ArtistDirect News
Portlands Hollywood Theatre to Open Sonic Silents Festival, Curated by Composer Mark Orton
The historic Hollywood Theatre in Portland is set to host a new four‑night event, Sonic Silents, from September 17 to 20, 2026. Curated by composer Mark Orton, the festival will pair freshly written scores with silent‑film screenings, performed live by the musicians who wrote them.
Sonic Silents is conceived as a series of intimate concerts. Each evening features a different silent feature, accompanied by a brand‑new score crafted specifically for that film. The program runs nightly, with the audience moving through a rotating lineup of silent classics and contemporary music.
The musical palette spans jazz, chamber music, indie rock and more. The composers—many of whom are Portland‑based—will take the stage in the theatre’s historic auditorium, creating a dialogue between the moving images and the live sound. The result is a fresh listening experience that honors the original silent‑film aesthetic while reflecting today’s musical sensibilities.
The festival’s climax will honor Buster Keaton’s 1926 comedy The General. The film’s centennial aligns with the Hollywood Theatre’s own 100‑year anniversary, as the venue opened in July 1926. The General will be screened with a new score performed live, marking a dual centennial for both the film and the theatre.
The Hollywood Theatre, located at 4122 NE Sandy Boulevard, opened in 1926 as a movie palace and has since become a non‑profit cultural landmark. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and remains the only theatre in Oregon that still shows 70 mm film. The venue’s historic architecture and long‑standing community presence make it a fitting home for a silent‑film festival.
Mark Orton, a Portland‑based composer born in 1968, is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory and the Hartt School of Music. He co‑founded the chamber‑music collective Tin Hat and has composed scores for feature films such as Nebraska (2013) and The Holdovers (2023). Orton’s work spans film, concert, and radio drama, and he is known for blending folk, jazz, and avant‑garde elements.
Live scoring of silent films has a long tradition in the United States, with modern festivals and orchestras continuing the practice of creating new music for classic cinema. Sonic Silents adds to this lineage by commissioning contemporary composers to write original scores that reflect current musical sensibilities while honoring the silent‑film aesthetic.
An interview with Orton was held on the evening of the festival’s opening night and is available online. The video provides insight into his creative process and the vision behind Sonic Silents.
The festival arrives at a time when Portland’s film district is expanding. The Hollywood Theatre’s partnership with local artists and its role in hosting the new event underscore the city’s commitment to preserving and revitalizing historic cinema venues.
Sonic Silents will run from September 17 to 20, 2026, offering four nights of live music and film. The event celebrates both the 100‑year anniversary of the Hollywood Theatre and the centennial of The General, while showcasing contemporary composers and musicians in a historic setting.
Sonic Silents is conceived as a series of intimate concerts. Each evening features a different silent feature, accompanied by a brand‑new score crafted specifically for that film. The program runs nightly, with the audience moving through a rotating lineup of silent classics and contemporary music.
The musical palette spans jazz, chamber music, indie rock and more. The composers—many of whom are Portland‑based—will take the stage in the theatre’s historic auditorium, creating a dialogue between the moving images and the live sound. The result is a fresh listening experience that honors the original silent‑film aesthetic while reflecting today’s musical sensibilities.
The festival’s climax will honor Buster Keaton’s 1926 comedy The General. The film’s centennial aligns with the Hollywood Theatre’s own 100‑year anniversary, as the venue opened in July 1926. The General will be screened with a new score performed live, marking a dual centennial for both the film and the theatre.
The Hollywood Theatre, located at 4122 NE Sandy Boulevard, opened in 1926 as a movie palace and has since become a non‑profit cultural landmark. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and remains the only theatre in Oregon that still shows 70 mm film. The venue’s historic architecture and long‑standing community presence make it a fitting home for a silent‑film festival.
Mark Orton, a Portland‑based composer born in 1968, is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory and the Hartt School of Music. He co‑founded the chamber‑music collective Tin Hat and has composed scores for feature films such as Nebraska (2013) and The Holdovers (2023). Orton’s work spans film, concert, and radio drama, and he is known for blending folk, jazz, and avant‑garde elements.
Live scoring of silent films has a long tradition in the United States, with modern festivals and orchestras continuing the practice of creating new music for classic cinema. Sonic Silents adds to this lineage by commissioning contemporary composers to write original scores that reflect current musical sensibilities while honoring the silent‑film aesthetic.
An interview with Orton was held on the evening of the festival’s opening night and is available online. The video provides insight into his creative process and the vision behind Sonic Silents.
The festival arrives at a time when Portland’s film district is expanding. The Hollywood Theatre’s partnership with local artists and its role in hosting the new event underscore the city’s commitment to preserving and revitalizing historic cinema venues.
Sonic Silents will run from September 17 to 20, 2026, offering four nights of live music and film. The event celebrates both the 100‑year anniversary of the Hollywood Theatre and the centennial of The General, while showcasing contemporary composers and musicians in a historic setting.