PORTLAND – The critically acclaimed chamber orchestra I Musici de Montreal, which has performed worldwide, will take the stage Thursday, April 2, at Merrill Auditorium. The 15-member orchestra will perform works by Mozart, Dvorak, Skalkottas, Elgar and Tchaikovsky.

The concert, part of PCA Great Performances’ classical music series, will begin at 7:30 p.m.

I Musici de Montreal commands a vast repertoire, extending from the baroque to the contemporary, led by orchestra founder/conductor and cellist Yuli Turovsky.

The April 2 program includes Mozart’s Divertimento in F Major, K. 138; Dvorak’s Nocturne for Strings, Op. 40; Skalkottas’ Greek Dances; Elgar’s Serenade for Strings in E minor, Op. 20; and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48.

A lecture and panel discussion on the shared cultural resources of Franco-American Maine and French Canada will be presented Wednesday, March 25, by PCA Great Performances, the Maine Historical Society and the Canadian Consulate in Boston. It will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress St. The event is open to the public free of charge.

There will also be a free lecture immediately prior to the I Musici de Montreal performance on April 2. Maine composer and Bowdoin College Professor of Music Emeritus Elliott Schwartz will discuss “Romanticism and Folk Music,” focusing on the importance of folkloric influences on several of the composers whose works will be featured. The lecture will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. in the green room at Merrill.

Concert tickets, $42, are available through PortTix, the box office at Merrill Auditorium; by calling 842-0800; and online at www.pcagreatperformances.org.

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