STRONG — Students at the Strong Elementary School learned Wednesday that guitars and cellos are a lot alike, and pizzicato is nothing to eat. It means plucking the strings of an instrument with the fingers, rather than using the bow.

The Kennebec Trio, all Bangor Symphony Orchestra string musicians, performed a morning concert for nearly 200 students, providing lively and wide-ranging examples of great composers.

Ludwig van Beethoven, who lived from 1770 to 1827, was one of the greatest composers of all time, violist Mary Jo Carlsen told them. He had his own distinct style, and he continued to write music after he lost his hearing.

He reportedly cut the legs off his piano and played it on the floor to hear the music vibrations.

“You’ll hear some crunchy, poppy notes on this next piece,” Carlsen said. “Beethoven was cool that way.”

The trio also performed more familiar ragtime, bluegrass and folk music, demonstrating the ties the stringed instruments have with the fiddle and guitar.

Strong hosted Phillips students and the Kingfield School hosted Stratton students for an afternoon concert.

The Kingfield POPs committee, which invited the group to perform, also organizes an annual summer concert, featuring the Bangor Symphony Orchestra and local and nationally known performers. With its proceeds, the group supports music programs in the district, so children can participate as early as third, fourth and fifth grades. Principal Felecia Pease said Graybert Beacham, who teaches music in the district, would like to start a student orchestra.

Students quickly raised their hands when musicians asked for questions.

“How is a cello like a guitar?” Emily Kidd, 7, asked.

Meyer explained how the two were built with different curves and types of wood and that different sounds came from different openings in the instruments.

“My aunt and my cousin play the guitar, and my grandmother Neil is teaching me how to play the piano,” Kidd said, as she got into line with other students after the concert. “I really liked that music.”

The musicians share a deep passion for the music they play, and all three started playing instruments before the age of 10. Carlsen studied with Itzhak Perlman and Ora Shiran. She teaches violin and viola, and coaches chamber music at Colby College.

Cellist Eliza Meyer performs with New England chamber and orchestral ensembles. Violist Linda Theriault performed for 18 years with the National Symphony Orchestra of Taipei, Taiwan.