ACA composers at the Back Cove Festival of Contemporary Music, Portland Maine, April 9 - 12

Thu - March 28, 2024, 6:40 pm

 

ACA composers at the Back Cove Festival of Contemporary Music, Portland Maine, April 9 - 12
Maine composers (L to R): Gregory Hall, Elliott Schwartz, Beth WiemannMaine composers (L to R): Gregory Hall, Elliott Schwartz, Beth Wiemann

 

 

In its seventh year, the Back Cove Festival of Contemporary Music at the Portland Conservatory of Music will present an engaging series of contemporary music concerts in Portland, Maine from April 9 to 12. Compositions by ACA members Elliott Schwartz, Gregory Hall and Beth Wiemann will be featured on several concerts at the festival.

 

The festival’s inaugural concert, presented by the Portland Chamber Music Festival at Space Gallery in downtown Portland, features the Bellagio Variations by ACA composer Elliott Schwartz. Additionally, the April 12 concert also includes his work Jet Piece, which incorporates improvisation by the musicians. Schwartz founded the Back Cove festival in cooperation with the Portland Conservatory of Music in 2009.

Other composers whose work will be performed on the festival include Dr. Michael Schelle (from Butler University) and Howard Frazin (from the New England Conservatory of Music). Additional contributing composers include: Joshua DeScherer, Kui Dong, Olivia Gerber, Derek Herzer, Francis Kayali, William Matthews, Peter McLaughlin, Gay Pearson, Miho Sasaki, Daniel Sonenberg, Keane Southard, Chris Staknys, Harold Stover, Mark Tipton, and Jack Vees. Beth Wiemann’s music will be showcased on the April 10 concert and Gregory Hall's music will be performed on April 12. Both events are located at Woodford's Church Sanctuary.

Tickets for festival concerts are $15, $12 for students and seniors. The Portland Chamber Music Festival Concert on April 9, which in addition to Schwartz’s Bellagio Variations will include Maurice Ravel’s String Quartet and David Ludwig’s Pale Blue Dot, is $15, $13 for members, students and seniors.

A complete festival schedule may be found at this link. Additionally, this article from the Portland Press Herald provides a nice historical overview of the Back Cove Festival.