PROJECTS & CONCERTS
Our performances combine imagery, art, data, and music to cultivate environmental stewardship and raise awareness of the impacts climate change is having on Midcoast Maine. Performances are often designed in collaboration with local partner organizations and the community.
We could not be happier to be returning to live performances. After 16 months of virtual programming, we are thrilled to have a number of in-person concerts and new collaborations booked in the coming months. In light of the events of the past year and a half, we are more committed and determined than ever to share music in ways that inspire joy, empathy, reflection, and action.
Our performances combine imagery, art, data, and music to cultivate environmental stewardship and raise awareness of the impacts climate change is having on Midcoast Maine. Performances are often designed in collaboration with local partner organizations and the community.
We could not be happier to be returning to live performances. After 16 months of virtual programming, we are thrilled to have a number of in-person concerts and new collaborations booked in the coming months. In light of the events of the past year and a half, we are more committed and determined than ever to share music in ways that inspire joy, empathy, reflection, and action.
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BURT DOWN DEEP WATER MAN
APRIL 9, 2022 | 7 PM Waldo Theatre, Waldoboro A lively retelling of Robert McCloskey's beloved Burt Dow Deep-Water Man. This whale of a tale tells the story of a Maine fisherman who heads out to sea and encounters an unlikely situation with a school of whales. The wit-filled, dramatic performance will include projections, live music, and plenty of suspense! Suitable for all ages! Check back soon for ticket information. |
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BURT DOWN DEEP WATER MAN
APRIL 9, 2022 | 10 AM | FREE Waldoboro Public Library, Waldoboro Join Halcyon for a Story Hour at the Waldoboro Public Library, featuring an introduction to Robert McCloskey's Burt Dow Deep-Water Man. |
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RISE UP!
MAY 13, 2022 | TIME TBD Waterman's Community Center, North Haven Rise Up! explores the impacts of sea level rise on Vinalhaven and North Haven islands. The performance features Jill Pelto's painting "Rising Mitigation" and film by video artist Luke Fatora. Through a combination of live music and synchronous film, Rise Up! reflects on the impacts climate change is having on island communities and Maine's coastline while encouraging action and inspiring empathy. |
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FACING CLIMATE CHANGE IN WALDO COUNTY
July 24, 2022 | 4 PM Searsmont Public Library, Searsmont A combination of lecture and performance, this event will raise awareness of the impacts of climate change in Waldo County - combining scientific data with live music. |
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Gulf of Maine ECOARTS with artist Anna Dibble & Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Installation TBD | Bigelow Laboratory Utilizing a special fusion of art and natural science, the central focus of the Gulf of Maine EcoArts initial project is the two-year building of a collaborative public art installation. The first exhibition venue will be at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay, Maine. Halcyon will partner with the GMEA when live performances are possible. Their music is featured on the installation's promotional video. |
Rising Mitigation | 2021 Art commission
We are excited to share Rising Mitigation, a commissioned work by Maine-based artist and researcher Jill Pelto. Rising Mitigation is the inspiration for "Rise Up," an upcoming program we will present in 2022 focused on sea level rise impacts in Maine. Stay tuned for more details!
