May 12, 1998 Oregon Bach Festival Contact George Evano (541) 346-5666 or John R. Crosiar 346-3135 For public radio broadcasts EUGENE--The Oregon Bach Festival, a program of the University of Oregon School of Music, has received a three-year $257,055 grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust. The funds will support the production and syndication of broadcasts of festival concerts over public radio. Festival officials announced receipt of the grant, the largest the festival has received for a specific audience development project, on Tuesday evening (May 12). Grant monies will be used to produce four broadcast syndicated "specials" per year for public radio. Festival officials say the strategy will position the festival nationally as a quality musical event, on par with festivals such as Tanglewood and Spoleto. It is hoped that the broadcasts will increase visibility and awareness of the festival across the country. Currently, 25 percent of the festival's annual audience of 30,000 comes from out of town. "Our purpose is to allow audiences in major cities and far-away towns to hear Helmuth Rilling conduct the `Mass in B Minor' or the Brahms `Requiem' and realize that there is great music coming out of Eugene, Oregon, and that it's worth packing your bags to come and hear it in person," said Royce Saltzman, festival executive director. Grant funds will cover costs associated with broadcasts--musicians' union fees, concert recording, packaging and promoting the programs to key radio stations. The focus of the recorded concerts will be choral-orchestral music, the festival's specialty, although a variety of concerts eventually will be packaged and distributed. The primary market for such broadcasts consists of the 220 public radio stations that carry classical music. Saltzman said the first step is to record key concerts from the 1998 festival, including Bach's "Mass in B Minor" on opening night, the Mozart "Requiem' on July 1, a recital by baritone vocalist Thomas Quasthoff on July 8, and the world premiere oratorio from Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki on July 11. Saltzman said that broadcasts and syndications fueled the festival's growth in the early 1980s until funding for public radio stations evaporated. "We are pleased that the Meyer Memorial Trust believes in our vision for the project," said Saltzman, "especially at a time when broadcast stations can no longer come to us and fund the programs they want." Although this is the largest grant the festival has received for a specific audience development project, the funds cannot be used for operations, Saltzman said. The festival still will depend on corporate and individual contributions for 60 percent of its operating budget, even with brisk ticket sales. Based in Portland, the Meyer Memorial Trust awards more than $10 million in grants per year. The trust funds a variety of projects in social welfare, education, health, and the arts and humanities, almost entirely in Oregon. The trust was created by Fred Meyer, founder of the grocery chain, although today the foundation bears no relationship to the company. The Oregon Bach Festival, in its 29th year under artistic director and conductor Helmuth Rilling, will take place June 26-July 11. Performances are set in Beall Concert Hall on the UO campus and at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, with additional venues in Florence and Corvallis. For more information, call the Oregon Bach Festival, (541) 346-5666, or browse http://bachfest/uoregon.edu on the Web. For ticket information and prices, call the Hult Center's Bach's Office, (541) 682-5000. -30- #G-2242/Local,PDX,OD,A&E