This one-hour program brings together music that is transcendent in nature, drawing inspiration from dreams, medieval chant, renaissance polyphony, spirituality, and the power of silence. Anchored by Christopher Theofanidis’ otherworldy composition of the same name, Visions and Miracles takes us on a journey through the gentle sound worlds of Arvo Part, Max Richter, and Caroline Shaw, interspersed with excerpts of Mendelssohn’s Sinfonia No. 1. With mesmerizing harmonies and moments of joy, grief, and gentleness, Visions and Miracles is evocative and reflective, grounding and transcendent.

• Summa for Strings Arvo Pärt

• Entr’acte Caroline Shaw

• Sinfonia No. 1 Felix Mendelssohn

• Visions and Miracles Christopher Theofanidis

• On the Nature of Daylight Max Richter

• moth Maya French/Jamie Oshima

This one-hour program brings together music that is transcendent in nature, drawing inspiration from dreams, medieval chant, renaissance polyphony, spirituality, and the power of silence. Anchored by Christopher Theofanidis’ otherworldy composition of the same name, Visions and Miracles takes us on a journey through the gentle sound worlds of Arvo Part, Max Richter, and Caroline Shaw, interspersed with excerpts of Mendelssohn’s Sinfonia No. 1. With mesmerizing harmonies and moments of joy, grief, and gentleness, Visions and Miracles is evocative and reflective, grounding and transcendent.

• Summa for Strings Arvo Pärt

• Entr’acte Caroline Shaw

• Sinfonia No. 1 Felix Mendelssohn

• Visions and Miracles Christopher Theofanidis

• On the Nature of Daylight Max Richter

• moth Maya French/Jamie Oshima

This one-hour program brings together music that is transcendent in nature, drawing inspiration from dreams, medieval chant, renaissance polyphony, spirituality, and the power of silence. Anchored by Christopher Theofanidis’ otherworldy composition of the same name, Visions and Miracles takes us on a journey through the gentle sound worlds of Arvo Part, Max Richter, and Caroline Shaw, interspersed with excerpts of Mendelssohn’s Sinfonia No. 1. With mesmerizing harmonies and moments of joy, grief, and gentleness, Visions and Miracles is evocative and reflective, grounding and transcendent.

• Summa for Strings Arvo Pärt

• Entr’acte Caroline Shaw

• Sinfonia No. 1 Felix Mendelssohn

• Visions and Miracles Christopher Theofanidis

• On the Nature of Daylight Max Richter

• moth Maya French/Jamie Oshima

This one-hour program brings together music that is transcendent in nature, drawing inspiration from dreams, medieval chant, renaissance polyphony, spirituality, and the power of silence. Anchored by Christopher Theofanidis’ otherworldy composition of the same name, Visions and Miracles takes us on a journey through the gentle sound worlds of Arvo Part, Max Richter, and Caroline Shaw, interspersed with excerpts of Mendelssohn’s Sinfonia No. 1. With mesmerizing harmonies and moments of joy, grief, and gentleness, Visions and Miracles is evocative and reflective, grounding and transcendent.

• Summa for Strings Arvo Pärt

• Entr’acte Caroline Shaw

• Sinfonia No. 1 Felix Mendelssohn

• Visions and Miracles Christopher Theofanidis

• On the Nature of Daylight Max Richter

• moth Maya French/Jamie Oshima

Join Palaver and Longy for very open dress rehearsal of their visions and miracles program.

The ensemble will be rehearsing excerpts from their one-hour program that brings together music that is transcendent in nature, drawing inspiration from dreams, medieval chant, renaissance polyphony, spirituality, and the power of silence. Anchored by Christopher Theofanidis’ otherworldy composition of the same name, Visions and Miracles takes us on a journey through the gentle sound worlds of Arvo Part, Max Richter, and Caroline Shaw, interspersed with excerpts of Mendelssohn’s Sinfonia No. 1. With mesmerizing harmonies and moments of joy, grief, and gentleness, Visions and Miracles is evocative and reflective, grounding and transcendent.

