As part of the celebrations planned for the Portland Symphony Orchestra’s 90th anniversary season, the PSO will present four free community concerts in the “Tune-Up Maine Free Chamber Concert Series.”
The series is made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and features a specially selected ensemble.
The free performance in the Midcoast area will be Thursday, Aug. 14 at the Opera House in Boothbay Harbor, 86 Townsend Ave., at 7:30 p.m.
The chosen ensemble includes PSO members Yasmin Craig-Vitalius (violin), Kim Lehmann (viola), and Jim Kennedy (cello), and Director of Strings and Orchestral Activities at the USM School of Music and conductor of the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra, Rob Lehmann (violin).
The “Tune-Up Maine Free Chamber Concert Series” program includes Beethoven’s String Quartet in c minor, Op. 18, No. 4, Mozart’s String Quartet in F Major, KV168, Three Peruvian Songs by Armando Guevara Ochoa, and concludes with the final movement of Dvorak’s String Quartet, Opus 96 “American.”
“One of the symphony’s strategic goals is to serve our community by providing high-quality artistic programs that are accessible and enriching,” PSO Executive Director Lisa Dixon said. “We are grateful to the NEA and the ensemble members for helping us present these free concerts. We hope these performances can help thank Mainers for enabling the symphony to celebrate its 90th season.”
The decision to perform a piece by Beethoven ties into PSO Music Director Robert Moody’s announcement that the PSO would play all nine of Beethoven’s symphonies over the next three seasons, starting with the 2014-15 season.
The featured “Tune-Up Maine” concerts are scheduled for Portland, Oakland and Wells in addition to Boothbay Harbor. All concerts are free to attend. Further information about the “Tune-Up Maine” concert series and the PSO’s 2014-15 90th anniversary season can be found online.
Founded in 1923, the Portland Symphony Orchestra is the largest performing arts organization in Maine and is widely regarded as one of the top symphony orchestras of its size in the country. Made up of more than 80 professional musicians, the PSO is renowned for its critically acclaimed performances and broad community engagement. The symphony’s mission is to serve the community by enriching lives through music.
No tickets are required for the performance at the Opera House. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m. for seating. Refreshments available. Donations to help the Opera House underwrite the cost of the evening are welcome at the door.
