Grande Ronde Music Association sets spring concerts at McKenzie Theatre

The Grande Ronde Music Association lined up two spring concerts at McKenzie Theatre, giving Union County residents a free chance to hear local musicians at Eastern Oregon University. The community band was scheduled for Monday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m., and the community choir followed Thursday, June 4, at 7 p.m.

The concerts matter because they are one of the more accessible live-music options in La Grande. McKenzie Theatre sits on the Eastern Oregon University campus and is home to the university’s theater and music programs, a setting that has made it a familiar place for public performances. Art Center East says its community ensembles perform free concerts there, and the partnership with EOU keeps local arts programming visible in a town where school, nonprofit and volunteer efforts often overlap.

Russ Carpenter directed the community band, which has long been part of the area’s music life. A La Grande Observer story from 2019 said the band had already been around for at least 30 years under different names, including Monday Night Community Band and Grande Ronde Symphony Band, showing that this is not a one-off appearance but part of a durable local tradition.

The Grande Ronde Community Choir brought the same kind of community reach. Art Center East and EOU describe it as a mixed-voice ensemble of about 50 to 65 singers that includes community members, EOU students, staff, faculty and area high school students. No audition is required, and the group meets one evening a week, making it an easy entry point for singers who want to join a steady, low-pressure performing group. Its repertoire ranges from major works with orchestra to spirituals, folk songs and musical theatre.

The choir also has a clear performance history at McKenzie Theatre. A La Grande Observer article from 2024 noted conductor Mike Frasier thanking the audience after a June 6 concert there, a sign that early June has become a recurring spot on the local arts calendar. Union County Chamber of Commerce calendar listings in 2025 carried the same pattern, with the band on Monday and the choir on Thursday, both free and open to the public with donations accepted.

Art Center East says it has offered arts opportunities across ten Eastern Oregon counties since 1977 and works with Eastern Oregon University on music programming. In a week crowded with budget worries and routine civic strain, these concerts kept one part of local life simple: show up, hear neighbors perform, and support a campus-community partnership that still gives Union County a public stage.