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Portland Youth Philharmonic (Portland Junior Symphony Orchestra) records, 1924-1995

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Portland Youth Philharmonic
Title
Portland Youth Philharmonic (Portland Junior Symphony Orchestra) records
Dates
1924-1995 (inclusive)
Quantity
12.29 cubic feet , (12 record cartons, 1 oversize box)
Collection Number
Coll 184
Summary
The Portland Youth Philharmonic (Portland Junior Symphony Orchestra) records consist of sound recordings of orchestral performances, concert reviews, and documents relating to the youth orchestra’s tours in the United States, Europe, and Japan, during the tenure of directors Jacques Gershkovitch (1924-1953) and Jacob Avshalomov (1954-1995). The Portland Junior Symphony, America’s first youth orchestra, was founded in 1924, and was renamed Portland Youth Philharmonic in 1978. The collection also contains the manuscript for the book The Concerts Reviewed: 65 Years of the Portland Youth Philharmonic, compiled by Jacob and Doris Avshalomov.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for processing this collection was provided by the OHS Performing Arts fund.
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Historical Note

Building on a nucleus of students working with local violin teacher Mary V. Dodge, who had earlier founded and directed the acclaimed Sagebrush Symphony in Burns, Oregon, the Portland Junior Symphony Association recruited Russian conductor Jacques Gershkovitch to form a full youth orchestra. He agreed, and in 1924 the Portland Junior Symphony was established as the first youth orchestra in the United States and soon became a model for youth orchestras around the country. Gershkovitch remained at the helm until his death in 1953, and was succeeded by his former apprentice Jacob Avshalomov in 1954. Avshalomov, also an established composer, led the orchestra for the next forty years. The orchestra changed its name to the Portland Youth Philharmonic in 1978.

Both conductors brought the orchestra to audiences far beyond Oregon. Under Gershkovitch, the Portland Junior Symphony performances were heard on nationwide radio in the 1930s and internationally in the next decade. Avshalomov’s orchestra produced commercially-offered recordings and traveled to the U.S. East Coast, Europe, and Japan. Oregon Public Broadcasting produced an hour-long television program featuring the youth orchestra which aired nationally in 1973. In 1984, the PYP celebrated its sixtieth anniversary in tandem with the New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concerts, performing in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center under the direction of Leonard Bernstein.

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Content Description

The collection contains sound recordings (archival open reel tapes and commercially-offered long-playing records), concert reviews, and documents relating to orchestra tours for the Portland Junior Symphony Orchestra / Portland Youth Philharmonic under the batons of directors Jacques Gershkovitch and Jacob Avshalomov. Among the sound recordings are works commissioned for the orchestra and recorded by Composers Recordings, Inc., several U.S. premiers, souvenir recordings from tour concerts, and two major works by Ernest Bloch recorded in 1976. Papers include correspondence, programs, clippings, and general materials, including reports, itineraries, and ephemera related to the youth orchestra's tours in the United States and abroad; as well as pre-publication materials, reviews, and letterpress programs made by Doris Avshalomov that were used in the book The Concerts Reviewed: 65 Years of the Portland Youth Philharmonic. Correspondents include major figures in the musical world, including Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa, both honorary sponsors of the Portland youth orchestra's tours.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.

Preferred Citation

Portland Youth Philharmonic (Portland Junior Symphony Orchestra) records, Coll 184, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series:

  • Series A: Sound recordings, 1959-1995
  • Series B: Tours, 1970-1994
  • Series C: Concerts Reviewed manuscript, 1924-1988 and circa 1990

Acquisition Information

Library accession no. 25172

Related Materials

Jacob Avshalomov papers, Coll 183, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

Oral history interview with Jacob Avshalomov [sound recording], 1977 January 12, SR 9341, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Concerts--Oregon--Portland--Reviews
  • Music and youth--Oregon--Portland--History
  • Symphony orchestras--Oregon--Portland--History

Personal Names

  • Avshalomov, Doris
  • Avshalomov, Jacob, 1919-
  • Gershkovitch, Jacques

Corporate Names

  • Portland Youth Philharmonic--Archives (creator)
  • Portland Junior Symphony Orchestra

Geographical Names

  • Portland (Or.)--Performing arts

Form or Genre Terms

  • Clippings
  • Correspondence
  • Manuscripts for publication
  • Programs
  • Sound recordings

Titles within the Collection

  • The concerts reviewed : 65 years of the Portland Youth Philharmonic

Finding aid prepared by Shawna Gandy
2010

CC0

About Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West

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