The Oregon Symphony Performs Scheherazade and Celilo Falls
Performances are at Smith Auditorium in Salem, OR on June 6, and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, OR from June 7 – 9, 2025.
By: Stephi Wild Jun. 05, 2025
The Oregon Symphony has announced a historic performance that bridges timeless music with the cultural and ecological legacy of the Pacific Northwest: Scheherazade and Celilo Falls, led by Jean Vollum Music Director and conductor David Danzmayr, live in concert at Smith Auditorium in Salem, OR on June 6, and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, OR from June 7 – 9, 2025.
About Celilo Falls
The first half of our program features Oregon Symphony Principal Cellist Nancy Ives’ piece Celilo Falls, a multimedia orchestral work that honors the lost sacred Columbia River site of Celilo Falls and the resilience of local Indigenous communities who called it home for millennia. Utilizing the powerful storytelling tools of music, poetry, and photography, Ives centers Native American voices in a work that creates a space for reflection and remembrance.
The region around Celilo Falls was the longest continually inhabited settlement in North America until 1957. In that year, construction of the Dalles Dam flooded Celilo Falls and the surrounding villages, erasing a vital cultural and economic center for Native communities that had endured for more than 15,000 years. Celilo Falls weaves together poignant soundscapes, intimate narratives, and powerful imagery, honoring the enduring connection of Native peoples to this land. Although the construction of the dam destroyed this central site of Native American life, the traditions and strength of the community live on today.
This piece will feature the words and poetry of Ed Edmo (Shoshone/Bannock) and will incorporate images photographed by Joe Cantrell (Cherokee), narration by Brent Florendo Sitwalla-Pum (Wasco/Warm Springs/Yakama), and video animation by Zak Margolis.
About Scheherazade
We pair Celilo Falls with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, a vivid orchestral suite inspired by the Middle Eastern folk tales in One Thousand and One Nights. Composed in 1888, the work showcases the composer’s masterful orchestration and storytelling through music. Each of the four movements evokes a different tale, unified by the recurring solo violin theme that represents Scheherazade herself: clever, mysterious, and endlessly imaginative. Rich in exotic color, sweeping melodies, and dramatic contrasts, Scheherazade blends Eastern motifs with Western symphonic form, creating a sonic tapestry that captures the magic and suspense of the legendary storyteller who spun tales to save her life.
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