Innovative. Collaborative.
Portland’s Chamber
Music Collective.
Innovative. Collaborative.
Portland’s Chamber
Music Collective.
UPCOMING SHOWS
It’s Show Time!
Music is a dish best served live.
Join us for our journey through our musical universe!
Music is a dish best served live.
Join us for our journey through our musical universe!
NEXT GARDEN SHOW
Musical Tasting Menu
Kick off our 2026–27 season, Better Together, with one of our most beloved garden traditions: the Musical Tasting Menu. Violinist Ron Blessinger and cellist Marilyn de Oliveira put together the menu — and the audience chooses what we play, making every performance a one-of-a-kind collaboration between the musicians and the room. Intimate chamber music, community, and Portland’s late-summer beauty — the perfect way to launch a season built on artistic partnership.
NEXT INDOOR SHOW
The Portland School III
Pyxis QuartetThe Pyxis Quartet’s Portland School III continues an ongoing conversation about what it means to compose from this place. Featuring works by Tomas Svoboda, Charles Rose, and Nicole Buetti, the program also marks the premiere of Habitat, a new short film by animator Zak Margolis and composer Nancy Ives – the first chapter of House of Scordatura’s Animated Oregon anthology. An evening about Portland’s creative inheritance, and where it’s headed.
GET TO KNOW OUR ENSEMBLES
About 45th Parallel Universe
We are a collective of musicians who come together to celebrate great chamber music with intimate artistic experiences. Passion for great music is what defines us and Portland is our stage.
We are a collective of musicians who come together to celebrate great chamber music with intimate artistic experiences. Passion for great music is what defines us and Portland is our stage.
45th Parallel’s intimate, innovative concerts make me feel happy to be alive, vibrating with a wonderfully diverse group of Portlanders at the most sublime frequencies.”
2026-2027 SEASON
Better Together
Great music – and great communities – are built through connection. Throughout the season, 45th Parallel Universe brings together artists, audiences, and creative partners in performances that highlight collaboration, curiosity, and shared experience. From intimate garden gatherings to ambitious artistic partnerships, this season reminds us that the most meaningful moments happen when we come together.
FEATURED MEDIA
Mahler in May
The only concert featuring the full 45th Parallel Universe, this program was inspired by last year’s powerful performance of Mahler and the remarkable voices within our ensemble — we knew we had to do it again. Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 dazzles with its luminous vocals, full chamber orchestra, and a heartfelt portrayal of a child’s vision of heaven — something we could all use right now. Soprano Madeline Ross joins 45th Parallel for this transcendent journey into serenity.
From the Blog
May the Fourth be With You
If you ask a typical assortment of orchestral musicians which Beethoven or Mahler symphony is their favorite…
A Living Musical Ecosystem
When we say Portland School, we’re not talking about a building with a bell schedule and a cafeteria. We’re talking…
Why I Love Philip Glass’ Music, and So Should You
Let’s get something out of the way right off the bat: yes, Philip Glass writes a lot of…