History of Portland Ovations  

The old City Hall Auditorium, before its renovation into Merrill.

In 1931, the Portland City Council created the Portland Music Commission with the charge of booking world-renowned performers in the elegant City Hall Auditorium. Led by a volunteer team of local music educators for several years, the organization became known as the Portland Concert Association (PCA) in 1937, when it joined Community Concerts, the national marketing arm of Columbia Artists Management – the beginning of a 40-year collaborative relationship. PCA became independent from Community Concerts in 1977.

In 1997 – through the efforts of the city of Portland, PCA, the Portland Symphony Orchestra, concerned citizens, and the philanthropic community – a renovated City Hall Auditorium opened with improved acoustics, sightlines, and stage facilities. This updated facility, renamed Merrill Auditorium, allowed PCA (then renamed PCA Great Performances) to significantly expand its offerings to reach broader audiences throughout northern New England.

With the advent of the 2009-10 season, PCA Great Performances has a new name – Portland Ovations – that reflects the natural evolution of the former PCA from a small, volunteer-run association focused exclusively on classical music to a multi-genre performing arts and education organization with broad cultural, social, educational, and economic impact on the greater Portland region.

Browse our complete performance history.

Merrill Auditorium as it stands today.