Forever Young

By William Kennedy for the Eugene Weekly (May 13, 2021)

When Oregon Mozart Players artistic director and conductor Kelly Kuo was planning the program, he sought a piece that not only fit the theme of young voices in classical music, but was also appropriate for the ensemble size and kind of instrumentation the players were allowed to assemble on account of the pandemic.

A grinchy Christmas

By Bob Keefer and Henry Houston for the Eugene Weekly (November 19, 2020)

Although Brown’s two-week freeze started Nov. 18, OMP still plans for the show to go on with a “Noël” concert. In addition to a set list of medleys and arrangements of Christmas songs, OMP will perform “Noëls sur les instruments” by Baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. OMP’s Artistic Director and Conductor Kelly Kuo says this is the first time the orchestra has performed the work. 

Kuo says the earliest French carol can be traced back to the early 16th century. “They have a rustic and pastoral characteristic because they were supposed to be sung by the shepherds who were paying homage to Christ in a crib,” he says. 

Honey, we shrunk the orchestra

By Henry Houston for the Eugene Weekly (September 10, 2020)

Oregon Mozart Players have been shuffling their 2020 concerts around to adjust for COVID-19. Executive Director Daren Fuster says the group took the conservative route and cut a concert from the season and shifted its opener from October to the holiday season.