Nurture some nature in Newport

“Yakona” by Rena Olson

The Newport Symphony Orchestra will present the world premiere of its newly commissioned piece “Yakona” at the Newport Performing Arts Center this Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 21 and 22.

Written by environmental composer Dr. Sara Graef, the piece commemorates and celebrates the Yakona Nature Preserve in Newport.

The preserve is an educational resource for the region that centers around the ethos of protecting the land from human encroachment and sharing the natural history and the history of the late indigenous group that inhabited the area.

Maestro Adam Flatt pairs this new commission with 20th Century works by beloved Oregon composer Ernest Bloch as well as pieces by 19th Century Romantic composer Robert Schumann.

The premiere also features local photographers in a captivating film pairing the music with photos of Yakona and its wildlife inhabitants. Additionally, Waldport High School Digital Art Department will have an art show in the lobby on screens displayed in tandem with the Olive Street Gallery featuring Yakona Preserve photos by Bill Posner and Rena Olson.

The concerts begin at 7:30 pm on Saturday and 2 pm on Sunday. The Newport Performing Arts Center is located at 777 W Olive Street. Tickets, $30 to $45, are available at coastarts.org or call 541-265-2787.

For details on the Yakona Preserve, go to yakonaoregon.org/history.