The Cello With A Twist

It began innocently enough. Nine cellists got together one night in 2006 in Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge for a night of playing Western classical music in an informal setting. A simple one-off gig? Not quite. This turned out to be the birth of the Portland Cello Project, and it has grown into a nationally known phenomenon that has played in punk rock clubs, symphony halls, street parties and even played at TED Talks. Portland Cello Project: Bach With A Twist marks the ensemble’s return to the Oregon Bach Festival for the first time since 2019, and besides Bach, you can expect to hear music ranging from Led Zeppelin to Taylor Swift. Douglas Jenkins, the group’s artistic director, has expanded the Cello Project’s repertoire to more than 1,700 pieces. All genres are covered, and that’s in keeping with the group’s mission statement to “build bridges between different musical communities through collaborations and community outreach.”

Portland Cello Project: Bach With A Twist is 7:30 pm Saturday, June 29, at the Hult Center’s Soreng Theater. Tickets are $25 to $40 and can be purchased at HultCenter.org.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!