About
In the fall of 2006 a group of 9 cellists got on stage at Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge to perform western classical music in an informal setting.
Many of the cellists that night thought that was a fun one-off gig.
But the energy of the night carried on, and that one-off gig became a second, and a third... almost every cellist in Portland at the time hopped on stage with the group, performing in Portland's most popular clubs at the height of Portland's acclaimed early-2000s music scene.
The Cello Project quickly evolved into a nationally-recognized performing, recording and educational group touring everywhere in North America, performing in every type of venue imaginable, from punk rock clubs to symphony halls, to street parties to exclusive private events,
Under the artistic direction of Douglas Jenkins, the group grew and evolved a repertoire of over 1,700 pieces of music, working with an all-star group of cellists in the Pacific Northwest (Skip vonKuske, Diane Chaplin, Nancy Ives, Gideon Freudmann, Kevin Jackson, and Lauren McShane to name just a few...). Jenkins developed a three-part philosophy for the group that has mostly remained its unchanged north star over the years:
1: To bring the cello places you wouldn't normally see it
2: To perform music on the cello you wouldn't normally associate with the instrument
3: To build bridges between different musical communities through collaborations and community outreach
Portland Cello Project (or... The Cello Project -- really whichever you prefer) is a genre-defying cello ensemble known for reimagining everything from Bach to Beyoncé. Based in Portland, Oregon, the group has built a reputation for pushing the boundaries of classical instrumentation by bringing cello-driven performances to rock clubs, concert halls, and festivals across the country.
Since it's founding nearly 20 years ago, Cello Project (or PCP as its fans sometimes affectionately call them) has collaborated with an eclectic range of artists and performed bold arrangements of hip-hop, pop, metal, and indie-rock, all through the lens of classical technique and adventurous orchestration. With a rotating cast of classically-trained cellists, the group blends tradition with experimentation, aiming to make cello music accessible, unexpected, and alive.
Whether they're performing an homage to Radiohead, or Prince, or performing original compositions by Cello Project members, or teaming up with contemporary musical icons, Portland Cello Project delivers unforgettable live shows worldwide that redefine what a cello can do while wowing diverse audiences.