• Summa for Strings Arvo Pärt

• Entr’acte Caroline Shaw

• Sinfonia No. 1 Felix Mendelssohn

• Visions and Miracles Christopher Theofanidis

• On the Nature of Daylight Max Richter

• Fiddle Set Maya French/Jamie Oshima

Palaver Strings welcomes Fredy Clue, a Nyckelharpa virtuoso, composer, and  multi-instrumentalist from Sweden. Hailed as “a creator of remarkable experiences and a true innovator in the folk art space,” Clue has taken the traditional music scene by storm. Their music takes inspiration from the forests, oceans, birds, and animals alike. Joined by Maine’s own Jamie Oshima, we will premiere Fredy’s new arrangements for Nyckelharpa and strings. We pair Clue’s music with Philip Glass’ Fourth String Quartet.  Written in memory of avant-garde artist Brian Buczak, this three-movement work combines undulating arpeggios, soaring melodies, and rich harmonies to create a deep-rooted, whole-body experience.

musicians maya french + katie knudsvig, violins / elizabeth moore, viola / timothy paek, cello / fredy clue, nyckelharpa / jamie oshima, guitar

• Arrangements and Compositions Fredy Clue

• String Quartet No. 4 Philip Glass

the evening will feature a performance by Palaver Strings in the beautiful and historic Portland Custom House followed by a community dance party led by DJ, Lucy Dhegrae and Curbside Queens.

Maine + Loire and Cocktail Mary will be providing wine and drinks throughout the evening and several neighborhood food vendors will be there to sell tasty bites.

6:30pm drinks, bites + conversation

7pm palaver strings performance

8pm more drinks, bites + community

8:30pm d A n C e!!

thank you to our generous host committee

Andrew Marsters
Ann Casady + Peter Pitegoff
Ari + Natalie Solotoff
Ariel Pardee + Todd French
Arthur + Elaine Robins
Barbara Lamont
Blanca Santiago
Carolyn Benthien
Daniel Crewe
David Lakari
Eli Kao
Glenn Cummings + Leslie Appelbaum
Jamie + Beth Kilbreth
Jane + Dana Swenson
Jane Ceraso + Steve Lowe
Jennifer Queally + Rich Entel
Joanne D’Arcangelo
John Ryan + Jenny Scheu
Jorge Acero + Catherine Besteman
Josh + Kate Benthien
Josué González + Tami Papagiannopoulos
Judy Hearst
Kate + Jess Knox
Ken Spirer + Joan Leitzer
Lauren Sterling + Bro Adams
Liz Hays
Mathieu Gaulin
Margot Miliken
Peggy Golden
Raffi + Caitlin Dersimonian
Sandi Knakal
Shelley + Bob Willcox
Stephanie Cotsirilos
Steve Gerlach + Kim MacDonald
Susan Schraft + Richard Berne
Whitney Hogan + Patrick Walters
William Black + Jackie Potter

Palaver Strings welcomes Fredy Clue, a Nyckelharpa virtuoso, composer, and  multi-instrumentalist from Sweden. Hailed as “a creator of remarkable experiences and a true innovator in the folk art space,” Clue has taken the traditional music scene by storm. Their music takes inspiration from the forests, oceans, birds, and animals alike. Joined by Maine’s own Jamie Oshima, we will premiere Fredy’s new arrangements for Nyckelharpa and strings. We pair Clue’s music with Philip Glass’ Fourth String Quartet.  Written in memory of avant-garde artist Brian Buczak, this three-movement work combines undulating arpeggios, soaring melodies, and rich harmonies to create a deep-rooted, whole-body experience.

musicians maya french + jesse macdonald, violins / elizabeth moore, viola / titalayo agande, cello / fredy clue, nyckelharpa / jamie oshima, guitar

