For Everett people who savor culture and the finer things in life, there’s perhaps no better-kept secret than Pacifica Chamber Orchestra (PCO). Based in Mukilteo (but most often playing in Everett venues), Pacifica is a dynamic group of musician-volunteers. They’re the Northwest’s only conductor-less orchestra dedicated to playing all the colorful music. 

Pacifica sets itself apart by playing new and exciting selections of classical music in accessible venues for the enrichment of the community. They perform in local elementary schools, exposing growing minds to complex musical arrangements and proving to kids that, no, classical music is not boring.

Led by Artistic Director and founding member Fred Chu, Pacifica Chamber Orchestra is playing an upcoming show at Zion Lutheran Church. I caught up with Fred by phone to chat with him about the mission of his organization, how the chamber orchestra got started, and how they never, ever, play boring music.

Origins

About 12 years ago, the Everett Symphony Orchestra “went dark” and a bunch of talented musicians had nowhere to go. Fred got together with other orchestra members to create the PCO. The current 20-piece incarnation of the PCO is much smaller than the original symphony orchestra. Together, Pacific Chamber Orchestra are a close-knit group bound by their passion for twentieth- and twenty-first-century composers. Instead of sticking to the tried-and-true Mozart and Beethoven, the PCO dabbles in more colorful, contemporary music, an aesthetic that’s “quite unique in the Northwest” according to Fred.  

On playing classical music in Everett

“I’ve devoted all my art to Everett,” said Fred Chu. “I love this town. The audience is so responsive, they love the music and they encourage us. We love to perform for Everett.” 

The PCO makes it their mission to take the music to local elementary schools. “If you want to keep classical music alive you want to spark interest in young people, especially in underserved communities.” 

Fred mentioned that there’s a devoted PCO fanbase in Everett. The local enthusiasm and reception to the music are what keeps Pacifica going year after year.

It’s all about “colorful” music

“The genre of music [that we play] is complex, passionate, a lot of color.” During our interview, Fred repeatedly evoked the “color palette” of music -- his father was a painter. Fred was classically trained in Bach, Beethoven, and Romantic music. It wasn’t challenging enough for his tastes. He instead preferred contemporary music a la Debussy and the French Impressionists. “It’s so colorful, you really have to dig deep.”

This month’s show will bring vivid compositions to the audience at Zion Lutheran Church. 

Fred’s selections include a piece by a Ukrainian composer who was the teacher of Stravinsky. Also playing will be “Transylvanian bluegrass music” by a living Romanian composer, a composition that depicts the Pompeii disaster, and three dances by a Spanish/Catalan composer. None of these composers are household names. And that’s pretty much the point.

Whatever’s new and energizing -- that’s the jam for Pacifica Chamber Orchestra. 

See the Pacifica Chamber Orchestra live!

Pacifica Chamber Orchestra Sunshine Concert

February 20, 2022, 3:00 pm
Zion Lutheran Church, 4634 Alger Ave. Everett
Tickets at the door 
General admission: $20  Student/65+: $15

Richard Porter is a writer for Live in Everett.