He is already an accomplished pianist, but 13-year-old JJ Guo has yet to experience the thrill of playing with a live orchestra. That’s about to change when Guo, a seventh-grader at Skyridge Middle School in Camas, joins musicians from the Oregon Symphony and Oregon Ballet Theater orchestras in the Young Artists Debut! Concerto Competition Concert.
“I think it will be kind of loud, but I can probably hear all the different instruments. I’m excited,” he said.
The MetroArts Inc. event, which takes place April 18 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, features nine young soloists from throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Guo, who studies with Portland teacher Dorothy Fahlman, will perform the first movement of a Mozart concerto.
“There are some really cool fast parts that go up and down. I described it like a roller coaster,” Guo said.
He’s received individual coaching sessions with Young Artists Debut! conductor and artistic director Niel DePonte in preparation for the concert. DePonte helped him with dynamics, expression and articulation.
“It was hard. Lots of slow work,” Guo said.
B.G. man welcomes famed folk singer
Tom May wasn’t sure whether Peter Yarrow would make this year’s Winterfolk. Yarrow, who was part of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, dealt with the loss of fellow group member Mary Travers last fall. But Yarrow made his second appearance at Winterfolk last weekend, a concert at the Aladdin Theater benefiting Portland’s Sisters of the Road Café.
“He’s such a generous person with his time, and he was a pleasure to have here,” said Battle Ground folk musician May, founder and director of Winterfolk.
The Tom May Trio and other musicians joined Yarrow in donating their talents for the cause.
“(Winterfolk) is just a real labor of love for the folk community in our neck of the woods,” May said.
In addition to performing in the concert, Yarrow recorded an interview for May’s radio show, “River City Folk.” The segment will broadcast this summer to coincide with the program’s 25th anniversary. It gave May the opportunity to ask Yarrow about performing at historic events including the March on Washington in 1963.
“It was an incredible thrill to be able to ask him questions about some of the living history he’s been a part of,” said May, 57.
Root-ing on a successful proposal
In his six years as owner of and executive chef at Roots Restaurant & Bar in Camas, Brad Root has played host to about 10 wedding proposals. Almost all have been on or near Valentine’s Day. Many of the would-be grooms required the assistance of the 43-year-old Portland resident and his staff when popping the question.
“We’ve had ones where they wanted a ring put inside of a dessert or in a glass of champagne,” Root said. One man asked that the bill for the meal be presented to his date along with a ring.
Root described himself as a traditionalist when it comes to proposals, so one of his favorites was when a man dropped to his knee in the restaurant and asked his date for her hand in marriage.
“Everyone else, employees and customers, erupted into applause and cheers after she said yes,” he said.
No one has ever said no to a proposal in his restaurant as far as he knows, Root said, adding that helping to create such a special memory is added pressure but also rewarding.
“It’s really fun to be part of,” he said.
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