(Augusta, ME) The deadline for the Individual Artist Fellowship in Media and Performing Arts is June 8, 2012. The $13,000 award is a recognition of artistic excellence and all eligible Maine artists are encouraged to apply. Please help spread the word to Maine performing artists who might be interested in this fantastic opportunity.

The fellowship award is designed for performing arts creators. The grant identifies a creator as an artist who produces the majority-share of a creative original work. For example, a composer qualifies but a musician does not; a singer/songwriter qualifies but a singer does not; a choreographer qualifies but a dancer does not. Applicants should apply with their own original work. If the work is created through a collaborative process the applicant should be able to demonstrate how they were the majority contributor of the original work. An application can be made by a team or group if they consistently work together to produce a single body of work. Information can be found on the Maine Arts Commission site (click here).

(Image: Pianist Mark Demidovich)

(Buxton, ME) Eastern European classical pianists Mark Demidovich (from Russia) and Veselin Ninov (from Bulgaria) are stars from the Portland Conservatory of Music’s International Piano Festival. These musicians promise a thrilling evening on the Steinway in the Old White Church next door.

Program:

Veselin Ninov
Ballade No. 3, Op. 47 by Frederic Chopin
Fantasie- Impromptu Op. 66
Polonaise –Fantasie Op. 61

- Intermission -

Mark Demidovich
Sonata in F minor, Opus 57 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Allegro assai
Andante con moto – attacca
Allegro, ma non troppo – presto
Mephisto Waltz No. 1 by Franz Liszt

The concert takes place on Friday, June 29th at 7:30. Tickets are $14 and $12 for students and seniors. Piano students and children 12 and under are free.

(Image: Pianist Veselin Ninov)

For more information, please call the Saco River Theatre at 207-929-6472 or visit www.sacorivergrangehall.org.

(Bar Mills, ME) On Saturday, July 14th at 7:30 pm, C.J. Chenier brings his red-hot Louisiana Band to Bar Mills! According to Billboard Magazine, C.J. is “the best living Zydeco singer and accordionist, and heir to the Zydeco Throne,” from his late father, Clifton Chenier. He “attacks the accordion, creating turbo- charged dance music.... blues, boogie, waltzes. ... he says ‘you gotta mix it up .... add flavor.’ ”

Get ready to dance in the aisles! A Bayou buffet is planned for 5:30 pm in the Old White Church to enhance this special benefit concert.

Adult admission is $30 and $25 for students and seniors—please add $20 for the buffet. Reservations are required for both. The Saco River Theatre is located at 29 Salmon Fall Road in Bar Mills (GPS location is Buxton, Maine 04093). To make reservations or for more information, please call 207-929-6472 or visit www.sacorivergrangehall.org.

(Camden, ME) The a cappella vocal ensemble VoXX: Voice of Twenty will present its annual summer concert series titled “If Music Be...” to audiences around the midcoast July 6th through 8th, 2012. The self-led group of auditioned singers has once again put together a program of works that spans the ages from Medieval to contemporary and composers from Obrecht to Britten. The selections are both secular and sacred and examine themes of adoration, reflection, redemption, and, of course, love, with pathos and humor.

There will be three full performances of “If Music Be...”:

Friday, July 6, in the gallery at Pascal Hall, 86 Pascal Avenue, Rockport (7:30 p.m.) Saturday, July 7, in the soaring atrium at Athena Health, 3 Hatley Rd., Belfast (7:30 p.m.) Sunday, July 8, as part of the Cushing Historical Society’s series, at historic South Cushing Baptist Church on Salt Pond Rd., (4:00 p.m.)

Admission to each concert is $10, tickets are available at the door. In addition, the group will present a free, abbreviated “sneak preview” concert/open rehearsal on Wednesday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m., in the Rockland Gazebo on Ocean Street (bring a chair or blanket for seating).

“We crafted this program partly from our core repertoire, which contains many fine works that we wanted to revisit. We then chose new pieces to take us through the ages into relatively modern times,” said Gregory Moore, Music Director. “Presenting works by composers such as Byrd and Palestrina -- and Monteverdi and Purcell, for that matter -- is expected for any group that, like VoXX, emphasizes early works. But we wanted to also showcase some of our more recent repertoire. Including the likes of Britten, Bruckner, Duruflé, Grieg, and Vaughan Williams accomplished that. It’s a challenging program for us and one we think our audiences will enjoy.”

VoXX is unusual in that it is a collectively run, all-volunteer organization. Membership is by audition (the group is currently seeking new members; see the group’s web site for details), and singers come from all walks of life: teachers and students, professionals and retirees. The group has built a strong following and is well known for its efforts to inform audiences through extensive program notes.

The singers recently released their first CD, VoXX: Voice of Twenty: “Favorites Old and New.” It is available at the group’s concerts and website, and via cdbaby.com. VoXX is available to perform by invitation. Please visit www.voiceoftwenty.com or call 207-236-9413 for more information.