Violinist Sean Lee performs a free concert by the Damariscotta River in Newcastle during the 2023 Salt Bay Chamberfest. (Courtesy photo)
Music in Blue – the color, the emotion, the musical style – will be celebrated this August when Salt Bay Chamberfest returns to the Midcoast for its 30th season.
“The musicians who come here are normally playing some of the most established and well-known concert halls in the world, like Carnegie Hall, or with some of the major orchestras, like the New York Philharmonic, and other such very, very high stature venues,” said Wilhelmina Smith, Chamberfest’s founder, artistic, and executive director.
In 2024, those artists will include pianist Conrad Tao, violinist Jennifer Koh, trombone player Angel Subero, and the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, among others.
An accomplished cellist who studied at the Curtis Institute of Music conservatory in Philadelphia, Smith has deep ties to the Damariscotta area. Her grandmother Mary Smith was instrumental in building Skidompha Library’s Second Hand Book Shop. Smith’s mother Priscilla was the summer organist at Second Congregational Church in Newcastle.
Smith’s inaugural Lincoln County performance was in August 1975. With her sisters Sarah and Miriam and dozens of other children, Smith sang in the Lincoln County Youth Chorus. She later accompanied her mother in church performances.
Smith went on to become a world renowned cellist. She has performed as a soloist with such notable organizations as the Boston Chamber Music Society and the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia.
On Aug. 2, 1994, the Round Top Center for the Arts presented a program featuring Smith, pianist Meng-Chieh Liu, of Taiwan, and violinist Alexander Simionescu, of Romania.
The festival has expanded nearly every year since that inaugural event. In 1995, Smith recruited seven musicians and programmed three concerts. Liu returned to play alongside other young graduates from Curtis, Juilliard School of Music, and Carnegie-Mellon University.
The 2024 slate includes four main concerts, two solo violin recitals, free educational events and a riverside concert.
“It’s really cool to be able to hear these artists, be like 10 feet away from them, and pay a quarter of the price to see them in New York or San Francisco,” said Smith.
Intimacy and affordability are just two of the things which set Chamberfest apart from other festivals.
“Each season centers around a theme that reflects Mina’s creativity, knowledge of chamber music repertoire, and extensive connections to top performers and composers,” said Diana Morris, vice president of Chamberfest’s board of trustees.
Smith starts with a couple of seeds of ideas, perhaps a specific performer or a piece of music she is excited about, and she builds the program over one to two years. Smith often seeks the input of musicians who will be performing.
“‘This is what I think I want. You’re a specialist in this. Can you provide some ideas that might work well for this overall context?’ It was been really fun to collaborate with so many people in that way, I end up learning so much,” said Smith.
Chamberfest has featured unusual instruments, dancers, poets, and other visual artists to create an experience that goes beyond the realm of the typical classical music concert, Smith said.
“When I first started, it was a little bit more like a couple of months before, I’d say ‘Hey guys, what do you want to play?’” said Smith. “As the years have gone on, I’ve taken more enjoyment in the time and the process of creating these programs.”
Morris has attended Chamberfest concerts with her family for decades, after happening upon an event poster during a family visit.
“I certainly never expected to be treated to world class performers and the special environment provided by (Round Top’s) Darrows Barn,” Morris said. “Attending Salt Bay events became a tradition and an especially valued part of our summers.”
As the years progressed, the festival expanded beyond Darrows Barn as pre- and post- concert composer conversations were added. The public was invited to observe rehearsals. A children’s concert offered an interactive hour with Chamberfest musicians, followed by free Round Top Ice Cream.
In 2012 and 2013, Chamberfest offered a children’s music and nature camp and concert in collaboration with the Damariscotta River Association and Lincoln Theater.
Darrows Barn, Lincoln Theater, Schooner Cove, and Skidompha Library have each hosted master classes, wherein an audience is invited to watch a professional chamber musician coach Maine’s musical students.
Composer’s Corner chats were hosted at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop. The free family concert moved to Lincoln Theater and then the Central Lincoln County YMCA in 2023.
“We had an amazing turnout,” said Cynthia Weiss, director of membership at the Central Lincoln County YMCA. “It was a wonderful program, and excellent for adults, too. People loved it. We were a little concerned about how the children would handle a concert after a full day at camp, but they were completely engaged.”
Mark Mandarano has presented these educational concerts as an introduction to chamber music for all ages. Weiss said Mandarano was good at explaining at a level the kids would understand without being condescending.
“We want everyone to know all are welcome to attend this free program,” said Weiss. “This is a community wide event and you do not need to be a member. The more the merrier.”
Electric guitarist and composer Steven Mackey performs his one-man multimedia version of his piece “Orpheus Unsung” at Lincoln Theater in Damariscotta as part of Salt Bay Chamberfest in 2018. (LCN file photo)
Chamberfest has recently expanded beyond Lincoln County to include events at The Strand in Rockland and a collaborative concert with Indigenous performers at Bangor’s Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness.
“We’ve really grown to value all these community partnerships,” Smith said. “It’s been so reciprocal and meaningful.”
After a pandemic pause in 2020, Chamberfest returned to Damariscotta in 2021 with concerts at Lincoln Theater. The Darrows Barn has not yet reopened for performances.
“We have been very fortunate to be at the Lincoln Theater,” Smith said. “It is a wonderful space. We’ve been very much welcomed there. We are grateful it is our new home.”
Christina Belknap, Lincoln Theater executive director said it has been a pleasure hosting Chamberfest.
“Their programming brings world class artists to the Midcoast and we are thrilled that we can support them in making that happen,” Belknap said. “Patrons who attend year after year know the once in a lifetime experiences they are part of. For those who haven’t been, I can assure you these festival concerts are not to be missed at noon.”
“One of the rewards of having run this for so long are the friendships and the associations that have built over decades have created a sense of community,” said Smith.
Many of the performers return again and again in part because of the welcome they have felt in the area.
“Community members donate accommodations for performers, from cottages to local bed and breakfasts. Some of our audience members will offer to give a ride in their boat, or a luncheon or a meal,” said Smith.
“Chamberfest is special,” said Marianne Wirenfeldt Asmussen, a Denmark-based Danish art historian and devoted chamber music enthusiast. Asmussen plans her trips to Maine to coincide with Chamberfest’s season.
Asmussen said listeners can sense that the performers really enjoy their time at Chamberfest without letting go of their devotion and professionalism.
Asmussen recalled a 2022 concert featuring two Syrian artists. Kinan Asmeh played clarinet while digital artist Kevork Mourad designed and developed accompanying “magical scenery” showing people in a city fleeing a war.
“Imagine to be able to turn a war situation into a work of great art, without in any way exploiting a devastating situation, but only to alert everybody and make us all think at another level,” Asmussen said, “Music is a carrier and interpreter of big existential values.”
Smith said Chamberfest patrons can expect to feel welcomed and to have a very engaging musical experience.
“They will hear new things and familiar things, be surprised, be inspired, and hopefully be moved by the music and by the performances,” said Smith.
Festival concerts, with pre-concert lectures, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6, Friday, Aug. 9; Tuesday, Aug. 13, and Friday, Aug. 16 at the Lincoln Theater, 2 Theater St. in Damariscotta.
Central Lincoln County YMCA, 525 Main St., will host a free, all-ages concert at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 7.
Violinist Jennifer Koh will offer a free master class at Skidompha Library, 184 Main St., at noon on Saturday, Aug. 17.
To purchase concert tickets and a full program list, go to saltbaychamberfest.org.
