SALEM IS MOPO MUSIC inspiring live music Whether you’re into rock concerts, classical symphonies, world music or anything in between, Salem and the surrounding community offer an impressive lineup of live-music performances that will inspire your ears — and spirit. On Thursday and Saturday nights, the intimate stage at Salem’s Christo’s Pizzeria welcomes topnotch headliners in jazz, funk, blues and soul; the artisan pizza will also make your taste buds sing. Founded by three Oregon songwriters, She’s Speaking holds live concerts around town with stellar lineups that put women musicians in the spotlight. If you can’t decide which music event to hit, Make Music Day is celebrated at locations all around Salem on June 21 each year and is Oregon’s largest free music festival. Classical-music enthusiasts are in for a treat at the Oregon Symphony in Salem, performed at Willamette University and featuring performances ranging from Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” to nostalgic ’80s hits. The locally grown Salem Orchestra is a collection of talented musical groups that performs unique iterations of everything from Celtic and pop to ’70s psychedelic music. The Salem Philharmonia Orchestra is a community symphony that holds mesmerizing piano, cello and other classic performances at the East Salem Community Center. The volunteer members of the Willamette Master Chorus perform a soul-stirring vocal concert series each season in the Salem area. Recently, the chorus has released professionally produced online concerts, so you can keep the magic going after you return home. The community Festival Chorale Oregon ensemble performs masterworks such as Mozart’s “Requiem” and Johan de Meij’s “Symphony No. 5 Return to Middle Earth” at venues around Salem. The performances accompanied by film screenings are not to be missed. If men’s a cappella is more your style, the joyous and talented Oregon SenateAires chorus is uplifting and impressive. At Western Oregon University in Monmouth, the worldclass annual Smith Fine Arts Series offers a lineup of mesmerizing performances for all musical tastes. From Mexican folk to the music of Wes Anderson films, you’ll leave with a bounce in your step. PROFILE KRISTEN GRAINGER & TRUE NORTH Salem-based singer and songwriter Kristen Grainger strives to connect with people in a genuinely human way through her music. Along with her husband, fellow musician and luthier Dan Wetzel — plus Martin Stevens on mandolin and fiddle and Josh Adkins on upright bass — Kristen Grainger & True North is a bluegrass-leaning powerhouse of relatable songwriting, emotive harmonies and precision musicianship that just might be changing the Pacific Northwest music scene, if not the world in some small way. Grainger has been racking up accolades for her songwriting for years, and along with her husband and True North, the band recently released its seventh studio album, “Fear of Falling Stars,” and it regularly performs up and down the West Coast. While songwriting, singing, playing live and recording are rewarding for Grainger and Wetzel, both musicians aspire to continue to write songs rooted in off-the-beaten-path observations that explore complicated human experiences such as grief, legacy and relationships. Kristen Grainger & True North is gearing up for its second European tour, but there’s still time to catch one of the band’s incredible live performances in the Salem area. TrueNorthBand.com Oregon Symphony in Salem 17 TravelSalem.com
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