On January 29, 1928, noted German contralto Madame Ernestine Schumann-Heink gave a farewell concert at the city hall in Portland. Schumann-Heink began performing at the age of 14 in Germany, but moved to the United States in 1908, where she toured many times.

Schumann-Heink performed in Portland at least once before her farewell appearance. Portland was one stop on her tour in 1923, the performance taking place just a month after recovery from a bout of pneumonia. Schumann-Heink announced her retirement from the stage in 1927 at the age of 65, and after her farewell tour, planned on teaching to pass her knowledge onto others. However, she continued singing and acting in motion pictures up until her death in 1936.