Boothbay Harbor concerts: July 17 and Aug. 15

Sat, 05/26/2018 - 8:45am

Amy MacDonald

DaPonte String Quartet. Courtesy of Amy MacDonald

Pianist Peter Serkin. Courtesy of Amy MacDonald

Composer Richard Danielpour. Courtesy of Amy MacDonald

DaPonte String Quartet. Courtesy of Amy MacDonald

Pianist Peter Serkin. Courtesy of Amy MacDonald

Composer Richard Danielpour. Courtesy of Amy MacDonald

The DaPonte String Quartet will have summer concerts in Downeast, Mid-Coast and Southern Maine, as they travel from Portland to Eastport with three different concerts to start their 27^th year. The 2018-2019 season kicks off with a special concert with guest artist Peter Serkin in June, followed by the July series, “Summer Goulash,” concluding with the August series, “What the Light Was Like,” featuring the world premiere of a new string quartet by the same name from composer Richard Danielpour.

The Quartet are delighted to launch their new year with a special gala event at Bowdoin College’s Studzinski Recital Hall on June 6 with world-famed pianist Peter Serkin, followed by a reception with the artists. They will perform piano quintets by Brahms (Op.34 in F Minor) and Schumann (Op.44 in E flat Major).

After performing “Summer Goulash” in their regular venues in Brunswick, Portland, South Bristol, Boothbay Harbor and Rockport, they will take it on tour to Machias, Eastport and Surry. The series runs from July 5 to 25 and consists of string quartets by Franz Haydn (C Major Op.20 No.2), Bela Bartok (No.3 Sz. 85), and Johannes Brahms (No.3 in B flat Major Op.67).

The second series, “What the Light Was Like,” features the world premiere of String Quartet No. 8 by Richard Danielpour, a renowned composer who has written for such artists as Frederika von Stade and Yo Yo Ma. The piece is based on a poem of the same name by Maine poet Amy Clampitt, and will feature different guest readers reciting the poem. The premiere on August 2 will feature another Maine poet, Richard Blanco, doing the reading. Figures of Speech Theatre’s John Farrell and the poet’s sister-in-law, Jeanne Clampitt, will read at other performances. The series also includes works by Alfred Pochon (“Ballade”) and Schubert (String Quartet in G major) and will be performed from Aug. 2-15 in Portland, Brunswick, Rockport, South Bristol, and Boothbay Harbor.

Performances of “Summer Goulash”: July 5 - 7:30 p.m. - Portland: Maine Jewish Museum, 267 Congress St.; July 10 - 7:30 p.m. - Rockport Opera House, 6 Central St.; July 12 - 7:30 p.m. - Unitarian Church, 15 Pleasant St., Brunswick; July 17, 7:30 pm, Boothbay Harbor: Opera House, 86 Townsend St. (tickets: 633-5159); July 18 - 7:30 p.m. - Union Church, Middle Rd. & Rte. 129, South Bristol; July 23 - 7 p.m. - Arts Center, 36 Washington St. For information about concerts in Eastport, Machias and Surry, visit www.DaPonte.org.

Performances of “What the Light Was Like”: Aug. 2 - 7:30 p.m. - Maine Jewish Museum, 267 Congress St., Portland - World Premiere with guest reader Richard Blanco; Aug. 7 - 7:30 p.m., Opera House, 6 Central St., Rockport - guest reader to be announced; Aug. 8 - 7:30 p.m. - Union Church, Middle Rd. & Rte. 129, South Bristol - guest

reader Jeanne Clampitt; Aug. 9, 7:30 p.m. - Unitarian Church, 15 Pleasant St., Brunswick - guest reader to be announced; Aug. 15, 7:30 pm, Boothbay Harbor: Opera House, 86 Townsend St. (tickets: 633-5159) - guest reader, John Farrell.

Tickets (unless otherwise specified) are available at www.DaPonte.org; at the door; or at Gulf of Maine Books, Brunswick; Longfellow Books, Portland; and Sherman’s Books in Damariscotta, Boothbay Harbor, and Camden. Tickets bought online are 10 percent off in most cases. Information at 207-529-4555.