Orchestra NEXT

Thank you for capturing these incredible ‘behind the scenes’ photos from our dress rehearsal for Peter Pan!

Peter Pan was magic! ✨

We are still in awe of this collaboration, and we could not be more proud or grateful. There are many thanks to be given including: Kenji Bunch, the Eugene Ballet, the Hult Center, and all of the production team handling lighting, staging, and flying! We would also like to thank our donors and all of the audience members who make these shows possible and complete.

We hope you enjoyed this production, and we cannot wait to see you all back in the Hult next season!

📸: Andy Nelson

Not only is today the last show of the 2023/24 season, it is also our 100th show with the .

This milestone is absolutely remarkable, and we could not have done it without the collaboration with the ballet, the team and board members of Orchestra Next, our amazing donors, and all of the audience members who come out and see us perform.

Here’s to 100 shows and many more to come!

The World Premiere of Peter Pan begins TONIGHT!

This show has been in the making for years, and we cannot wait to finally share all of the work that has been put into this show.

We will see you at 7:30 in the Hult Center!

OPENING TOMORROW! 💥 You don’t want to miss ’s Peter Pan opening TOMORROW at the ! This a chance to see some of your favorite dancers on the big stage 🤩
Tickets available at hultcenter.org 🎟️ This weekend only!

Friday, May 17 @ 7:30 pm
Saturday, May 18 @ 2 pm
Sunday, May 19 @ 2 pm
🧚‍♀️💫🐊🏴‍☠️⚔️🏰🌺✨

REPOST from
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A Magical and Captivating Experience for Audiences of All Ages! Peter Pan is a wonderful opportunity for families to share a memorable theatrical experience together, fostering the love of ballet and classical music.

J.M. Barrie’s classic tale of Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up, resonates across generations with its themes of adventure, friendship, and the power of imagination. From the graceful flights of Peter Pan and Wendy to the rousing duels between Peter and Captain Hook, the choreography transports audiences to the magical world of Neverland. Sparkling costumes, gorgeous sets, and Kenji Bunch’s brand new score played live by Orchestra Next rounds out this mesmerizing performance.

May 17-19

Tonight is the final dress rehearsal with the !

If you haven’t purchased your tickets, there’s still time! Click the link in our bio!

We will see you all tomorrow at the Hult Center!

We are gearing up for Peter Pan this weekend! Tomorrow is our final dress rehearsal with the , and Friday is the world premiere!

I hope you are just as excited as we are!

Tonight we are back in the Hult Center for our first rehearsal of Peter Pan!

We cannot believe this week concludes the 2023/24 season of live music! Thank you to the , the team and board members of Orchestra Next, the , our donors, and the audience members for making this season incredibly special. Live music is such a unique and collaborative experience that is unlike anything else!

If you have not purchased your tickets yet, click the link in our bio to secure them today!

When you think of Peter Pan, what comes to mind?

Composer Kenji Bunch said:

“When I was young, Peter Pan was a fun fantasy/adventure story told uniquely from a child’s perspective in a way that resonated with me. Now as a father of two who just turned 50(!), I see it as a very moving story about our constant though not always intentional struggle to nurture the child still deep somewhere within each of us. I think “never growing up” is a metaphor for this work to give ourselves permission to remain connected- or to reconnect and heal our inner child.”

Join us on May 17th-19th to experience the story of Peter Pan through music and dance.

Did you know Kenji Bunch composed the music for Snow Queen?

During the 2023/24 season of live music, we are featuring two scores written by Bunch. We wanted to know how the compositional process compared when writing Snow Queen and Peter Pan. This is what he had to say:

“The similarities are of course that these are two story ballets. But they’re very different stories, and now that they’re both behind me, I think Peter was an even bigger challenge than the massive one SQ felt like when I was working on it. Peter operates at an almost manic level of energy and pace. There’s a lot more action, more characters and scenes, and although they’re both very entertaining pieces, Peter demands to be a much more fun experience for the audience. And fun music is really hard to write!”

If you are joining us for Peter Pan next week, we challenge you to stream Orchestra Next’s recording of Snow Queen before you attend to hear the differences between these two productions!

Buy your tickets today!

In preparation for Peter Pan, we have caught up with Kenji Bunch to shed light on his compositional process and inspiration when writing the score. Throughout the week, we will share bits and pieces of what to expect musically through Kenji’s lens.

First, we asked what his inspiration was when composing the score for Peter Pan.

“I knew this score needed to somehow exude the boundless energy and magical thinking of childhood. This made my work both extremely challenging and a ton of fun. Challenging because energetic music is exhausting to write and fun because there were really no rules for what musical vocabularies I could draw upon, so I could move freely between different styles and influences at will.”

