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Featuring Jan Michael Looking Wolf, Robin Gentlewolf, and special guests
An inspirational concert by Kalapuya Tribal Elder and Global Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Recipient Jan Michael Looking Wolf that features beautiful Native American Flutes, Tribal drums, indigenous chants along with acoustic native-folk songs. With a blend of authentic indigenous and contemporary music that shares a story of everyone’s connection to each other and Mother Earth, this is an uplifting experiences for audiences of all ages. Award winning Flutist Robin Gentlewolf and other guest performers will join Jan Michael on stage.
A Kalapuya Tribal Elder from Western Oregon, Jan Michael Looking Wolf is one of the world's most notable Native American musicians with 30 commercial recordings and over 70 awards including the Global Music Award for Lifetime Achievement, Artist of the Year at the Native American Music Awards, and Hall of Fame Inductee at One World Music Radio. In addition to touring his music, Jan Michael instructs Cultural Diversity/Indigenous Music courses at Oregon State University, where he has taught 20,000 students how to play the Native American Flute.
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Spend a summer evening at LaJoie Theatre listening to the Opus13 String Quartet! This highly-praised, Scandinavian ensemble will present a free, hour-long community concert at the Chehalem Cultural Center. All ages are welcome to this exciting FREE community performance! This concert is presented by Chamber Music Northwest as part of their 2025 Summer Festival.
Praised for their vitality and range of colors, Swedish-Norwegian string quartet Opus13 is one of Scandinavia’s most exciting ensembles. Formed in 2014, the quartet comprises Sonoko Miriam Welde, Edvard Erdal, Albin Uusijärvi and Daniel Thorell. They are 2nd prize winners of the prestigious Banff International String Quartet Competition 2022. In 2023 they received the Norwegian Equinor Classical Music Award, joining a list of previous winners including Leif Ove Andsnes, Lise Davidsen and Vilde Frang.
They have guested concert series and festivals such as the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht in the Netherlands, Chamber Music Northwest in Oregon, East Neuk Festival in Scotland, Yeulmaru and Yonsei Chamber Music Festivals in South-Korea, Rusk Festival in Finland, and most of the major chamber music festivals in Norway, including Bergen International Festival, Stavanger, Rosendal, Trondheim and Risør Chamber Music Festivals.
Opus13 has collaborated with international top musicians such as Janine Jansen, Olli Mustonen, Julian Bliss, Alisa Weilerstein, Tabea Zimmermann, Jonathan Biss and Anne Sofie von Otter. They receive guidance and coaching from Bjørg Lewis and Berit Cardas of the Vertavo Quartet, and Tim Frederiksen.
The Opus13s are founders and artistic directors of Vinterspill på Lillehammer, a chamber music festival in the winter town of Lillehammer.
Chamber Music NW | | Chamber Music NW Instagram | Chamber Music NW Facebook
Opus 13 Quartet Website | Opus 13 Quartet Instagram | Opus 13 Quartet Facebook | Opus 13 Quartet YouTube
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Tall Poppy String Band is an Old Time trio featuring fiddler George Jackson, guitarist Morgan Harris, and banjoist Cameron DeWhitt. Drawing from the deep well of American string band music, Tall Poppy String Band approaches tradition with playful curiosity; each performance more a discussion than a statement. Whether they’re chasing the elusive downbeat of a source recording, playing with the pronouns in a bluegrass standard, or challenging the assumed roles of their instruments, Tall Poppy String Band endeavours to prove that tradition is still being written.
Featuring George Jackson, Morgan Harris, and Cameron DeWhitt
Cameron DeWhitt (they/them) is a clawhammer banjoist based in Portland, Oregon, named by R.D. Eno of Banjo Newsletter as being “…among the finest clawhammer banjo players alive.” They are the creator and host of Get Up in the Cool, a weekly old time music and interview podcast featuring conversations and musical collaborations with some of the most influential traditional musicians working today. Cameron also produces PitchforkBanjo.com, an online instructional video series for clawhammer banjo, and teaches private lessons.
George Jackson (he/him) is a New Zealand-born fiddle player based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is known for Time and Place, his acclaimed 2019 album of original old time fiddle tunes (from which sprang the old time viral hit “Dorrigo”) and now Hair and Hide, his new collection of fiddle/banjo duets with some of the brightest stars of the banjo world. George has toured both as a band leader and with such artists as Jake Blount, Front Country, Peter Rowan, Missy Raines, and many more. He is the three-time winner of the Australian National Bluegrass Championship on fiddle, and the recipient of the 2019 Mike Auldridge composition award from the DC Bluegrass Union.
Morgan Harris (she/they) is a Colorado-based guitarist specializing in traditional North American stringband (or ‘old time’) music. In contrast to the purely accompanying role the guitar often occupies in this space, Morgan’s distinctive playing technique allows the guitar to shine as an old time melody instrument, creating a rhythmic drive and a multi-layered resonance that is unique in the world of flatpicked guitar. On Morgan’s new record Alone Will Tell (released Nov 1st, 2024), she performs a collection of traditional tunes and songs with just her guitar and voice, drawn from historic source recordings of driving fiddle breakdowns, hypnotic banjo pieces and austere mountain ballads. This is the music she has continually found herself drawn to in quiet, solitary moments, and it has been shaped by long familiarity and patient questioning. Morgan’s first release as an out trans musician, Alone Will Tell is a meditation on the transformative potential of looking inward.
