The Portland Chamber Music Festival has come to be respected as one of the premiere events for New England chamber music fans. The festival’s series of concerts in August are eagerly awaited by many who wish to top off the all-too-short summer season with some high-quality music.  

But the PCMF also schedules a few off-season events during the colder months of the year.  The emphasis in these so-called “Winter Warmer” concerts (this will be the third year) leans a little more toward adventurous programs, mixing genres while respectfully looking at traditional works in new ways. Fine musicians come to town ready to challenge and entertain both longstanding and new fans of the music. 

Winter Warmer I and II, the upcoming pair of festival events on March 6 and 8, will feature a return visit by a spirited, genre-jumping quartet called Invoke. All multi-instrumentalists, the foursome, with a little help from a PCMF friend, are scheduled to cover a lot of musical territory.

Invoke members include Geoff Manyin (cello/vocals), Zach Matteson (violin/vocals), Karl Mitze (viola/mandolin/vocals), and Nick Montopoli (violin/banjo/vocals). PCMF artistic director and violist Melissa Reardon will join the foursome during “Winter Warmer II” on March 8. 

I had the chance to conduct brief email interviews with both Matteson and Reardon, as well as PCMF executive director Alice Kornhauser, as the concert dates approach.

Matteson fondly remembered the quartet’s 2020 visit to Maine, noting Portland’s cultural scene (art, music and food) reminded him of Invoke’s Austin, Texas, base of operations. He observed that the quartet, now together for a total of a dozen years, has grown significantly, becoming “more seasoned” and able to balance member’s individual endeavors with a streamlined approach to what they do as an ensemble.

I mentioned to Matteson that Invoke’s interest in featuring adaptations of music by Jimi Hendrix and other rock and pop artists (from The Who to Willie Nelson and more) in Winter Warmer I, subtitled “A Jukebox Salon” and scheduled to be held at Three of Strong distillery in Portland, reminded me of the Kronos Quartet’s embrace of the late guitarist’s work. Matteson enthusiastically acknowledged the connection and imparted Invoke’s interest in “evolving and exploring different ways a string quartet can exist in all musical spheres.”  

Matteson hinted that at a new arrangement by Nick Montopoli of a Duke Ellington tune may also find its way into the program at some point. He added there will be new, original compositions by the group spread over the two concerts, including some destined for their upcoming album.

The Winter Warmer II concert, subtitled “Grown from Roots,” will be held at the new Crewe Center for the Performing Arts on the USM campus in Portland. The program will include a world premiere quintet composed by Invoke member Karl Mitze. The added player for this work will be Reardon, who said she was honored to be asked to perform in the new piece.

Reardon remembers meeting Invoke nearly 10 years ago and coming to appreciate “their ability to weave in and out [of] various styles seamlessly.” She welcomes the idea of the Chamber Music Festival presenting music both up close in unexpected places like Three of Strong Spirits and in the more formal confines of a recital hall at the Crewe Center. In particular, she hopes to attract more students to the music.  

Some might initially find the sort of programming approach of concert II, which is largely, with the exception of the premiere piece, a sampling of movements and arrangements from various historical compositions (from Haydn to Ravel and beyond), to be unusual. But Reardon welcomes “the balance of variety” and is sure that Invoke will “tell the story of how these works came together.” 

Kornhauser credits Reardon and PCMF Board members with searching out the best venues for these events. She acknowledges that, due to limited seating capacity at the Crewe Center, the August PCMF concerts will likely return to the larger Stevens Square Theater.

In addition to the concert programs, the Winter Warmer series includes Invoke’s participation in:

∙“Songs Are Stories!” family concert at the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine, 11 a.m. March 7. Free with museum admission.
∙“Improv and Musical Storytelling” student workshop in partnership with the Maine Suzuki Association, 1:30 p.m. March 7 at the Portland Conservatory of Music. Visit pcmf.org for details and registration information.

Steve Feeney is a freelance writer who lives in Portland.