• Arrangements and Compositions Fredy Clue

• String Quartet No. 4 Philip Glass

Palaver Strings welcomes Fredy Clue, a Nyckelharpa virtuoso, composer, and  multi-instrumentalist from Sweden. Hailed as “a creator of remarkable experiences and a true innovator in the folk art space,” Clue has taken the traditional music scene by storm. Their music takes inspiration from the forests, oceans, birds, and animals alike. Joined by Maine’s own Jamie Oshima, we will premiere Fredy’s new arrangements for Nyckelharpa and strings. We pair Clue’s music with Philip Glass’ Fourth String Quartet.  Written in memory of avant-garde artist Brian Buczak, this three-movement work combines undulating arpeggios, soaring melodies, and rich harmonies to create a deep-rooted, whole-body experience.

musicians maya french + katie knudsvig, violins / elizabeth moore, viola / timothy paek, cello / fredy clue, nyckelharpa / jamie oshima, guitar

• Arrangements and Compositions Fredy Clue

• String Quartet No. 4 Philip Glass

Palaver Strings welcomes Fredy Clue, a Nyckelharpa virtuoso, composer, and  multi-instrumentalist from Sweden. Hailed as “a creator of remarkable experiences and a true innovator in the folk art space,” Clue has taken the traditional music scene by storm. Their music takes inspiration from the forests, oceans, birds, and animals alike. Joined by Maine’s own Jamie Oshima, we will premiere Fredy’s new arrangements for Nyckelharpa and strings. We pair Clue’s music with Philip Glass’ Fourth String Quartet.  Written in memory of avant-garde artist Brian Buczak, this three-movement work combines undulating arpeggios, soaring melodies, and rich harmonies to create a deep-rooted, whole-body experience.

musicians maya french + katie knudsvig, violins / elizabeth moore, viola / timothy paek, cello / fredy clue, nyckelharpa / jamie oshima, guitar

• Arrangements and Compositions Fredy Clue

• String Quartet No. 4 Philip Glass

Palaver Strings welcomes Fredy Clue, a Nyckelharpa virtuoso, composer, and  multi-instrumentalist from Sweden. Hailed as “a creator of remarkable experiences and a true innovator in the folk art space,” Clue has taken the traditional music scene by storm. Their music takes inspiration from the forests, oceans, birds, and animals alike. Joined by Maine’s own Jamie Oshima, we will premiere Fredy’s new arrangements for Nyckelharpa and strings. We pair Clue’s music with Philip Glass’ Fourth String Quartet.  Written in memory of avant-garde artist Brian Buczak, this three-movement work combines undulating arpeggios, soaring melodies, and rich harmonies to create a deep-rooted, whole-body experience.

musicians maya french + katie knudsvig, violins / elizabeth moore, viola / timothy paek, cello / fredy clue, nyckelharpa / jamie oshima, guitar

• Arrangements and Compositions Fredy Clue

• String Quartet No. 4 Philip Glass

Noisefloor is a unique collaboration between Palaver Strings and the contemporary dance company little house dance, presented by Portland Ovations and State Theatre. In this interdisciplinary performance, twelve musicians and eight dancers join forces, premiering a new composition by Courtney Swain written specifically for choreography by Heather Stewart. This project seamlessly integrates the media of music and dance, involving dancers in the composition process and including musicians in little house’s movement language. Noisefloor plays with the subjectivity of human experience, including visual and auditory perception and the logic of dreams. Musicians and dancers will move throughout the stage and surrounding areas, expanding the audience’s audiovisual field. Noisefloor is an immersive physical, visual, and musical experience.

• Noisefloor (World Premiere) Courtney Swain

join Palaver and The Westerlies for an intimate showcase in Midtown, featuring each group’s current work. each ensemble will give a short concert with plenty of time left to get to know all of you!

bites and beers provided

this event is free and open to the public

About Sing for your Slumber: Music is central to our spirit here and in 2018, we launched a series called SING FOR YOUR SLUMBER.  It’s a simple idea...we invite touring musicians to get off the road for some real R&R at TOURISTS if they’ve got an empty date in our neck of the woods. We provide rooms, meals, and our unrivaled hospitality in exchange for a stripped-down set for fellow guests and local neighbors in our intimate Lodge, 200-year-old farmhouse bar, or outside under the stars. 

