This week

• He has been called the most famous organist in the world today, and such hyperbole is probably not too far off the mark. Cameron Carpenter returns to Portland to work his magic on the Kotzschmar Organ at Merrill Auditorium. Cameron performs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in a concert presented by the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ.

Additional Photos

The Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ bring flamboyant organist Cameron Carpenter back to Merrill Auditorium in Portland to perform on the Kotzschmar Saturday night. Courtesy photo

Carpenter has been to Portland at least twice before. He is considered controversial, mostly because he hardly fits the stereotype of a classical musician. He is young and flamboyant, and isn’t shy about expressing his personality.

But all of that distracts from what makes him special. Carpenter is an immensely talented organist. The New York Times called him a virtuoso, and a reviewer in The Los Angeles Times took it a step further, writing, “He is technically the most accomplished organist I have ever witnessed. And most important of all, the most musical.”

You can judge for yourself on Saturday. Tickets cost $24 to $37 through PortTix. Call 842-0800 or visit porttix.com. 

Next week

• Portland Ovations presents the Gilbert and Sullivan classic “The Mikado” at 4 p.m. April 17 at Merrill Auditorium. New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players will perform the comedic favorite in the traditional mold. The troupe is considered one of the country’s top Gilbert and Sullivan repertory companies.

“The Mikado” is a story of love, heartache and folly in imperial Japan.

Ovations Offstage offers a pre-performance lecture at 3 p.m. in the Merrill rehearsal hall with Albert Bergeret, artistic director of the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players.

Tickets range from $38 to $54, and a limited number of $15 student tickets are also available to any full-time student. Call PortTix at 842-0800 or visit porttix.com.

Related Stories