party and panel discussion at Polish Hall focus on the centenary of Stravinsky’s century-defining radical masterpiece, The Rite of Spring and issues in Portland contemporary classical music, and includes performances of music by Lutoslawski, Esa-Pekka Salonen (the former L.A. Phil conductor), dance and videos. Friday’s Free Marz String Trio performance at the Community Music Center includes 10 new one-minute marches commissioned to celebrate the Rite’s birthday. Plus there will be works by Shostakovich, Lutoslawski and MMM founder and Portland composer Bob Priest. Another Portland composer, Susan Alexjander, leads an ear-opening sound walk on Mt. Tabor Saturday afternoon, while avant-talk show host Leo Daedalus facilitates conversation and multimedia performances on Saturday night at Sellwood’s Piano Fort. MMM returns to the Community Music Center Sunday for 10 homegrown works from Classical Revolution PDX’s 2013 Composer Competition, and Tuesday’s Creative Music Guild concert at the Gallery at Port City showcases solo works for flute and sax, violin, dance and drums. Other MMM first week events are covered in separate previews on this page.

Where: Multiple venues
Website: http://www.marchmusicmoderne.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/MMM-2013-schedule-week-1-2l1.jpg