The Music Population Orchestra plays new music on old instruments in new places. That would be in contrast to old music on old instruments in old places - classic classical; new music on new instruments in new places - pop, or no music on no instruments in new places - noise; and so forth.
Translation: The Music Population Project, founded in Portland by Brede Rørstad, now operating out of Portland and Oslo, Norway, plays new compositions, sometimes including electronic parts, on classical music instruments, in non traditional venues, for cheap or free. Breaking and remaking today's classical music into something perhaps like its OG origins, when chamber music was pop.
Each of the Music Porpulation Orchestras - mpo:portland and mpo:oslo unfold parallel concerts:
OSLO
Wednesday, July 11th, 7pm - Ibsenkvartalet
Saturday, July 21st, 2pm – Vaterlandsparken
Sunday, July 29th, 4pm – Tullinløkka
Thursday, August 2nd, 7pm – Fridtjof Nansens Plass
PORTLAND
Wednesday, July 11th, 7pm - Gerding Theater at the Armory
Saturday, July 21st, 7pm - South Waterfront
Sunday, July 29th, 2pm - Bridgeport Village
Thursday, August 2nd, 7pm - The Portland Bus Mall
The project is an exploration of the interplay between the instantaneous vibrational passing of live music and the long lived built architecture surrounding its echoes. The project will ultimately result in a documentary.
More information is available at the Oslo::PDX sister city blog.
Note: from the performance last evening... I met several filmographers working on documenting the performances, so stay tuned for the final cut. It was fun seeing street passersby ignore, scan or become involved in the outdoor performance. A rent-a -cop threatened to arrest the musicians but for the organizers' cultural cred, passed by. The musicianship was excellent, judged by my experience making hundreds of recordings at one of America's top music conservatories.
