"The classical concerts that made me fall in love with live music again.”
Pianist Miki Sawada, whose performance made The Boston Globe’s Best of Arts 2021 list, is a fearless musician taking classical music where others have not. Through her signature project Gather Hear, Sawada travels the country with a piano in a van to perform in community gathering spaces, forgoing the expected concert hall. Sawada’s mission is to connect people across socioeconomic and political boundaries through music, foster human connection and dialogue, while capturing an honest, intimate, and ultimately hopeful portrait of America. This concert features a special appearance by musicians from Listen Up! Music, a Portland–based nonprofit day program and music studio that supports musicians with intellectual uniqueness in making music. Ahead of the concert Sawada will visit and rehearse with the participating artists, spend time together making music and prepare for a special joint performance during Gather Hear Portland.
The concert program, titled “Maine the Beautiful,” is inspired both by the state of Maine and by the current feeling of living in America. It features music inspired by the woods and the ocean, as well as music that offers commentary on America’s past and present. The audience’s reflection on these topics will be weaved into the concert experience. A centerpiece is Huang Ruo’s “Meditation on ‘America The Beautiful.’” Maine-based composer Conrad Winslow will also be featured. Additional works are by Amy Beach, Frederic Chopin, Alexander Scriabin, Jean Sibelius, and William Grant Still.
FREE EVENT
RSVP through the red button to receive email reminders about this event.
ACCESSIBILITY
This is an outdoor event. Congress Square Park is serviced by multiple bus routes and is wheelchair and stroller accessible via three sloped entrances.
This event is ASL interpreted.
