Banner & Burden: Music and Spoken Word

Explore how music and poetry unite to amplify powerful voices of dissent, resistance, and hope with the Portland Chamber Orchestra. Banner & Burden: Music and Spoken Word is a bold collaboration with the Oregon Poetry Association, featuring original spoken word performances by emerging young poets whose words illuminate the tribulations—and triumphs—of our community.

This moving program showcases evocative works by composers who have used their music to speak truth to power, including the vibrant, contemporary voice of Jessie Montgomery, Valerie Coleman’s celebration of identity and unity, and the deeply expressive music of Dmitri Shostakovich, composed in the shadow of political oppression.

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The mission of the Portland Chamber Orchestra is to provide extraordinary musical experiences through an imaginative fusion of the arts. With an enduring legacy as the country’s longest-standing chamber orchestra, PCO delivers bold, intimate, and enriching performances that uplift audiences while generating peace and harmony. Portland Chamber Orchestra Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 93-0556942).