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Rosebud String Quartet and Chatter PDX perform Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet and more!
Featured Musicians: James Shields, Clarinet | Aaron Schwebel, Violin | Emily Cole, Violin | Michael Gurevich, Violin | Keith Hamm, Viola | Leanna Rutt, Cello
The Rosebud String Quartet (violinists Aaron Schwebel and Sheila Jaffé, violist Keith Hamm, and cellist Leana Rutt) was formed in 2013 in Rosebud, Alberta at the inaugural Rosebud Chamber Music Festival, an annual summertime chamber music showcase in the Alberta Badlands. Comprised of principal players from the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company and National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, the RSQ is one of Canada’s most exciting string quartets with a unique voice and a special love for the quartets of Haydn. In February ‘23, the RSQ released it a recording of Haydn and Mozart on Leaf Music. This debut garnered widespread acclaim including a five-star review in La Scena Musicale.
The RSQ performs regularly in various Toronto-based series, including Stereo Live, Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre Chamber Music Series, Echo Chamber Toronto, Pocket Concerts, Xenia Concerts, Off Centre Music Salon, and Music Mondays. The quartet is regularly heard on CBC Radio including a recent performance on In Concert.
The RSQ has performed at Ottawa ChamberFest, Stratford Summer Music Festival, Music by the Sea in Bamfield, British Columbia, and Sweetwater Music Festival among others. Upcoming performances include Toronto’s Off Centre Music Salon, the Rosebud Chamber Music Festival, Toronto Summer Music Festival, and Sunday Chatter in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The RSQ had their chamber music education at the Domaine Forget, where individually they performed with members of the London Haydn Quartet, Chilingirian Quartet, Elias Quartet, ARC Ensemble, Florestan Trio and the Smithsonian Chamber Players.
CHATTER:
Chatter began in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a groundbreaking chamber music organization dedicated to blending classical masterpieces with contemporary compositions and spoken word interludes. Over the years, it has expanded its vision while staying true to its roots of exploring innovative repertoire and fostering accessibility and audience engagement. Originally founded in 2008 as The Church of Beethoven by cellist Felix Wurman, Chatter quickly became a hub for boundary-pushing chamber music, embracing experimental programming and intimate, unconventional venues. In June 2025, Chatter expanded to Portland with the launch of Chatter PDX, bringing its unique concert experience to a new city. Each concert lasts one hour, weaving together chamber music, poetry, and a moment of silence, all in a welcoming atmosphere where audiences can enjoy free coffee and a shared artistic experience. Their thoughtfully curated concerts create intimate, community-focused environments where artistic excellence and experimentation go hand in hand, inspiring both longtime classical enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
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LaRhonda Steele, a Blues and gospel singer and songwriter, is recognized as one the region's best rhythm and blues vocalists. She has been dubbed "The First Lady of Portland Blues”—a title of leadership that she lives up to as she shares songs that carry forth directly from her soul and spiritual life-force.
She currently fronts the LaRhonda Steele band, is music director of the non profit Portland Interfaith Gospel Choir, music director of Portland Center for Spiritual Living.
2021 Recipient of Oregon Folklife Networks Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program award
2020 inductee into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame (ceremony delayed COVID 19);
2018 Cascade Blues Association Hall of Fame.
2016-2018 Cascade Blues Association Best Female Vocalist Muddy Award
LaRhonda’s voice can be enjoyed on recordings of national and international artists; Gino Vannelli, Curtis Salgado, Lloyd Jones, Mary Flower, Norman Sylvester to name a few.
LaRhondas Discography: Artistic Differences; My Soul’s Song; Rock Me Baby; Yes Please and Song’s of Freedom
TICKET INFORMATION & POLICIES
Reserving Tickets: Tickets for our events can be reserved in advance online by visiting this link. Tickets can also be reserved in person at the event itself if tickets are still available. If you need any assistance purchasing your tickets you can email boxoffice@chehalemculturalcenter.org, visit our front desk, or call 503-487-6883 to reach a staff member who can help you over the phone.
Ticket offerings differ depending on the event. Below is a general overview of the types of tickets we generally offer:
Adult
Senior (65+)
Under 30 (anyone under the age of 30)
Student (anyone in elementary, middle, high school or college at any level)
Arts for All (anyone with an Oregon Trail Card)
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Exchange Policy: Tickets can be exchanged for other events and performances by contacting our box office. There may be a difference in cost, either higher or lower, when exchanging to a different performance or event.
Refund Policy: Tickets can be refunded by contacting our box office. Please note that it may take a few days for the amount refunded to return to your account.
Theatre Accessibility: To learn more about accessibility and seating and at the LaJoie Theatre, please visit this page.