Join us from May 17th-19th to experience the magic of Peter Pan!

Who is ready to hear the incredible music for Peter Pan?! We certainly are!

In less than 3 weeks, we will close out the 2023/24 season of live music with the Eugene Ballet. There is no better way to end than to premiere a brand new score by Kenji Bunch.

If you have yet to hear music written by Kenji, check out Snow Queen on all streaming platforms! We had the privilege of recording and releasing this album in 2017, and we even performed the ballet in the fall with the !

You won’t want to miss this incredible production! Get your tickets today by clicking the link in our bio!

Next month we are hoping to fill all of these seats for our final production of the season: Peter Pan! Join us on May 17-19 to witness the magic of this beloved story being told through music and dance.

Has anyone purchased their tickets yet? If not, check out the link in our bio to secure them today!

5 more weeks until the premiere of Peter Pan!

Showtimes:
May 17: 7:30 PM
May 18: 2:00 PM
May 19: 2:00 PM

Experience the magic of this production at the Hult Center! We hope to see you there!

To purchase tickets: click the link in our bio!

In just over a month, Orchestra Next will be premiering a 100 minute score written by Kenji Bunch, to accompany the in Peter Pan! This is an incredible project that has been in the making for years, and we cannot wait to put on this production.

In addition to a world premiere, Orchestra Next will have performed our 100th show with the ballet. This milestone is a true testament to the need for live music and collaboration of the arts in Eugene, and we could not be more proud of how far this organization has come.

Here’s to Peter Pan and to 100 more shows with the ballet! We hope to see you at the Hult Center on May 17-19!

Last summer, Orchestra Next was apart of a major recording project featuring works by Paul Safar. You can stream Safar’s Concerto for Electric Guitar and Refugium-Snapshots of Denali, on all streaming platforms!

This was a multi-day recording session with our very own musicians, and we are very proud to be apart of this project!

Thank you Paul for the incredible music, experience, and opportunity!

We would like to share another story from Rodrigo Gonzalez-Jacob, our assistant conductor! Rodrigo is finishing his master’s degree in orchestral conducting at the University of Oregon. He conducted 3 Nutcracker performances this season, and has been working with Brian since the 2022-2023 season!

“The first time I attended an Orchestra Next show was when they performed Petrushka with the Eugene Ballet.
I was immediately struck by the exceptional quality of the performance. At that moment, I couldn’t have imagined that months later I would be working as an assistant for the Orchestra. Brian has been a wonderful inspiration as a musician and as a human being. He has prepared me and given me the opportunity to direct three productions of The Nutcracker at the Hult Center. The atmosphere cultivated by ON and its musicians is truly unparalleled.”

We would like to share another story from Andrew Pelto, a member of the trumpet section. Andrew is currently in his junior year of his undergraduate degree in music performance at the University of Oregon. He will be performing on Peter Pan this season, and has previously filled in for shows such as, Petrushka back in 2023.

“I remember my first experience in Orchestra Next came when I was subbing in a rehearsal for Petrushka. With that being a fairly difficult piece to jump in on, I was pretty anxious going in. Before rehearsal even started, I was talking and laughing with other members of the trumpet section, as well as getting to meet the rest of the brass and my nerves were put to rest for the remainder of the night. The camaraderie built from professional to student is seamless, and getting to experience playing alongside such great mentors and performers has been amazing! Especially working with Brian, his ability to convey music is incredibly inspiring. Each time I play under his baton I learn something new, and it excites me to go and try some new things on my own! I’m super excited to start working on Peter Pan here in May, and I look forward to reading a brand new score written for us!”

This week, we want to highlight some of our team members and musicians to shed light on our experiences working with Orchestra Next.

Mallory Wood is the Social Media Director for Orchestra Next and holds one of the flute fellowships. She joined the team in 2022 and has performed in The Nutcracker, Petrushka, The Little Mermaid, and a recording session in the summer of 2023.

“Being apart of ON has been the best experience I have been apart of since moving to Oregon. In 2022, I moved 2,000 miles away from home for the first time to start my graduate degree in flute performance, and I had zero connections in the PNW. After connecting with Brian, Sarah, and Jay, I was offered the opportunity to run the social medias. Additionally, I applied and was accepted for one of the flute fellowships. Within the matter of a few months, Orchestra Next became my home away from home. I was welcomed into a community of passionate musicians who were there to inspire each other. I have learned an immense amount from this experience, and I believe that this is an unforgettable opportunity for any aspiring musician!”

If you have any Orchestra Next stories, we would love to hear it!

