The orchestra 's premiere concert took place at the Imperial Hotel auditorium ; many concerts followed and were well received until the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923 " disorganized all the business and musical interests of the city " . Gershkovitch and his wife , guests at Baron Okura 's home , endured the earthquake for six days before leaving for Kobe . With assistance from Americans , the Norwegian consul , and financial aid from Baron Okura , the couple left for San Francisco , arriving in November 1923 . Following the advice of San Francisco Symphony conductor Alfred Hertz , Gershkovitch and his wife made their way to Portland , Oregon , in 1924 . It was here that Gershkovitch was approached by Mary Dodge and two of her students to lead the Portland Junior Symphony ( PJS ) . He taught flute and conducted the Ellison-White Conservatory 's student orchestra , at the time directed by Jacob Avshalomov , until the PJS duties required his full attention
Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
Jacques Gershkovitch