It’s a super easy, low-stakes gig, an opportunity to just chill and play - the more broken, spontaneous, and honest, the better. They don’t need to do their “show”, but instead can try out some new tunes, play a bunch of Hall & Oates covers, whatever...it’s all welcome. This vibe has produced some very special experiences for artists and audiences alike.

All Sing For Your Slumber shows are free, but we do encourage donations that go directly to the artists. Admission/seating is limited and first-come, first-served.

join us for our palaver music center winter recital celebration featuring our kindergarten through 4th grade strings students.

this event is free and open to the public!

Noisefloor is a unique collaboration between Palaver Strings and the contemporary dance company little house dance, presented by Portland Ovations and State Theatre. In this interdisciplinary performance, twelve musicians and eight dancers join forces, premiering a new composition by Courtney Swain written specifically for choreography by Heather Stewart. This project seamlessly integrates the media of music and dance, involving dancers in the composition process and including musicians in little house’s movement language. Noisefloor plays with the subjectivity of human experience, including visual and auditory perception and the logic of dreams. Musicians and dancers will move throughout the stage and surrounding areas, expanding the audience’s audiovisual field. Noisefloor is an immersive physical, visual, and musical experience.

**The performance will be followed by a 30 minute interactive talkback with dance artist and Bates professor, Brian Evans.

• Noisefloor (World Premiere) Courtney Swain

Noisefloor is a unique collaboration between Palaver Strings and the contemporary dance company little house dance, presented by Portland Ovations and State Theatre. In this interdisciplinary performance, twelve musicians and eight dancers join forces, premiering a new composition by Courtney Swain written specifically for choreography by Heather Stewart. This project seamlessly integrates the media of music and dance, involving dancers in the composition process and including musicians in little house’s movement language. Noisefloor plays with the subjectivity of human experience, including visual and auditory perception and the logic of dreams. Musicians and dancers will move throughout the stage and surrounding areas, expanding the audience’s audiovisual field. Noisefloor is an immersive physical, visual, and musical experience.

• Noisefloor (World Premiere) Courtney Swain

**The performance will be followed by a reception from 8:30-9:30pm at Palaver’s space / 380 Cumberland Ave, Floor 2, Portland ME

Homeland explores folk-inspired music by a diverse group of composers paying homage to their homelands: Carlos Guastavino (Argentina), Violetta Parra (Chile), Leos Janacek (Czech Republic), and Bela Bartok (Hungary). These pieces explore the essence of each composer’s cultural-political landscape, using folk material from everyday life. Our journey concludes with Brahms’ monumental Trio in A Minor, which he composed after visiting his friend clarinetist Richard Muhlfeld in Meiningen, Germany.

musicians sergio muñoz, viola / matthew smith, cello / peipei song, piano

• Las Presencias, No. 7 “Rosita Iglesias” Carlos Gustavino

• Pohádka for cello and piano Leos Janacek

• Selections from Duos for violin and cello Béla Bartók

• Selection of songs arranged for viola and cello Violetta Parra 

• Trio in A Minor, Op. 114 Johannes Brahms

Homeland explores folk-inspired music by a diverse group of composers paying homage to their homelands: Carlos Guastavino (Argentina), Violetta Parra (Chile), Leos Janacek (Czech Republic), and Bela Bartok (Hungary). These pieces explore the essence of each composer’s cultural-political landscape, using folk material from everyday life. Our journey concludes with Brahms’ monumental Trio in A Minor, which he composed after visiting his friend clarinetist Richard Muhlfeld in Meiningen, Germany.

musicians sergio muñoz, viola / matthew smith, cello / peipei song, piano

• Las Presencias, No. 7 “Rosita Iglesias” Carlos Gustavino

• Pohádka for cello and piano Leos Janacek

• Selections from Duos for violin and cello Béla Bartók

• Selection of songs arranged for viola and cello Violetta Parra 

• Trio in A Minor, Op. 114 Johannes Brahms

Homeland explores folk-inspired music by a diverse group of composers paying homage to their homelands: Carlos Guastavino (Argentina), Violetta Parra (Chile), Leos Janacek (Czech Republic), and Bela Bartok (Hungary). These pieces explore the essence of each composer’s cultural-political landscape, using folk material from everyday life. Our journey concludes with Brahms’ monumental Trio in A Minor, which he composed after visiting his friend clarinetist Richard Muhlfeld in Meiningen, Germany.

