UP UP Orchestra
SLUG
Eco Club
350PDX
Sweet Annie’s
present...
EARTH DAY CELEBRATION & FAIR
April 22, 2026, 12:30 PM
Academic Quad
Bring a Blanket and Your Lunch!
(If Rain - Buckley Center Aud.)
Land
Acknowledgment
We acknowledge the land on which we sit and occupy at the University of Portland. "The Portland Metro area rests on traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River creating communities and summer encampments to harvest and use the plentiful natural resources of the area" (PILR, 2018). We take this opportunity to thank the original caretakers of this land.
Repertoire Listing Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Symphony No. 6
Ludwig van Beethoven
I. Allegro ma non troppo
Strum
Jessie Montgomery
Summer (Kikujiro)
Joe Hisaishi
Howl’s Moving Castle
Joe Hisaishi
Special thanks to all of our organizations for being a part of this event!
University of Portland Symphony Orchestra Personnel
The University of Portland Symphony Orchestra is an inclusive community of musicians seeking opportunities to inspire and enrich lives through engaging with a diverse selection of orchestral works. We encourage students to become leaders and life-long learners, giving them the tools to experience, explore, and expand their technical and musical skills.
+ indicates principal * indicates orchestra manager
First
Chae-Yi Shanks Cell, Molecular, and Biomedical Sciences Junior University Place, WA
Caiah Chargualaf* Biology Senior Guam
Divya Pakalapati
Computer Science and Biology Senior Vancouver, WA
Phoenix McCoubrey* Music Education Senior Boise, ID
Emily Todd Civil Engineering Junior Camas, WA
Jonathan Rapp+ Music Performance Freshman Newberg, OR
Kylie Wright+
Maggie Prevish*
Nursing, Music Performance Minor Freshman Carmel Valley, CA
Engineering Major, Music Performance Minor Freshman St. Helens, OR
Melisa K. Jones Ecology, Evolution, & Conserv Bio Freshman Elk Grove, CA
Viola
Finn Sanders+ Arts Administration Senior Newberg, OR
Keira Peters Nursing Freshman Lacey, WA
Rowan Lowery Arts Administration Junior Newberg, OR
Cello
Bryan Tran
Cell/Molecular Biology Sophomore Gresham, OR
Emmanuel Lucero Nursing Sophomore Vancouver, WA
Eva Rugel
Ian Carlos+
Laney Mohr
Env. Engineering, Music Performance Freshman Spokane, WA
Electrical Engineering, Music Performance Senior Hayward, CA
Mechanical Engineering, Music Performance Senior Bellevue, WA
Michaela Gold Civil Engineering Freshman Overland Park, KS
Bass
Layla Decker Physics, Music Performance Freshman Vancouver, WA
Flute
Leia Duarte Music Performance Sophomore Portland, OR
Oboe
Melody Dennis Nursing Freshman Beaverton, OR
Clarinet
Caleb Hamilton-Eads Music Performance Alum Portland, OR
Alejandro Santana Music Performance Sophomore Vancouver, WA
Euphonium
Yudai Endo Music Performance Senior Honolulu, HI
About Our Organizations
Eco Club
College Ecology Club (CEC) is a student-led organization that strives to increase environmental awareness on campus. Most major events organized by CEC are centered around outreach and education for the overall UP community. However, the club also attempts to spread the word about upcoming environmental events throughout Portland and the Pacific Northwest, and to help facilitate club members' participation in those events. CEC is in partnership with other on-campus groups like SLUG, PACOS, and the sustainability theme house
SLUG
SLUG (Student-Led Unity Garden) is an organic, sustainable garden located on the University of Portland's campus in North Portland. The SLUG Project was started in 2006 by a small group of dedicated UP students, and the garden was built in the spring of 2007. In addition to providing organic fruits, veggies, herbs & flowers, the garden aims to help build a relationship between students, their food, the environment and the surrounding N Portland community.
Sweet Annie’s Farm
Owned and operator by one woman, Sweet Annie’s Farm is a local Portland CSA. It is owned and run by Carol Mollet who thrives being outside in the elements. She is a one woman band, responsible for all the farm processes. From planning, to seeding, to field work, harvest and delivery, it’s her hands that have brought you this nourishing food. Ultimately it is the earth and all of their collaborators that make this food possible.
