Symphony Orchestra’s Downtown Concert Series

esperanza spalding

June 17, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

MYS’ 50th Anniversary Season finale features five-time GRAMMY winner, Portland native, and barrier breaker esperanza spalding in performance with MYS’ Symphony Orchestra and Jazz All-Stars.

Repertoire includes:

  • MYS-commissioned piece by esperanza spalding exploring the connection between the land and spirit, orchestrated in partnership with Puerto Rican Jazz musician and composer Edmar Colón.
  • Ebony and Ivy by esperanza spalding
  • Midnight in Carlotta’s Hair by the great Wayne Shorter
  • Dances in the Canebrakes by Florence Price
  • Drums: A Symphonic Poem by James P. Johnson
  • Satchmo! (A Tribute to Louis Armstrong), arr. Ted Ricketts
About esperanza spalding

esperanza spalding is an eaabibacliitoti* artist, trained and initiated in the North American jazz lineage and tradition. Her work interweaves various combinations of instrumental music, improvisation, singing, composition, poetry, dance, therapeutic research, storytelling, teaching, restorative urban land & artist-sanctuary custodianship, and growing in love as a daughter, sister, cousin, niece, auntie, great-auntie, friend.

She founded and serves as co-director of Prismid Sanctuary, a non-profit that creates and stewards restorative artist residency & workshop space in Portland, Oregon (Prismid.org).

With her dance project “Off Brand gOdds” and the Songwrights Apothecary Lab she leads multi-week performances, workshops, teaching, and therapeutic-arts research residencies. She is a 2024 recipient of the Doris Duke Foundation Artist Award and a 2016 Ford Foundation “Art of Change” Fellow.

*European-African ancestored being influenced by American cultures living in Indigenous Territories of Turtle Island

Portland Overture Strings opens the concert.

Tickets are also available on the Portland’5 website or in person at the Schnitzer Box Office which opens at 2 hours before the concert.

Looking for Community Concert tickets? Follow this link to our Community Concert page.

Downtown Series Tickets

  • Tickets are available on the MYS website until 1:00pm the last weekday before the concert. After that time, you will need to purchase your tickets on the Portland’5 website or at the door of the venue on the night of the event.
  • All tickets in Portland’5 venues are reserved seating. Seating maps provided on the MYS website may be used to request seats however, in some cases you may be given seats near your original selection. In that event, we will contact you to inform you of the change.
  • Tickets purchased within 10 days of the concert will be automatically held at the MYS Will Call table.
  • Downtown tickets purchased via the MYS website are physical printed tickets, email delivery is not available.
  • Student, Alumni, and Senior (65+) discounts are offered for Downtown Concerts. Current MYS students are free.
  • MYS students must have a ticket for the Downtown Concerts, please remember to select the MYS Student ticket type and use the discount code found in the weekly announcements to claim one free ticket per student.
  • MYS Student tickets also may be claimed in person on the day of the concert at the Portland’5 Box Office. Free MYS Student tickets may not be redeemed online from Portland’5. These free tickets are not available for Dress Circle (Schnitzer) or 1st Balcony Boxes and Rows A & B (Newmark).
  • The MYS Student discount is for use by currently enrolled students only, it is not available for friends and family.
  • ADA seating is available, please contact the MYS Office 503-239-4566, or the Portland’5 Box Office for assistance.

COVID-19 Concert Attendance Policy

Audience Members:

This policy is subject to change. Updates will be posted on this page: https://www.portland5.com/covid-19-update