This poetically lyrical program, infused with unforced virtuosity and memorable melodies, is the perfect way to spend a summer evening. The witty sophistication of Germaine Tailleferre, the only woman in the early 20th century group of French composers known as Les Six, sets up a fascinating contrast with a passionately dramatic trio rooted in Armenian folk music. PCMF’s 30th summer season concludes with Schubert’s sunny Octet, with its bountiful array of strings and winds, hummable tunes, and genial Viennese charm.

EPSG:4326

Program IV: Grand Finale

University of Southern Maine

Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata, one of his most brilliant and popular works, has an extraordinarily intimate emotional intensity, which serves as a primary plot point of Tolstoy's controversial novella of the same name, by which the narrator is driven to murderous obsession. Janáček's string quartet, premiered 100 years ago, reflects on the psychological drama and obsessive qualities in Tolstoy's story. By intertwining these two landmark works with selected readings, this fascinating program dramatically illustrates the sources of artistic inspiration.

Program III: The Kreutzer Connection

Step right up for an utterly delightful mini musical summer vacation! First stop, a charming piece for piano four-hands evoking nature-related sounds and scenes of the English countryside, paired with a poetic, atmospheric quintet by a self-described “brazen Romantic.” Enjoy a taste of the jazzy flavors of Gershwin before jet-setting off to Bohemia for Dvořák’s masterful piano quartet, lending a folksy flair and rollicking vitality to this truly glorious adventure.

Program II: Summer Dreams

PCMF’s 30th anniversary summer season expands with the Portland debut of the Charles Overton Quartet, a fascinating ensemble with the unusual instrumentation of concert grand harp, tenor saxophone, bass, and drums. The quartet will perform an evening of original tunes and jazz standards co-presented by the multi-disciplinary arts center SPACE.

Charles Overton Quartet

SPACE

At the age of 17 Samuel Coleridge-Taylor became fascinated by the music of Dvořák, with its American and African-American influences. At 19 he heard Brahms’s landmark Clarinet Quintet, and immediately set to work on his own, which is filled with lush, youthful extravagance, and—like much of his music—incorporates traditions from both his African and English heritage. Ravel’s highly original Piano Trio is an exquisite work of consummate lightness and stunning power, featuring gorgeous melodic lines, rhythmic complexity, and truly otherworldly beauty.

Program I: First Impressions

Join us for this free event to hear how PCMF Resident Artist Charles Overton approaches improvising on the harp, and how his classical and jazz backgrounds have helped inform his musical voice. This moderated talk will include live demonstrations, with time at the end for an audience Q&A.

PCMF Insights: Charles Overton Artist Talk

Portland Conservatory of Music

Please join Artistic Director Melissa Reardon and Founder and Artistic Director Emerita Jennifer Elowitch for an exclusive preview and celebration of PCMF's 30th anniversary summer season. Melissa and Jenny will be joined by 2023 Resident Artist Charles Overton, the first harpist ever accepted into Berklee's prestigious Global Jazz Initiative. Enjoy informal performances and conversation with extraordinary musicians, elegant refreshments from Bread & Butter Catering Company, and the company of fellow chamber music enthusiasts in a delightfully intimate setting. Attendance is limited, and all proceeds will benefit PCMF's artistic and youth access programs.

Summer Salon & Social

Cape Elizabeth

PCMF Artistic Director and Borromeo String Quartet violist Melissa Reardon will give a chamber music masterclass to students in partnership with the Maine Suzuki Association. The masterclass will run for approximately one hour, and is free and open to the public to attend.

Maine Suzuki Association Masterclass

Celebrated around the world for their “edge-of-the-seat performances” (Boston Globe), PCMF Artistic Director Melissa Reardon is the newest member of the award-winning Borromeo String Quartet. This dazzling ensemble makes its PCMF debut with a program that runs the gamut of glorious string quartet sounds: from playful, gracious Haydn to a folk-infused fantasia by Bartók, to Debussy’s inventive, shimmering sensuality.

Portland Chamber Music Festival

Aug 19, 2023

Program IV: Grand Finale

Aug 17, 2023

Program III: The Kreutzer Connection

Aug 12, 2023

Program II: Summer Dreams

Aug 11, 2023

Charles Overton Quartet

Aug 10, 2023

Program I: First Impressions

Portland Chamber Music Festival

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