January 28, 2023
Portland Columbia Symphony is celebrating its 40th Anniversary with a knockout concert event on January 28th, 2023. The PCSO Spectacular at The Reser shows why this dynamic orchestra is so unique, with musical selections ranging from Vivaldi to Massenet, and pure classical to rock-symphonic fusion. This event will feature acclaimed violin virtuoso Alexander Markov, who also provides two original works to the concert – both scored for full orchestra and his custom-made six-string gold-plated electric violin – as well as special guest, Jimmie Herrod. The PCSO Spectacular is no ordinary concert – it is an experience!
We can’t give away all the details just yet, but here are a few ‘breadcrumbs’ about the fabulous celebration we are planning:
Highlights include:
— Adventures on Earth from E.T. the Extraterrestrial: a real orchestral showpiece by John Williams.
— Meditation from Thaïs: one of the most famous and moving pieces for violin and orchestra by Jules Massenet.
— Caesar: Rock and Roll, Baby! An original work by Alexander Markov scored for his custom-made, six-string, gold-plated electric violin and full orchestra.
— Capriccio Espagnol: a dynamic and exotic musical depiction of Spain by Russian composer Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov that highlights the virtuosic principal players of our orchestra and features the entire PCSO!
With special guests from the community adding even more excitement, this concert is a celebration not only of PCSO’s 40th Anniversary, but the start of an exciting new chapter for one of the best kept secrets in the Northwest music scene.
- Tickets start at $15 and are selling out fast. All regular tickets will be handled through The Reser.
- Interested in tickets that include access to our VIP Party and exclusive seating in The Reser Auditorium? Click here to reserve your spot now!
- Interested in purchasing a raffle ticket to support PCSO’s mission to create and share Great Music, Close-Up? Incredible prizes for our drawing at The Spectacular can be found here.
Saturday, January 28, 2023, 7:30 pm at Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton
Presented by Jordan Schnitzer | Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation.
Sir Yehudi Menuhin has written, “He is without doubt one of the most brilliant and musical of violinists…Alexander Markov will certainly leave his mark on the music lovers of the world and in the annals of the violin virtuosi of our day.” Awarded a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1987, Markov made his New York debut recital at Carnegie Hall in 1983. A Gold Medal winner at the Paganini International Violin Competition, he has appeared as a soloist with some of the world’s most celebrated orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, the Montreal Symphony, Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra. Markov has performed with such conductors as Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Franz Welser-Möst and Ivan Fischer, and has been sharing stages with Martha Argerich and other luminaries.
Alexander Markov’s recent headlining concerts at Carnegie Hall were filled to capacity and his upcoming engagements are scheduled in USA, Europe, Russia, Japan, the Middle East and South America.
Alexander Markov’s reputation in the 19th-century romantic virtuoso repertoire is second-to-none. One of the few violinists in the world who performs the entire set of the 24 Paganini Caprices in a single recital, he is featured in the internationally acclaimed film about great violinists, “The Art of Violin,” directed by the legendary film director Bruno Monsaingeon. His CD release and the video of the 24 Paganini Caprices, distributed world-wide by Warner Classics International, caused a sensation and became a best-seller.
In 2006, Warner released the long-awaited DVD of the 24 Paganini Caprices and it instantly became one of the best-selling classical DVD’s on Amazon. Many Caprices were posted by fans around the world on YouTube and some clips have over three million hits.
Markov’s musical journey goes beyond his work as a classical violin soloist. While attending high school, he discovered and fell in love with rock music – a love affair that merged with his first love, classical music, when he has co-written The Rock Concerto with James V. Remington who also custom-designed Markov’s gold, 6-string electric violin. Built by Barry Lipman, the new, patented electric violin is one-of-a-kind in the world and has a unique sound capable of creating the most extreme contrasts from the soft and sweet to the most powerful and dramatic. The vision of the project is to bridge a gap between rock and classical audiences closer together and to attract young people who otherwise never go to a symphony. Markov continues to write numerous new compositions combining classical and rock genres featuring the electric violin, orchestra, rock group and a choir.
Alexander Markov was born in Moscow and studied violin with his father, concert violinist Albert Markov. By the time he was eight years old, he was already appearing as a soloist with orchestras and in double concertos with his father. The father and son team still perform together in duo-program repertoire in concert halls worldwide. Markov emigrated to the U.S. with his parents and received his United States citizenship in 1982.