NEW GLOUCESTER — The sixth annual “Maine Festival of American Music: It’s Roots and Traditions,” to be held July 6-9, promises a first: a steel band performance in the historic Sabbathday Lake Shaker Meeting House.

The celebration of music, presented by the United Society of Shakers of Sabbathday Lake in collaboration with the Portland String Quartet, will also feature Matthew Szemela, a New Gloucester native and international classical and fusion electroacoustic violinist.

Musical offerings will include folk music, Shaker music, classical and jazz.

The Portland String Quartet’s musical journey has evolved over four decades. “It’s been progressive,” quartet member Julia Adams said.

Through the first five years, the quartet explored a variety of music falling under the roots and traditions category. “For the first 10 years, American music only prevailed,” Adams said, “but on the flip side, good contemporary music deserves to be heard where classical music is played.”

“Each year, we find broader and broadening avenues. This includes the wonderful love of music and is a perfect fit with the Shakers,” Adams said.

Recognizing music as an integral part of their lives and history, the Shakers have successfully partnered with musicians and artists throughout New England. Performances by the PSQ at the Meeting House to capacity audiences have been yearly highlights.

Maine is home to 20 steel bands, Adams said. “We have very fine pan makers in Maine. The four-day festival will feature Maine’s Island Beats steel band who will forge ties with folk music from the Caribbean to Maine.”

Szemela, who will perform Saturday, July 9, was a violin student of Ronald Lantz, second violinist in the PSQ, throughout high school. He also attended several summer workshops conducted by the PSQ. He went on to earn bachelor and master’s degrees from the Mannes School of Music in New York City, in 2003 and 2005, respectively.

“I’ve been playing the violin since age 3. In college, I started meeting other people in the jazz program and started to play. I learned a different language and learned improvisation,” Szemela said. “Once I learned to stop being afraid, I began speaking in full sentences honing my skills.”

“Once I got into jazz and rock, that freed up my classical training. I got a new way of telling stories as I interpreted classical music and that gave me much freedom on stage with my heart and my head,” Szemela said.

Praised by the New York Times for his “outrageous fiddling,” Szemela has crossed musical genres with ease.

“I started messing around with amplified violin with jazz, hip hop, early jazz and classical music, said Szemela, who has played with Josh Groban .

He is spending the month of June with his parents in Lewiston and will then travel with singer-songwriter Nina Nastasia to Russia for performances in Moscow and at the Perm Jazz Festival and Tuva before returning the Maine for the July 9 concert with the PSQ. That concert, “Sabbathday Riffs: The Fusion of Classical, Jazz and World Music,” will feature works by John Knowles Paine, Bert Ligon and Johannes Brahms.

Ticket info

EVENTS AT: 1794 Shaker Meeting House, Sabbathday Lake

WHAT: “The Island Beats: The Steel Band – Its History and Literature”

(from Caribbean folk to living American composers)

WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 6

TICKETS: $25 for adults; $20 for seniors; students 21 and under, free

WHO: Brother Arnold Hadd and the Portland String Quartet

WHAT: “Sabbathday Traditions — the Gift of Inspired Hymns and Spiritual Expression in Chamber Music”

WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday, July 7

TICKETS: $25 for adults, $20 for seniors; students under 21, free with a reservation

WHO: The Portland String Quartet with violinist Matthew Szemela

WHAT: “The Fusion of Classical Jazz and World Musics”

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, July 9

TICKETS: $25 for adults, $20 for seniors; students under 21, free with a reservation

Checks payable to the United Society of Shakers. Mail to: The Maine Festival of American Music; attention United Society of Shakers, 707 Shaker Road, New Gloucester, ME 04260

MORE INFO: Call 926-4597, email usshakers@aol.com

Copy the Story Link