musicians sergio muñoz, viola / matthew smith, cello / peipei song, piano

• Las Presencias, No. 7 “Rosita Iglesias” Carlos Gustavino

• Pohádka for cello and piano Leos Janacek

• Selections from Duos for violin and cello Béla Bartók

• Selection of songs arranged for viola and cello Violetta Parra 

• Trio in A Minor, Op. 114 Johannes Brahms

Join Palaver and little house dance for a work in progress presentation of Noisefloor accompanied by a talkback with Bates Dance Professor, Brian Evans. Noisefloor is a unique collaboration between Palaver Strings and the contemporary dance company little house dance, presented by Portland Ovations and State Theatre. In this interdisciplinary performance, twelve musicians and eight dancers join forces, premiering a new composition by Courtney Swain written specifically for choreography by Heather Stewart. This project seamlessly integrates the media of music and dance, involving dancers in the composition process and including musicians in little house’s movement language. Noisefloor plays with the subjectivity of human experience, including visual and auditory perception and the logic of dreams. Musicians and dancers will move throughout the stage and surrounding areas, expanding the audience’s audiovisual field. Noisefloor is an immersive physical, visual, and musical experience.

As part of Palaver Strings and Noisefloor Incubation Residency at Mechanics’ Hall join teacher, Alyx Henigman and Palaver Strings for a yoga and music class. Rooted in learning about the body and how it moves, the focus of my classes will be based on using yoga as an exploration to lead practitioners into a deeper awareness of their own bodies, and thus a greater sense of embodiment and Self.

Beginning slowly in order to ground ourselves, we will then use that foundation to bring us into standing postures and flow, opening the body and engaging and clearing the mind. Moving between moments of stillness and silky moments of flow, we will take time for ourselves, to move for ourselves, and find the fun in effort.

**bring your own yoga mat!

As part of Palaver Strings and Noisefloor Incubation Residency at Mechanics’ Hall, join little house for an all-levels movement class! This gentle movement class will draw on elements of little house's creative process through the engagement of your sensory system. You’ll be invited to create warmth in your body through gentle movement, improvisation, visualization, and self-care. Absolutely no dance experience required, all are welcome to attend.

**wear comfortable clothes!

Featuring Grammy-nominated tenor Nicholas Phan, this program explores our country’s rich legacy of protest songs. Repertoire includes traditional songs of protest and music inspired by social movements and historical events, including Nico Muhly’s Stranger, Akenya Seymour’s Fear the Lamb, and the premiere of Errollyn Wallen’s Protest Songs. Spanning genres, eras, and movements, A Change Is Gonna Come confronts our past and present and celebrates protest as one of our most precious rights.

• Stranger Nico Muhly

• Freedom is a Constant Struggle/I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill/It Isn't Nice Roberta Slavitt, Alfred Hayes, Malvina Reynolds, arr. Domenic Salerni

• Lovely, Dark and Lonely One Harry Burleigh/ Langston Hughes, arr. Ian Gottlieb

• Strange Fruit Abel Meeropol/Billie Holiday, arr. Jonathan Bingham

• Fear the Lamb Akenya Seymour 

• Blowin’ in the Wind Bob Dylan, arr. Domenic Salerni

• Fiddle and the Drum/Where Have all the Flowers Gone/What Are You Fighting For? Joni Mitchell, Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, arr. Domenic Salerni

• Protest Songs (World Premiere) Errollyn Wallen

• A Change is Gonna Come Sam Cooke, arr. Domenic Salerni

Errollyn Wallen Protest Songs was co-commissioned by Palaver Strings and the Tippet Rise Fund of the Sidney E. Frank Foundation.

