INCLUDES CONCERT VIDEO LINK | This free Winter Concert in outer East Portland paired Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, and Florence Price – and showed again why their concerts deserve a place on every music lover’s calendar. Plus: A preview of their May 3rd Spring Concert …
In the lobby of the Sunnyside Seventh-Day Adventist, the “Sunnyside Flutes” serenade early arrivals to this concert.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra (SSO) chased away the seasonal chill with a richly varied Winter Concert on Sunday afternoon, February 22, at the Sunnyside Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Hazelwood.
Long before the first note sounded, the sanctuary began to fill with regulars and first-time attendees. As has become a hallmark of the ensemble, conductor Jonathan DeBruyn began the afternoon with a “Pre-concert Talk” at 3 p.m. – talking the audience through the music to be performed, its composers, and some behind-the-scenes tales about his community orchestra.
An hour later, at 4 p.m., DeBruyn took the podium to lead a program that moved from early Rachmaninoff to Beethoven at his most brilliant, and concluded with the groundbreaking Symphony No. 1 of Florence Price.
During his “Pre-concert Talk”, SSO conductor Jonathan DeBruyn takes questions from the audience about the afternoon’s musical selections.
A growing, courageous community orchestra
Backstage between his talk and the performance, DeBruyn said this particular program felt special because of its clear contrasts.
Reflecting on the orchestra’s progress, DeBruyn told East Portland News that he was proud of how far the ensemble had come. “I really enjoy working with our musicians,” he remarked. “They have grown so much in such a short time. They are so courageous in approaching such difficult programs. We’ve done such wonderful music, and they have such a great aptitude and attitude; I could not be happier.”
About the repertoire, the conductor said: “This program is special because it presents three works by three very different composers. They each speak with a distinct voice, but together they make a powerful statement.”
A brooding opening selection: Rachmaninoff’s The Rock
The concert opened with The Rock by Sergei Rachmaninoff, the composer’s first published orchestral work.
“It’s a beautiful tone poem that’s not often heard,” DeBruyn remarked. “Its original title was The Crag, and it already shows that dark, atmospheric Russian Romantic voice that we associate with Rachmaninoff.”
Jonathan DeBruyn conducts the Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra.
Composed in 1893, when Rachmaninoff was only 20 years old, the piece gave listeners exactly that: A brooding, storm-swept sound world, with long, singing lines rising out of the orchestra. The performance offered a convincing portrait of a young composer already finding his own voice.
Beethoven, with a guest soloist
The first half continued with a cornerstone of the repertoire: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15, by Ludwig van Beethoven – in this case, featuring guest artist Maria Garcia.
Pianist Maria Garcia joins the Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra for this piece.
“This is a famous piece of music, and one of the great early works of a composer who went on to write much more radical pieces,” DeBruyn explained. “It’s a fabulous and popular work for a reason. And we have the wonderful Maria Garcia to play it with us.”
Playing the Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major is guest artist Maria Garcia.
Although it was actually the second concerto Beethoven composed, its publication as Op. 15 made it the first in his series of five piano concertos.
In this performance, the opening movement had plenty of sparkle and drive; the slow movement turned inward with a quiet, songful quality; and the finale delivered Beethoven’s trademark wit and rhythmic snap. Ms. Garcia handled the technical demands with ease, while maintaining a vivid musical dialogue with the orchestra.
An historic symphony, in the second half
After intermission, the orchestra returned with a work that has only recently begun to claim its rightful place in American concert halls: Symphony No. 1 in E minor by Florence Price.
“It’s special because it was the first symphony written by an African American woman to be performed by a major American orchestra – it was the Chicago Symphony,” DeBruyn said. “It’s a piece that has wonderful history here in the United States.”
He said the work had unfortunately fallen out of popularity for many years, but was now being rediscovered. “Fortunately it’s now back, and being played by orchestras across the United States, as well as around the world,” he added. “We’re really happy to perform it.”
The Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra performs Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1 in E minor.
When asked if programming the symphony had been a deliberate nod to Black History Month, DeBruyn admitted the timing was actually more accidental than planned.
“It’s funny you asked if it was connected to Black History Month,” he said. “We were actually planning to play it earlier in the season, but it happened to work out that we moved it to this concert. It’s serendipitous that it’s happening during Black History Month, but it’s not intentional – maybe it should be.”
Displaying masterful musicianship, members of the orchestra bring this music to life.
Price’s 1930s score blends familiar symphonic writing with spiritual- and folk-tinged themes, including a lively Juba dance in the third movement. The SSO brought out both the sweeping Romantic lines and the rhythmic, vernacular snap in the inner movements, tying it together with a finale that felt both rooted in history, and very much alive in the present.
Now that you’ve read about the concert, watch and listen to this great musical program, recorded and produced by their organization:
As the last notes of Price’s symphony faded and applause filled the sanctuary, it was clear that this free Winter Concert had given outer East Portland listeners something unusually rich: A thoughtful program, strong performances, and a chance to hear music that not long ago was rarely programmed at all.
You, too, will be applauding when you attend their Spring Concert on May 3.
Looking ahead: Spring Concert on May 3
The Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra’s season of free concerts continues with its Spring Concert on Saturday, May 3rd, again at the Sunnyside Seventh Day Adventist Church, 10501 SE Market Street, 97216.
As usual, the afternoon will begin with DeBruyn’s Pre concert Talk at 3:00 p.m., followed by the concert at 4:00 p.m. The program is set to include:
• Zampa Overture by celebrated French composer Ferdinand Hérold
• Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1 by Ralph Vaughan Williams
• Symphony No. 4 in G major by Gustav Mahler
For more information, and for a link to the live stream of the concert, visit the Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra’s website: CLICK HERE.
© 2026 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
