• The summer concert series of the Friends of Kotzschmar Organ begins this week with Felix Hell, the German-born organist of great renown. He’s performed on the Kotzschmar several times, and FOKO is lucky to continue to lure him back to Portland. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, and features the century-old organ that is built into Merrill Auditorium at Portland’s City Hall.
The summer series continues most Tuesdays through Aug. 30. The full lineup:
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Stephen Tharp, July 19. Tharp has built a respected international career, and is one of the most traveled concert organists of his generation.
Sophie-Veronique Cauchefer-Choplin, Aug. 2. As organist of the Grand Orgue of the church of Saint Sulpice in Paris, she is the first woman to win the second prize in improvisation at the Chartres International Organ Improvisation Competition. She is also a professor at the Royal College of Music in London.
James Jones and Anita Cirba, Aug. 9. Jones plays the organ, and Cirba is on trumpet. Cirba is first chair of the Winston Salem Symphony, conducted by Robert Moody of the PSO.
Dave Wickerham, Aug. 16. He is one of the most accomplished theater organists in the United States, having toured and recorded extensively here and abroad.
Chelsea Chen, Aug. 23. As a composer, Chen is broadening the classical organ repertoire with her own works based on Asian folk songs.
Ray Cornils and the Kotzschmar Festival Brass, Aug. 30. The finale of the series features Cornils, who has performed throughout the United States and internationally and has served as Portland’s municipal organist for more than 20 years. He will be joined by the Kotzschmar Festival Brass.
All performances are preceded by the Kotzschmar Konversation at 6:30 p.m. in the Merrill Rehearsal Hall. Tickets cost $17 and are available through PortTix, by calling 842-0800 or at the Merrill Auditorium box office.
• The Bowdoin International Music Festival continues with concerts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Studzinski Recital Hall on the Bowdoin College campus and at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Crooker Theater at Brunswick High School. The Wednesday concert stars the ever-popular Ying Quartet performing Bartok String Quarter No. 5. The Ying Quartet returns to the festival stage on Friday to perform Mozart’s String Quartet E Flat Major, K. 428.
Tickets for the Wednesday performance cost $30, and Friday tickets cost $40. Tickets may be purchased in advance at 725-3895. For details, visit bowdoinfestival.org.
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