350PDX
350PDX is a Portland-based nonprofit and local affiliate of the 350.org network that focuses on climate justice. It works to build a diverse movement by inspiring, training, and mobilizing community members to take action on climate change. The organization emphasizes justice-based solutions and collective organizing to address the root causes of climate disruption and push for a sustainable, equitable future.
Program Notes
Symphony No. 6, Ludwig van Beethoven
I. Allegro ma non troppo
Beethoven’s first movement of the “Pastoral” Symphony reflects his deep appreciation for the natural world. Rather than depicting nature literally, he evokes the emotional experience of arriving in the countryside—peace, openness, and quiet joy. Gentle, flowing melodies and repeated rhythmic figures create a sense of ease and continuity, like a walk through open fields.
Strum, Jessie Montgomery
Montgomery’s Strum evolved through several versions before reaching its final form, expanding into a vibrant, full-bodied work for string ensemble. Characterized by layered repeated phrases and a wide, resonant texture, the piece is driven by rhythmic pizzicato that mimics the act of strumming. Drawing on American folk traditions, Strum unfolds as a journey, from a sense of quiet nostalgia to a dance-like celebration; capturing both reflection and joyful energy in sound.
Summer, Joe Hisaishi
Originally written for the film Kikujiro, Hisaishi’s Summer captures the warmth and simplicity of the season through its gentle, repeating piano theme. The music unfolds with a sense of innocence and quiet nostalgia, evoking sunlit days and childlike wonder. Subtle shifts in harmony and texture add emotional depth while maintaining a light, flowing character. Summer reflects the beauty of everyday moments in nature and the memories they inspire.
Howl’s Moving Castle, by Joe Hisaishi
Composed for the film Howl's Moving Castle, this beloved theme unfolds like a graceful waltz, blending whimsy with a touch of melancholy. Its sweeping melody and rich harmonies evoke a sense of motion and transformation, mirroring the film’s magical world. The music shifts between lightness and depth, suggesting both wonder and reflection. It highlights the beauty of imagination and the delicate balance between humanity and the natural world.
Biographies
Rebekah Hanson, Director
Rebekah Hanson is an Assistant Professor of Music and Fine Arts and Director of Orchestral Studies. As a conductor, violist and musicologist, Rebekah is especially interested in compositions by female and marginalized composers and strives to bring these lesser known works to new audiences. She has worked with several UP students and has published multiple articles about contemporary classical composers.
With a passion for teaching, Rebekah emphasizes the collaboration and community engagement that music can inspire. Her goal as a conductor, teacher, and chamber musician is to help students and audiences understand both the technical work that goes into a performance, and also the sense of awe and wonder that music brings to our lives.
Recording of UP concerts and theater productions without prior permission is prohibited. Performances sponsored by the UP Performing and Fine Arts Department are sometimes video recorded and photographed for a variety of uses, including live simulcast and digital archive on the UP website and social media channels, or for publicity and publications. Images of audience members may be included in these recordings and photos. By attending this event, audience members imply approval for the use of their image by the UP Performing and Fine Arts Department.
Music Patron Fund
The University of Portland’s Performing & Fine Arts Department has established the Music Patron’s Fund as an additional resource for the Music Program’s students and mission. This fund will allocate financial support for the many needs of the program that are not always able to be met by the University and its yearly program budget, including students’ professional development, concert production costs, outreach and facilities. This Fund will also help with the acquisition and maintenance of the program’s music library, and piano and instrument inventory when other resources are not available. These funds will always be directed to the benefit of our students’ growth and training as musicians, which happens both in the classroom, in rehearsal and on the concert stage.
If you have enjoyed what you have seen/heard at this concert, we invite you to help support the efforts and education of our students by making a donation to the Music Patron Fund. You can donate online at giving.up.edu/pfa.
Please contact the University’s Development Office for more information and questions (503.943.8003), and thank you for your support of the Performing & Fine Arts at the University of Portland!
Study Music at the University of Portland
The University is always seeking bright and talented students who want to study music. Scholarships are offered to incoming majors and minors. One-year performance grants for private lessons are awarded to qualified students who perform in a University Ensemble. For further information, please visit www.up.edu/music or contact Patrick Murphy, murphyp@up.edu.
