Musicians with the Columbia River Symphony perform at the Liberty Theatre. The group is performing an “Astoria Regatta Summer Pops” concert at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Close your eyes and listen to the rhythms and sounds of the river and sea — raindrops, foghorns and crashing waves — now add music. In the riverfront town of Astoria, local composers and groups have formed a landmark classical music scene, gathering and entertaining audiences at a handful of venues with year-round programming.

A song for all seasons

The North Coast Chorale puts on four major performances throughout the year, including a fall sing-along show. The group’s new musical director is the experienced Vincent Centeno, already an active member of the local music scene.

Centeno has lived a musical life, arriving in Astoria by way of Manila, Chicago and Eugene. He keeps a busy schedule, conducting the Cascadia Chamber Opera’s orchestra, leading programming at Astoria schools and teaching at the Astoria Conservatory of Music.

With plans to expand the chorale’s repertoire to musicals, he hopes to see more young people in the audience. “We’re hopefully going to have some dancers, including ballet dancers, performing as well.”

The chorale continues to keep its ranks open to new singers. “The only qualifications are that you love to sing and attend a weekly rehearsal,” Centeno said.

Under the leadership of Centeno’s wife, Bereniece Jones-Centeno, the Cascadia Chamber Opera stages performances of all levels. “It’s a pretty big deal to have an opera company in a town our size,” Jones-Centeno, the opera’s co-founder and artistic director, said.

Whether it puts on a production complete with costumes, makeup, sets and props or a concert performance that features only singing, the group’s main goal is to make opera accessible, particularly to new audiences. “We do operas in English, and we tend to keep them lighter in nature and on the shorter side,” Jones-Centeno said.

The group also brings opera to unexpected places, under the banner of “pint-sized opera.” The company’s first such performances, with individual singers performing assorted arias, have taken place at the Merry Time Bar and Grill in Astoria.

The company’s name reflects ensemble sizes. By limiting its size, the orchestra aims to be able to take productions on tour and perform in smaller venues.

A Jewell School band teacher of 15 years, Cory Pederson started a youth symphony to provide after-school practice for budding musicians. The program shifted into a mentorship exchange, eventually becoming the Columbia River Symphony.

Unlike others in the region, “we do not play classical music,” Pederson said. Instead, its repertoire consists of contemporary pop music for symphonic arrangements.

The group puts on three landmark shows each year, kicking off with a spring show that tells stories through symphonic sounds. Spoken word pieces are interspersed between musical numbers.

During the annual Astoria Regatta, held in late summer, the symphony provides a backdrop along the riverfront. In the winter, the year ends at the Liberty Theatre, where the group holds an anticipated holiday show.

Shining light

For millennia, the aurora borealis has inspired myths and legends. One such person influenced by that kaleidoscopic marvel dancing across the sky is musician and composer Isabella Morrill.

Fascinated with Scandinavian folk tales and music, Morrill’s composition, “Voyage of the Northern Lights,” won a 2022 National Band Association contest. “It’s funny, just being a student trying to get my studies done, and this happens,” exclaimed Morrill, a freshman at Western Oregon University in Monmouth.

Growing up in Warrenton, Morrill was always surrounded by music. Her grandparents were both pianists and her father played many instruments, encouraging her and her siblings.

“I started playing piano about age 6, but I didn’t like it much,” said Morrill. “I wanted to be in a band and wanted to play drums.” Her parents bought her a drum kit and she was relegated to playing in the garage.

But by the fifth grade, she was playing other instruments, including guitar and the French horn — but influenced by her grandparents, she decided to give the piano another try. This time, she was introduced to music theory.

“It was a light bulb moment,” said Morrill. “I didn’t have to follow someone else’s sheet music. I could make my own.”

During high school, Morrill played French horn with the North Coast Symphonic Band and began trying her hand at composition. “Voyage of the Northern Lights” was first commissioned and premiered by Danielle Armstrong for the Chief Umtuch Middle School Band in Battle Ground, Washington for a concert titled “Myths and Legends.”

“My original concept for ‘Voyage of the Northern Lights’ was the tale of the Viking heroes’ journey into the afterlife,” Morrill said. “My mother was born and raised in Finland and I’ve visited many times. I loved the ancient tales and the dark, beautiful simplicity of Scandinavian folk music was so inspiring. Telling a story through music made perfect sense to me.”

Morrill will continue studying music composition at Western and has great hopes for her future. “I’ve been pretty realistic about the prospects of making a living in music. It’s a really hard market to succeed in. But now, it all seems feasible. My career is suddenly set in motion. It’s wild.”

‘Voyage of the Northern Lights’

A composition by Isabella Morrill, music student and 2020 Warrenton High School graduate