A luxury ritual for everyone: Toasting 49 years of excellence by drawing a parallel to Port!
Dear friends of PPI,
There are fascinating parallels between Portland Piano International’s tireless pursuit of meaningful and memorable music-making, and Portugal’s most famous export, Port (wine). No, it’s not just the first syllable of our name (much as I love a good pun), so please hear me out!
Thinking about PPI’s long history in our city (49 years this coming season, to be exact) and recently having had a fascinating chat with a passionate young Port maker in the Duoro Valley, I was startled by the poignant similarities in the hurdles facing Port wine producers, and presenters of classical music today.
What are the two unsexiest attributes a beverage can have in the current consumer market? Sugar and high alcohol content. Two immediate strikes against Port – with its 19% to 22% alcohol per volume, and roughly 2 to 3 teaspoons of pure sugar per pour. Ouch.
Yet, so I was told by my young Port ambassador, there’s a new generation of Port aficionados emerging, even though their methods may make their grandparents frown. Shedding its outdated reputation as a “dusty boardroom drink”, Port is now heavily featured in mixology and repositioning itself as a versatile, premium luxury. Ever tried a Porto Tónico on a hot summer’s day? I highly recommend it!
How does this possibly connect to classical piano? Simple: Once truly the entertainment of the masses (before streaming, radio, or television, the piano served as the ultimate home entertainment hub), we’re really not that easy to market in 2026 (even though it’s clearly not due to our high alcohol or sugar content, and even though I’ve argued before that we offer endless health benefits!).
Classical music, and particularly solo piano music, invites jumping a few hurdles – obviously not keeping you, dear reader, away from the concert hall but maybe making it trickier to convince your friends to join you on a Sunday. First, there’s the perceived complexity and, to some, unfamiliarity of it all, and the fact that the music is separated from the performer. A Taylor Swift song is Taylor Swift, while, to the first-time live classical music listener, it’s hard to distinguish what makes one player’s version of a Mozart sonata any different from another’s. And then there’s the attention span mismatch! The average classical piano concert work can last anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes. Compared to a 30-second TikTok video or a 3-minute pop song, it’s true that we demand quite some delayed gratification.
Back in 1978, PSU professor Harold Gray envisioned a series devoted to solo piano music and started what was then called the PSU Piano Recital Series. This would later grow into what we today know and love as PPI. In the first season (and sadly, I cannot track down the exact concert dates, so, if you’re reading this newsletter and have archival material at your fingertips, please enilighten me!), he had only four recitals featuring four acclaimed American pianists: David Burge, Marianne Hahn, Santiago Rodriguez, and William Doppmann. The first concert had only forty people in the audience. At the second concert, eighty people showed up. By the third concert, they had 150 people – and by the fourth they filled the hall. It was hard work and it took persistence, but our founder knew that people with passion inspire other people with that same passion.
What I’m getting at is not suggesting that we try the “mixology version” of promoting the solo piano. For PPI’s 49th season, we’re not diluting the “real thing” with bubbles and garnishes, trying to trick a new generation into liking us. We know how important substance, history, sheer human talent and relentless effort will increasingly become in a reality flooded by machine learning and automated output.
Just like Harold Gray envisioned, we’re still marrying high art with down-to-earth practical entrepreneurial spirit. And just like the ritual of enjoying a sip of Port can connect you to 348 years of history and bring an immediate sense of relaxation, luxury and joy, immersing yourself in the world of PPI’s 2026/2027 series guarantees a unique and singular sensory experience, linking you to more than three centuries of musical excellence.
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