Cappella Romana and Third Angle New Music share historic downtown workspace

PORTLAND, OR— The sounds of music, from medieval chant to math rock, are ringing out from a single set of offices in the Gus J. Solomon U.S. Courthouse in Portland, Oregon. Third Angle New Music is delighted to announce that it has established its new office in the top floor of the former courthouse, subleased to them by their friends Cappella Romana Vocal Ensemble. Since 2016, Cappella Romana has been housed in the 1932 Renaissance Revival-style courthouse, downtown across from the Newmark Theatre and the Schnitzer Concert Hall.

Cappella Romana and Third Angle have joined forces on projects such as Steve Reich: Music for 18 & Proverb, Frozen Music III: Light and Music in Alvar Aalto’s Library and most recently the Arvo Pärt Festival, but they’ve never collaborated like this before. Now the two will be sharing work space and conference rooms—and coffee supplies!—both looking forward to what new cooperative and cross marketing ideas will hatch from this fresh collaborative environment.

While the building is currently home to a variety of federal agencies as well as lawyers and non-profits, its courtrooms have primarily been used as film locations in the last few years. Robert De Niro, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Timothy Hutton have all fought for fictional justice in the courtrooms here, now to be used as well for rehearsals, meetings, or events by either organization.

Mark Powell, Executive Director of Cappella Romana, explains, “Because a number of organizations have helped us in our history—and we welcomed Pacific Youth Choir into the building last year—we thought it again right to pay it forward by assisting Third Angle, whose work we admire and with whom we’ve collaborated many times.” In reply, Lisa Volle, the Third Angle Executive Director quipped “It is with great pride that we graciously accepted the offer to be roomies with Cappella Romana. Thank you, Mark Powell, for offering us a home in the nexus of art and culture in Portland, Oregon.”