music

Program Notes for Alexander Malofeev by Mary Hunter

Alexander Malofeev

Notes on the Program By Mary Hunter, A. LeRoy Greason Professor of Music, Emerita at Bowdoin College LISTEN to these program notes on Youtube LISTEN to these program notes on Spotify   Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Sonata in C Minor, K. 457 Mozart’s C-minor sonata was written in 1784, in Vienna, for the pianist Therese Trattner, … Read more

Program Notes for “RENT” by Aimée M. Petrin

"RENT 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour"

Dear Friends, Who knew a scrappy little play born of the downtown NYC theater scene would become one of our most beloved Broadway plays?  The winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Musical, RENT is one of the longest running musicals of all time, and now, after 25 years, its touring … Read more

Program Notes for Alan Cumming & Ari Shapiro by Aimée M. Petrin

Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro - 'Och and Oy! A Considered Cabaret'

Dear Friends, It was January 1998. I was in NYC for work and had tickets for the revival of Cabaret at Studio 54. My trip coincided with Jennifer Jason Leigh in the role of Sally Bowles and some guy named Alan Cumming as the emcee. Leigh’s “star” appearance, combined with the chance to visit the … Read more

Program Notes for Pacifica Quartet by Melissa Reardon

Pacifica

Notes on the Program By Melissa Reardon, Artistic Director of the Portland Chamber Music Festival LISTEN TO THESE NOTES ON SPOTIFY LISTEN TO THESE NOTES ON YOUTUBE It was pure pleasure getting to know the works on this program, all of which were new to me. It was especially thrilling to hear such a wealth … Read more

Our Stories – What We Love About Ovations

Our Stories – What We Love About Ovations

We just passed the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. It seems fitting that this turning point in the universe, at which the sun is at its maximum declination and then begins slowly to subside for those of us in the northern hemisphere, is also the end of Portland Ovations’ organizational year: a … Read more

Our Stories – An Unforgettable Season

Our Stories – An Unforgettable Season

What a season, unlike any other, 2020-2021 was. Thank you for joining us virtually, on demand and outdoors this past year. We couldn’t have done it without you. Daniel Bernard Roumain at Performances in Our Parks, Oct. 2020 OCTOBER 2020 We couldn’t gather in our usual spaces but we could gather outside. Our first in another … Read more

Our Stories – Maine Artists Kerem Durdag & Andy Happel

Our Stories – Maine Artists Kerem Durdag & Andy Happel

Everyone has a story. The urge to share our story, to connect with others, is at the root of human nature. Taking one’s own story and making the personal universal is the sacred role of artists. Weaving tales of family, personal journey, cultures, folklore and immigration – SoulRoar is the creative endeavor of poet/lyricist Kerem … Read more

Our Stories – Meet Dance Artist Riley Watts

Our Stories – Meet Dance Artist Riley Watts

After nearly a decade on the road touring internationally with the Forsythe Company, dance artist Riley Wattsdecided it was time to come home to Maine. For Riley, moving back to Maine was the right thing to do. It’s meant time and space: to heal, to pursue a different lifestyle for his body and mind and, … Read more

Our Stories – Meet Maine Artist Samuel James

Our Stories – Meet Maine Artist Samuel James

We’ve been lucky to get to know musician, storyteller and writer Samuel James this year as one of our Commissioned Maine Artists. This has included winding conversations about music, culture, home and justice, along with impromptu performances over Zoom. And now, through this series, we hope some of you are getting to know this marvelous … Read more

Our Stories – Seeking Belonging

Our Stories – Seeking Belonging

The more than year-long pandemic has taught us much to take into the future together. One of the things many Ovations’ Members have mentioned to us is how our human need to gather and to belong — to groups, to communities, to a place and to each other — have been made more visible by our social … Read more