3 Leg Torso performs with the sixty piece Portland Festival Symphony at Laurelhurst Park, 3756 SE Oak St., Saturday August 11 at 6 pm. The concert is free and open to the public. Families and community members are invited to bring picnic baskets and lawn chairs and enjoy. (For those in the north part of town, they’ll also play the next evening, August 12 at Peninsula Park, 700 N Rosa Parks Way)
The Portland Festival Symphony was founded nearly forty years ago by Oregon Symphony violinist, Maestro Lajos Balogh to thank the community and the nation that had adopted him after he earned his United States citizenship. Now Balogh has passed the baton to Maestro Gregory Vajda (of the Hungarian Radio Symphony, Huntstville Symphony Orchestra, the Oregon Symphony), and the orchestra is comprised of members of the Oregon Symphony, Portland Opera, and the local chapter of Musicians’ Union 99.
3 Leg Torso formed in 1996 as a violin, cello and accordion trio with the mission of creating original modern chamber music. These days the group is an inimitable quartet performing originals with spirit, grace and kinetic energy. The music is based on a synthesis of chamber music, tango, klezmer, latin, Roma (Gypsy) music, film soundtracks, and classically-influenced compositions.
Principal composers and founders Béla R. Balogh (violin, trumpet, octave mandolin) and Courtney Von Drehle (accordion, saxophone) are joined by the mallets/ percussion of T.J. Arko and the acoustic bass of Milo Fultz.
The Torsos have created a fundraising page to help defray the cost of these concerts in the park. Make a contribution at gofundme.com/3-leg-torsopfs-free-parks-concerts
It’s the perfect way to unwind after a busy week – listening to extraordinary orchestral music performed live outside in a gorgeous and historic Portland park.
Hear the sounds of 3 Leg Torso at 3legtorso.bandcamp.com.