The culmination of a week of music-making, conversation, and collective hope and optimism, our closing gala features performances by artists performing at Screen Door 2023, led by spectacular international vocal talents.

Hope can thrive in so many places within our hearts and minds, in our love for other people as in Gabriel Kahane’s enchanting and wistful song in which two people describe a favorite seaside spot and sing, “I hope we die here when we’re old”. Bach’s cantata contemplates the futility of earthly matters and the promise of heavenly peace in some of the most beautifully serene music ever written. Our featured composer, Nico Muhly’s song cycle written for Nicholas Phan juxtaposes settings of accounts of immigration through Ellis Island with those of texts protesting the United States’ Chinese Exclusion policies of the late-19th century. Nicholas describes his encounters with Muhly’s music as being both “artistically and personally transformative,” and recalls the Stranger’s premiere as the first time he felt his identity had been respectfully represented in a work of classical music. Our Screen Door performance of the work is a new arrangement for string orchestra, featuring Palaver Strings.

Songwriter Kenyatta Emmanuel is an artist and activist who has shared his music from Sing Sing to Carnegie Hall, offering a full live concert the same day of his return home after serving 24½ years in prison. His music and message explore the beauty of life, reminding us of all that we hold in common. Our Screen Door 2023 ends with a song by Kenyatta that embodies so much of what the music programmed this year expresses – “holding on to love, holding off despair and I’m holding out hope”.

Art by Devon Kelley-Yurdin

Palaver Strings presents a FREE program specifically for children (ages 4-10) and families, celebrating hope and optimism in music for strings. Music and emotion are closely connected; music can evoke a wide range of emotions in listeners, whether it’s a feeling of happiness, sadness, excitement, or calmness. Join Palaver Strings for an afternoon of exploration through active listening, musical expression, movement, and mindfulness.

Art by Devon Kelley-Yurdin

Works by J.S. Bach within the historical, stylistic and familial context in which he lived and worked, exploring how Bach’s compositional techniques convey his sense of profound optimism and faith.

The six Brandenburg concertos challenge (as opposed to reflect) existing musical and social hierarchies of Bach’s time. Lutheran theology and Bach’s documented understanding of it suggests that in the next world, the heavenly one, the hierarchies of the present world will no longer be necessary. The session also includes selected vocal works performed by “easily one of the finest concert and recital singers of our generation” (I Care If You Listen), Jesse Blumberg.

Join Jesse along with performer and scholar of historical music and performance practice, John McKean, flutist Julietta Curenton, praised for her “expressive playing and sensitivity to color” (Bachtrack), and our much loved resident ensemble, Palaver Strings for our ongoing exploration of Bach’s music.

Art by Devon Kelley-Yurdin

Featuring Grammy nominated tenor Nicholas Phan, this program explores our country’s rich legacy of protest songs. Repertoire includes traditional songs of protest and music inspired by social movements and historical events, including Akenya Seymour’s Fear the Lamb, and a new commission by Errollyn Wallen. Spanning genres, eras, and movements, A Change is Gonna Come provokes conversation, confronts our past and present, and celebrates the act of protest as one of our most precious rights.

Described by the Boston Globe as “one of the world’s most remarkable singers,” tenor Nicholas Phan is praised for his charismatic stage presence and natural musicianship. He performs regularly with the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies.

Art by Devon Kelley-Yurdin

A grand opening concert featuring Palaver and many of the performers appearing throughout the Screen Door Festival including Viano String Quartet, oboist James Austin Smith, violinists Blake Pouliot and Livia Sohn, harpist Bridget Kibbey, pianist Henry Kramer, The Westerlies brass quartet, baritone Jesse Blumberg and tenor Nicholas Phan.

Art by Devon Kelley-Yurdin

Hear Palaver Strings perform a special summer program. Location provided after confirmation of RSVP / you must RSVP at the email below to reserve your spot.

Romanian Folk Dances: Béla Bartók Fear the Lamb: Akenya Seymour Syrian Dances: Kinan Azmeh Holberg Suite: Edvard Grieg

Art by Devon Kelley-Yurdin