2024 Season
Artist Talk:
Bartók: Paths Not Taken
Thursday, March 7, 2024 from 12-1 PM
Rines Auditorium | Portland Public Library
Violinist Nicholas Kitchen distills his study of original manuscripts into a fascinating multimedia tour, centered around recently rediscovered alternate movements Béla Bartók drafted for his fifth string quartet as well as works by Beethoven and Bruckner. This event is free and open to the public.
Winter Warmer I:
Bartók and Beethoven
Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 7 PM
Hannaford Hall, USM | Portland
PCMF’s inaugural Winter Warmer Festival opens with two landmark masterworks of the chamber music canon, both brimming with kaleidoscopic colors, rollicking rhythms, and harmonic daring.
Bartók String Quartet No. 5
Beethoven String Quartet No. 12, Op. 127
Maine Suzuki Association Masterclass
Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 10 AM
Hannaford Hall, USM | Portland
PCMF Artistic Director and Borromeo String Quartet violist Melissa Reardon and Borromeo Quartet violinist Kristopher Tong will give a masterclass to students in partnership with the Maine Suzuki Association. The masterclass will run for approximately 1.5 hours, and is free and open to the public to attend.
Reminder that tickets to the Borromeo String Quartet concert later in the day are FREE for those ages 21 and under!
Winter Warmer II:
Intimate Voices
Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 3 PM
Hannaford Hall, USM | Portland
Ethereal beauty, profound majesty, and flashes of warmth infuse this delightful exploration of two radiant musical landscapes.
Sibelius String Quartet, “Intimate Voices”
Bruckner String Quintet in F Major
Spring Salon & Social
Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 3 PM
West End | Portland
Please join us for an exclusive preview and celebration of the Portland Chamber Music Festival’s 2024 summer season! Enjoy informal performances and conversation with extraordinary musicians, drinks and light refreshments, and the company of fellow chamber music enthusiasts in a delightfully intimate setting.
Program I:
Perfect Fifths
Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Hannaford Hall, USM | Portland
This enchanting evening opens PCMF’s 2024 summer season with pure joy in musical form, with the luxurious heft of lower string sounds blossoming into a burst of spontaneous celebration.
Boccherini String Quintet in E Major
Dvořák Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major
Program II:
Musique Fantastique
Saturday, August 10, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Hannaford Hall, USM | Portland
For over a century, the French musical voice has been treasured for its gorgeous opulence, exuberant colors, and dazzling variety of tonal effects. Discovery why in this wonderfully eclectic program featuring a kaleidoscopic array of ensembles. C’est magnifique!
Connesson Sextet
Poulenc Sonata for Oboe and Piano
Debussy (arr. Farrington) Beau Soir
Fauré Piano Quartet No. 1
Nate's World:
Songs of Love
Sunday, August 11, 2024 at 5:00 PM
Hannaford Hall, USM | Portland
Chamber music’s exquisite intimacy is the perfect setting for “Nate’s World: Songs of Love,” where classic songs and virtuosic instrumental interludes intertwine with famous arias, all touching on aspects of love.
Nathan Farrington, bass • Henry Kramer, piano • Kathleen O'Mara, soprano • Susie Park, violin
Composer Conversation with:
Vijay Iyer
Thursday, August 15, 2024 at 11:00 AM
Mechanics' Hall | Portland
Join us for a wide-ranging conversation with PCMF Resident Composer Vijay Iyer, who the New York Times has called a "social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, historical thinker and multicultural gateway." Winner of a MacArthur Award for "forging a new conception of jazz and American creative music," Iyer is unique for being an acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and cognitive scientist. His recent work Handmade Universe, written for the East Coast Chamber Orchestra and pianist Shai Wosner, receives its Maine premiere on the Portland Chamber Music Festival's "Universal Resonance" concert.
Program III:
Universal Resonance
Thursday, August 15, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Hannaford Hall, USM | Portland
Audiences raved about the East Coast Chamber Orchestra’s PCMF debut: “Such virtuosic performances, and such wit and joy!” Come see what all the fuss is about with a breathtaking arrangement of Bach's stunning Chaconne, an intricate new piano concerto, and the youthful vigor of Mendelssohn’s delightful Octet for Strings.
Hermann Capriccio No. 1 for Three Violins
Bach (arr. Wiancko) Chaconne from Partita No. 2
Iyer Handmade Universe
Mendelssohn String Octet
Program IV:
Virtuosity
Saturday, August 17, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Hannaford Hall, USM | Portland
Following a heartfelt violin sonata by Schumann (who adored Bach), the East Coast Chamber Orchestra’s extraordinary ensemble offers a contemporary work inspired by Bach's stunning Chaconne, “one epic movement ... that would define string playing forever after.” Finally, with a rollicking set of variations on a Baroque dance theme, you’ll see why the New York Times declared, "ECCO delivers performances that are nothing short of electrifying."
R. Schumann Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor
Ludwig Virtuosity: Five Micro-Concertos for String Orchestra
Geminiani (arr. Wiancko) "La Follia" Variations