Events
We will strive to be your eyes and ears and to update this page whenever performances come along. But your help is always required, so if you know of any (nearby) Handel related events not listed here, please email us at so we can add them. Include whatever information you can about the location, cost, and dates.
At this time the following performances are the leads I have:
June 7th, 2008 - Portland's All Classical station will broadcast a performance of Handel's beloved opera Giulio Cesare. It has love, treachery, revenge, and some of the most beautiful arias Handel wrote. Tune in at 10:00 AM for the performance by the Chicago Lyric Opera. All Classical 89.9 can also be heard online at their website, for those not in the Portland area.
***Past Events***
May 18th, 2008 - All Classical 89.9 aired two Handel Concerts. The first, played on their morning show at 8:00 AM, was a concert from the Italian period orchestra Accademia Bizantina. The second was his Coronation Anthems and the Dettingen Te Deum. All Classical 89.9 can also be heard online at their website.
April 2008 - The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra played music of Handel and Purcell at their program entitled "Coronation and Victory" April 3rd-6th. It was quite a show, and well worth the rather long Greyhound trip. The conductor was Nicholas McGegan, and both Handel's Zadok the Priest and Dettingen Te Deum were performed. To learn more about the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, visit their website.
February 2008 - The Portland Opera performed Rodelinda, considered one of Handel’s finest. For further details on the Portland Opera Company, visit their official site here. The show was quite enjoyable, and more info on it can be found in our opera section.
December 24th-28th - Bill McGlaughlin hosted a week of Handel-themed shows. His show Exploring Music airs at 11:00 PM Monday through Friday on 89.9 All Classical KBPS. While it was nice to hear excerpts from Handel that were not from his Messiah, the show contained very little from Handel's oratorios or choral works, which was regrettable. Then again, there is only so much one can do in a week. Visit the Exploring Music website for more information on the program.
December 2007 - As per their tradtion, the Portland Baroque Orchestra gave performances of the complete Messiah, and excerpts from it with other Christmas music at four concerts. Monica Huggett led the PBO and Capella Romana, along with guest soloists. For more information about their future concerts, visit the the PBO at www.pbo.org.
August 2007 - The University of British Columbia in Vancouver hosted a performance of La Resurrezione on August 11th, as part of their Early Music Festival. For more info visit their website. It was an excellent show, demonstrating one of Handel's earliest dramas. In some respects this piece is his first oratorio, as it was intended for performance without staging. The soloists were excellent and the music sounded glorious.
April 2007 - The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra of San Francisco performed the oratorio Belshazzar (aka Belshazzar’s Feast). Their conductor is Nicholas McGegan. McGegan is widely admired, and has previously conducted Susanna, Theodora, Judas Macabbaeus, and many others large works by Handel. Belshazzar received two performances in Berkeley on April 14th & 15th, plus two more in San Francisco and Palo Alto on April 20th & 21st.
**Post-performance note: It was fantastic. To learn more about the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, visit their website.**