Three summer music mainstays are celebrating major milestones this year, performing everything from symphonies to show tunes.
75th Anniversary
Pierre Monteux School & Music Festival
“Conducting is not enough,” begins a quote attributed to French-born conductor Pierre Monteux. “I must create something. I am not a composer, so I will create fine young musicians.” Now, 75 years since its founding, the school he started at his home in Hancock still hosts a six-week program of instruction and performance every summer for aspiring bandleaders and musicians. Performances on Sundays and Wednesdays run through July, and Ludovic Morlot, head conductor of the Seattle Symphony and a Monteux School alum, will conduct Debussy’s Jeux on July 22. 42 Melody Ln., Hancock. 207-460-0313.
60th Anniversary
Maine State Music Theatre
In its long history, Maine State Music Theatre has proven time and again to midcoast theatergoers that they needn’t travel to New York City to enjoy top-notch productions and talent — more than 2,000 of the visiting performers have gone on to snag roles under the bright lights of Broadway. Among this year’s highlights: Beauty and the Beast (June 27–July 14) and Saturday Night Fever (July 18–August 4). 1 Bath Rd., Brunswick. 207-725-8769.
25th Anniversary
Portland Chamber Music Festival
Portland native Jennifer Elowitch has been leading the city’s annual chamber music festival since its inception, but after this year’s program, August 9–18, she’s passing the baton, so to speak, to incoming artistic director Melissa Reardon, a Grammy-nominated violinist whose many credits include touring with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. Performances include works by Haydn, Dvořák, and Brahms, and the festival kicks off with Mendelssohn’s Octet, which was the finale in Elowitch’s first year. Abromson Center, University of Southern Maine, 88 Bedford St., Portland. 800-320-0257.
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