Camerata Spring Concert

Camerata PYP closes its season with a program that blends elegance, lyricism, and a spotlight on seldom-heard voices in classical music. Featuring clarinetist David Hattner and conductor Huw Edwards, this spring performance highlights a range of musical styles from the 18th to the 20th century. The evening opens with William Boyce’s Symphony No. 2 in A Major, a celebratory and refined work originally composed for Ode for the King’s Birthday. Boyce’s symphony offers a glimpse into the grandeur and charm of English Baroque music. Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings in E minor follows a beloved staple of the string orchestra repertoire. This three-movement work is introspective and warm, with Elgar’s characteristic sensitivity to line and texture. It remains one of the composer’s most enduring early successes.

The first half concludes with a rare performance of Ruth Gipps’ Clarinet Concerto, Op. 9, with David Hattner as soloist. Composed in 1940, this lyrical and expressive piece is filled with unexpected turns and finely crafted orchestration. Gipps, a 20th-century British composer and conductor, is gaining renewed attention for her contributions to the repertoire, and this performance marks a meaningful addition to Camerata PYP’s season.

After intermission, the orchestra returns with Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550, one of the most frequently performed symphonies in the classical canon. Darker in tone than many of Mozart’s other works, this symphony is tightly structured and emotionally charged, offering a dramatic and satisfying conclusion to the program.

This concert is an ideal introduction to classical music for new audiences while offering depth and discovery for long-time concertgoers. Join us for a dynamic evening of music at The Reser, presented by Portland Youth Philharmonic’s Camerata ensemble.