Associate Conductor Phillip Simpson and percussionist Kayla Durfee perform with the Inland Northwest Orchestra. The orchestra is in its 25th year. 

HERMISTON — After 25 years of making music, the Inland Northwest Musicians group is still going strong. In 1999, 15 musicians from Northeast Oregon formed a committee for a music group.

“We wanted to create a symphony orchestra and chorale organization different from other arts entities,” Alice Massey, an INWM founder, said.

Along with providing music, she said the group wanted to welcome performers of all abilities and support youth and music education.

The INWM is comprised of three ensembles: the Willow Creek Symphony, Inland Northwest Orchestra and Inland Northwest Chorale. While distinct, they occasionally perform together and are all conducted by R. Lee Friese.

The founding music director and conductor, Friese has a master’s degree in choral and orchestral conducting and more than 60 years of experience in music education and conducting. He works with Associate Conductor Phillip Simpson, a Tri-Cities resident and music educator who plays in the Mid-Columbia Symphony, to select the music for performances. Rounding out the guiding trio is Massey, the concertmaster who was also concertmaster of the Walla Walla and Oregon East symphonies.

The INWM operates primarily out of The Arc of Umatilla County, Hermiston, though most of its business was originally in Pendleton, the site of its first office, rehearsals and performances.

After about a month of practicing at Harris Junior Academy (now Pendleton Christian School), the orchestra’s first concert took place at the Vert Auditorium in Pendleton. The musicians played Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”),” Lawrence Groupe’s “Variations on ‘Simple Gifts’” and the “Berceuse and Finale” from Stravinsky’s “Firebird,” Massey said, and “were met with extended, joyous standing ovations by audience members.”

The first joint concerts between the chorale and orchestra followed a month later on Nov. 13-14, 1999. They performed Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Towards the Unknown Region,” she said.

Since then, the INWM has grown to more than 100 members and stages several major performances annually. One such performance is a trip to Connell, Washington, to perform holiday favorites.

“The Connell trip originated over 10 years ago when Connell celebrated its centennial and invited INWM to take part,” Massey said. “That community was so thrilled with our presence there that the trip became an annual event.”

The orchestra’s spring concert is another highlight, she said, featuring three to four winners from that year’s Young Artists Competition held the previous March. Summer “pops” concerts by the orchestra and chorale then wrap up the October-June season. The INWM has also collaborated with groups such as the Wallowa Valley Dance Center and Boise Highlanders Pipe Band, Massey said.

The concerts take place in Eastern Oregon and Southeastern Washington and are free to attend. In total, Massey said the orchestra and chorale each have six to eight performances every season and the Willow Creek Symphony conducts four to five performances.

Most concerts take place on Sundays, while some are paired with Saturday performances. Each performance typically lasts an hour, but Massey estimates an additional five hours are spent setting up and tearing down equipment.

“Our board of directors decided during our first season of operation to remove cost as a barrier to anyone being able to attend our concerts,” Massey said. “All of our concerts have been presented free of charge since 2000.”

The funding, she said, comes from grants, sponsorships and corporate and private donors.

As for the musicians, they travel and perform as volunteers, Massey said. Ranging from 13-80 years old, they spend roughly two to three hours rehearsing weekly.

The Willow Creek Symphony practices at Armand Larive Middle School in Hermiston on Tuesdays, and the orchestra and chorale practice at Pendleton Christian School, with the chorale on Mondays and orchestra on Thursdays.

In celebrating its 25th anniversary, the INWM is planning special events and items, including the orchestra’s Saturday, Oct. 14, opening concert at Canyon City, which will include two pieces from its inaugural season — Faure’s “Elegie” and “Irish Suite” by Leroy Anderson.

INWM founder Jill Jepsen is also working on an anniversary quilt as a prize for a drawing, and a commemorative poster, apparel and merchandise are being developed.

To draw the anniversary season to a close, the chorale and orchestra will hold a gala June 22, 2024, at the Hermiston Community Center, 415 S. Highway 395. Following the gala will be a formal banquet during which a short film about the INWM will premier.

For more information about the Inland Northwest Musicians, including how to joining, visit www.inlandnorthwestmusicians.com, the INWM Facebook page or call 541-377-1865.