Portland Cello Project: Radiohead, Coltrane, and Bach

Portland’s premiere alt-classical group brings a huge, orchestral ensemble (including brass, percussion, and guest vocals by Patti King of the Portland band The Shins) to perform a night in homage to Radiohead. Expect an evening of unique renditions of classical Radiohead pieces that wander from truly epic to breathtakingly intimate.

Portland’s premiere alt-classical group brings a huge, orchestral ensemble (including brass, percussion, and guest vocals by Patti King of the Portland band The Shins) to perform a night in homage to Radiohead. Expect an evening of unique renditions of classical Radiohead pieces that wander from truly epic to breathtakingly intimate.

OK Computer is a historic album that has proven over the years to yield an infinite variety of artistic inspiration to people of all walks of life. Cello Project first performed the record in its entirety in 2012 for the 15th anniversary of the album’s release, and ever since then, pieces of it have remained in the group’s repertoire as constantly evolving musical meditations.

All of the cellists in the group are classically trained, and yet, all of them seem to find a unique connection between Radiohead and their musical foundation. The deep layers of sonic ecstasy are reminiscent to all of so much late-19th-century music of the Western Classical Tradition, but beyond that, each of the cellists have worked to bring out subtleties they discover that hint at everything from Bach counterpoint at times, to rhythms they initially learned counting and performing Stravinsky.