Merrill Auditorium

Eckart Preu, Music Director ChoralArt Masterworks PROGRAM JOHN KNOWLES PAINE | Overture to As You Like It COPLAND | Appalachian Spring SUPPLY BELCHER | An Anthem of Praise TRAVIS M. RAMSEY | FIRE! How do you capture the essence of home? How does the past inform the spirit of a community? In the opening concert of its 102nd season, the PSO celebrates our home of Portland, Maine, and music that expresses our identity. Travis Ramsey’s “FIRE!” provides an auditory history of a key moment in Portland history: the Great Fire of 1866, and Portland’s rise from the ashes. Telling the story of the immense fire and the aftermath of rebuilding, it captures the resiliency of the spirit of Portland—Resurgam (“I shall rise again.”). The journey into our state’s past is rounded out by works from Maine composers John Knowles Paine, the first professor of music at Harvard University and student of Hermann Kotzschmar, and Supply Belcher, also known as “the Handel of Maine.” Brining the focus outward is Copland’s iconic work, Appalachian Spring. Capturing the spirit of rural America, Copland use on folk-like melodies and simple harmonies to reflect on a national identity and weave a story of optimism and hope through difficult times. RUN TIME: approximately 2 hrs including intermission ADULT and CHILD & STUDENT prices are available online for this event. GROUP 10+ is available via phone & in-person only. Per ticket service fee is based on a percentage of the ticket price.

Eckart Preu, Music Director ChoralArt Masterworks PROGRAM JOHN KNOWLES PAINE | Overture to As You Like It COPLAND | Appalachian Spring SUPPLY BELCHER | An Anthem of Praise TRAVIS M. RAMSEY | FIRE! How do you capture the essence of home? How does the past inform the spirit of a community? In the opening concert of its 102nd season, the PSO celebrates our home of Portland, Maine, and music that expresses our identity. Travis Ramsey’s “FIRE!” provides an auditory history of a key moment in Portland history: the Great Fire of 1866, and Portland’s rise from the ashes. Telling the story of the immense fire and the aftermath of rebuilding, it captures the resiliency of the spirit of Portland—Resurgam (“I shall rise again.”). The journey into our state’s past is rounded out by works from Maine composers John Knowles Paine, the first professor of music at Harvard University and student of Hermann Kotzschmar, and Supply Belcher, also known as “the Handel of Maine.” Brining the focus outward is Copland’s iconic work, Appalachian Spring. Capturing the spirit of rural America, Copland use on folk-like melodies and simple harmonies to reflect on a national identity and weave a story of optimism and hope through difficult times. RUN TIME: approximately 2 hrs including intermission ADULT and CHILD & STUDENT prices are available online for this event. GROUP 10+ is available via phone & in-person only. Per ticket service fee is based on a percentage of the ticket price.

Kathy Griffin is a two-time Emmy and Grammy Award winning comedian, television star, best-selling author and advocate known for her biting satire and fearless comedy. The legendary performer holds the Guinness Book of World Records for writing and starring in an unprecedented 20 televised stand-up specials. Kathy is perhaps best known for her hit Bravo series, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, which aired for 6 years and won 2 Emmys. Kathy starred on NBC’s Suddenly Susan and guest starred on Seinfeld, Law & Order: SVU, Glee, You, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. She has lent her unique voice to animated characters in Shrek Forever After, The Simpsons, American Dad, Futurama and Dilbert. Kathy co-produced and co-hosted CNN’s New Year’s Eve special, with Anderson Cooper for 10 years. Kathy’s memoir, Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin, debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. Her second book, Kathy Griffin’s Celebrity Run-Ins: My A-Z Index, was also a New York Times Best Seller. Kathy is a passionate advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, women, other disenfranchised groups, and is a cancer survivor herself. Run Time: Approximately 75-90 minutes, with no intermission. Only ADULT prices are available for this event. Ticket prices include a per ticket service fee, varying from $14 – $18 depending on ticket price. Please Note: Tickets may not be resold for higher than face value. PortTIX reserves the right to cancel tickets or require tickets to be picked up with a valid ID if we have reason to suspect that tickets will be resold on a 3rd party site. See here for policies.