PCA Great Performances will mark a historical milestone this season as it celebrates 75 years of presenting the performing arts in Portland. One highlight of anniversary events will be a performance by superstar violinist Joshua Bell March 7, a benefit for the PCA’s endowment. This will be the organization’s 600th show.

PCA Great Performances, a nonprofit organization, was formed in 1931 as the Portland Music Commission by the Portland City Council, to book world-renowned performers in City Hall Auditorium. Led by local music educators for several years, the organization became known as the Portland Concert Association in 1937, when it joined Community Concerts, the national marketing arm of Columbia Artists Management Inc.

PCA Great Performances was a principal player in the renovation of City Hall Auditorium in the mid-1990s. In 1997 the organization returned to its home, renamed Merrill Auditorium. With a new theater, expanded production capacity and a new name, PCA Great Performances has broadened its offerings to include multiple genres: Broadway shows, dance, opera, jazz and popular artists as well as intimate classical performances.

Tickets for all PCA Great Performances events, including Joshua Bell, are available through PortTix, the box office at Merrill Auditorium. Call PortTix at (207) 842-0800. For more information, visit www.pcaGreatPerformances.org.