✨Mark your calendars for March 8th!✨

The Eugene Ballet is hosting the Eugene Ball! This is a night of celebration, community, and performances. Members of Orchestra Next will be playing throughout the night, and we hope you come say hello to our musicians!

If you missed the chance to dress up for Gatsby, grab a ticket to the gala, and show off your best Roaring 20’s look!

Visit bio to reserve your seat!

Thank you to everyone who came out to support Orchestra Next and the on Friday and Saturday!

We loved seeing everyone’s costumes and excitement for this show! We hope you enjoyed the music, the dancing, and the experience at the Hult Center.

Thank you to our wonderful Jazz musicians for outstanding performances!

The season of live music is far from over! Stay tuned for more announcements about our upcoming performances.

Meet Torrey Newhart!

Torrey is our pianist for this production! He grew up in Bend, and currently resides in Eugene! He received his master’s degree from the University of Oregon, and he currently serves as an adjunct at the University of Oregon and Lane Community College. Torrey was board president of the Willamette Jazz Society, which operates the Jazz Station from 2019-2022. He is regularly performing with Inner Limits, Mhondoro, and Obsidian Animals. Over the years Brian has asked to do many collaborations including, the UO Grammy Music Show, Personal Game, Danceability, and more! We are thrilled to have Torrey with us for this production!

To learn more about Torrey, you can visit his website: torreynewhart.com

Meet Jason Palmer!

Jason is our drummer for Gatsby! In addition to drumming, he is a percussionist, composer, and educator in Portland, Oregon. He has performed in the Rochester Jazz Festival, the High Sierra Festival, the Gene Harris Jazz Festival, and more! Jason received his bachelor’s and master’s degree at the University of Oregon. Since then, he been an active performer with many jazz artists in the Portland area. We are thrilled he is joining us for this production!

Meet Tyler Abbott!

Tyler Abbott maintains an active performance schedule as an orchestral bassist, chamber musician, jazz bassist, clinician, and soloist, performing throughout the region and nation in both the classical and jazz music worlds. He has performed with, or is a member of, the Eugene Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Aspen Festival Orchestra, Oregon Bach Festival, Orchestra Next, Spokane Symphony, Eugene Opera, Astoria Music Festival, Oregon Ballet Theater, Oregon Mozart Players, Salem Chamber Orchestra, and others.

As a jazz bassist, he has performed with Branford Marsalis, Steve Wilson, Danilo Perez, Ken Peplowski, Ted Rosenthal, Ben Monder, Dick Hyman, Randy Porter, Roswell Rudd, Chuck Redd, Seamus Blake, Dave Pietro, Mark Ferber, Alan Ferber, Randy Halberstadt, Howard Levy, John Stowell, and others.

Tyler frequently presents master classes regionally, nationally and internationally and presented at the International Society of Bassists Conventions in 2011 and 2015. He can be heard on recordings on Birdge, Innova, Origin, OA2, and Ninjazz record labels and his 2013 recording with the Hashem Assadullahi Sextet was featured on NPR’s Morning Edition. Tyler currently teaches double bass, jazz bass, and music theory at University of Oregon.

We hope you enjoyed night one, and we can’t wait to perform again today!

You won’t want to miss this production!

Tonight and tomorrow!
Eugene Ballet presents Gatsby, featuring the music of Wynton Marsalis played live by Orchestra NEXT’s Jazz Ensemble, Artistic Director Toni Pimble’s Gatsby is a rollicking ride back to the glamorous 1920s with lavish parties, gorgeous costumes, and all the glitz of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel, The Great Gatsby. Plus, Resident Choreographer Suzanne Haag premieres her Portrait in Glass, based on Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie.

More information available at hultcenter.org

Meet Dr. Jacqueline Cordova-Arrington!

Cordova-Arrington is our featured flute and piccolo! She currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Flute at the University of Oregon. As a recipient of the William D. Ford Fulbright Grant, she was the first American to study extensively with principal flutists of the Berlin Philharmonic. She has performed in the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic, and the Oregon Symphony. As the active principal of Orchestra Next, she has performed throughout the entire season, and we are thrilled to have her for Gatsby!

Tonight is our first show! We will see you at 7:30!

Meet Brandon Pressley!

Brandon is performing in our trombone section! He was born and raised in Salem, Oregon, and began his musical studies in the 5th grade. He first started as a percussionist, but when he was in eighth grade, he began playing trombone. After only a year and a half of playing, he started earning solo awards and ranked high in competitions. Brandon has been studying jazz at the University of Oregon, and he has participated in the Green Garter Band and the Oregon Jazz Ensemble. We are thrilled to have him for this production!