| Oregon East Symphony | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Classical |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Members | |
| Conductor and Music Director Kenneth Woods Assistant Conductor and Conductor of Preparatory Orchestras Bruce Walker Executive Director Lisa-Marie Patterson Office Manager Phyllis Jerome |
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The Oregon East Symphony is an orchestra based in Pendleton, Oregon, United States. It has been described as "the best small-town symphony orchestra in North America", and "the most remotely situated full symphony orchestra on the planet", and is one of Oregon's few full symphony orchestras. Its official nickname is "The Best Damn Redneck Orchestra in the World". Highlights of the orchestra's repertoire include ongoing cycles of the orchestral works of Beethoven and Mahler, as well as major works by Elgar, Mozart, Hindemith, Rachmaninoff and Dvořák. The orchestra has also presented world-premieres of works by composers including Emily Doolittle, John McKinnon, Leandro Espinosa, Margaret Mayer and the film-composer Christopher Thomas.
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The Oregon East Symphony was created in 1986 by a consortium of local musicians and music lovers who wanted to establish a community orchestra in Pendleton, Oregon. Pendleton, population 17,310, is over 200 miles from the nearest metropolitan area, and the OES quickly became known as the "most remotely situated full symphony orchestra on the planet".
The Oregon East Symphony and Chorale offer a subscrption series of five classical concerts and perform and yearly Holiday Concert, which often features other local ensembles. In 2001, the OES founded a new training orchestra, the A Sharp Players, conducted by Kenneth Woods and Travis Sipher. The A #s offer their own series of concerts and also perform annually at area schools. The group is currently under the direction of Bruce Walker, Assistant Conductor to the Oregon East Symphony.
The orchestra's primary home is the Vert Auditorium.