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ABOUT THE PAINTING A mix of sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs, and salt marshes shape sections of Maine’s iconic shoreline. All these places are vulnerable to sea level rise, and Rising Mitigation looks from the past to an uncertain but optimistic future. The painting demonstrates the unstoppable force of the Atlantic Ocean and associated risks to human infrastructure and the delicate ecosystems of coastal wetlands that dot the coastline. Salt marshes are vital ecosystems, prevent shoreline erosion, and protect water quality. Rising Mitigation depicts a beach house with solar panels in front of a salt marsh — an individual effort to start mitigating the collective impact of anthropogenic climate change in spite of government inaction. A stacked bar graph sits behind the house and represents Maine’s increasing use of renewable energy from 1960 to 2018 (EIA, 2018). In the foreground, sea level rise data from 1880 to present encroaches on the marsh and house (EPA, 2020). Within this 140-year period, global oceans have risen over 8 inches. Looking toward the future, low to intermediate projections for continued rise correlate with how fast we take action, including switching to majority renewable energy consumption. The dashed lines extending to the right represent how drastic and severe this outcome may be. The lowest risk scenario shows another 8 inches of rise by 2100, the intermediate-low prediction jumps to 19 inches, and the intermediate estimate shows 47 inches. Even the lowest risk scenario demonstrates a need for immediate and increased investment in mitigation, which includes ending our collective dependence on fossil fuels. |
Rising Mitigation, Watercolor and Colored Pencil, 13” x 17”, 2020
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Past performances
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ELLSWORTH COMMUNITY MUSIC INSTITUTE
October 22, 201 | 1 PM General Bryant E. Moore Community Center 125 State Street, Ellsworth, ME Halcyon will share an afternoon of chamber music with special guest and Ellsworth Community Music Institute Faculty Member, Luke Fatora. Program details will be forthcoming. |
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HALCYON at SCHOODIC INSTITUTE
August 28, 2021 | 6:00 PM Schoodic Institute, Winter Harbor We return to Schoodic Institute for an in-person and livestreamed evening of chamber music in Moore Auditorium. The program features Borodin's String Quartet No. 2 and Dvorak's "American" Quartet, and more. The program is accompanied by a multimedia component featuring the coastal landscape of the Downeast Maine region. |
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REBOUND
August 8, 2021 | 7:00 PM Broad Bay Church, Waldoboro Join us for a performance of Dvorak's beloved piano quintet with guest pianist Margarita Rovenskaya. The program will also include music by Jose´ Elizondo and more. Admission by donation at the door. Unvaccinated people are required to wear masks. |
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MELODY IN MOTION: celebrating our land and sea
July 31, 2021 | 7:00 PM The Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor Presented by the Boothbay Sea and Science Center, Halcyon will share an evening of music paired with imagery of the Maine coast by videographer Luke Fatora. A historic Maine Shipyard with the pageantry of boat restoration overlooking magnificent Boothbay Harbor will play host to this unique 2021 event where the melody of the music will be paired with the movement of the moment. Click here for tickets. |
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MACBETH CONCERT SERIES LIVESTREAM
July 28, 2021 | 7:00 PM Chebeague Island, Maine In this collaboration with violinist and videographer Luke Fatora, Halcyon celebrates and reflects on our experiences of winter and light in the northern latitudes. The program includes Vivaldi's "Winter" from the Four Seasons, Richter's On the Nature of Daylight, and works by Schubert, Debussy, Price, and others. The performance was streamed live from the Waldo Theatre in Waldoboro in January, 2021. To receive the concert link, please email Carl Tubbesing at: carldt@gwi.net. |
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OLD SOUTH CUSHING CHURCH
July 25, 2021 | 4 PM Salt Pond Rd., Cushing, Maine Josie, Sophie, Colin, and Luke will return to North Haven with their new group, "Take 4," a string quartet composed of three violins and viola. The program features a wide variety of music ranging from traditional Scottish tunes and Argentinian tango to Spanish lullabies and beloved arias. All of the music was chosen and arranged by the group to create an eclectic, joyful, and evocative evening of music. All are welcome! Admission is by a $10 suggested donation at the door. |
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NEW BEGINNINGS: SONGS OF HOPE & RESILIENCE
July 24, 2021 | 7 PM Rockport Opera House, Rockport, Maine Halcyon will partner with DocSong for a concert featuring documentary songs performed by vocalist Suzie Assam and instrumental selections performed by Halcyon. The documentary songs share stories from individuals across the country: one song, written this past winter, tells of standing in the middle of George Floyd Square and feeling a flood of unexpected emotions. Another song tells of one wildland firefighter’s reasons for showing up to a grueling job year after year. The concert is available both in person and via livestream. Click here for tickets. |
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WATERMAN'S COMMUNITY CENTER
July 14, 2021 | 7:30 PM North Haven, Maine Josie, Sophie, Colin, and Luke will return to Cushing with their new group, "Take 4," a string quartet composed of three violins and viola. The program features a wide variety of music ranging from traditional Scottish tunes and Argentinian tango to Spanish lullabies and beloved arias. All of the music was chosen and arranged by the group to create an eclectic, joyful, and evocative evening of music. Learn more at watermanscommunitycenter.org. |
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HALCYON & FRIENDS
JANUARY 14, 2021 | Streamed LIVE @ 7:00 PM The Waldo, Waldoboro, Maine Join us as we celebrate and reflect on our collective experiences of winter and light in the northern latitudes. We will present an evening of chamber music and accompanying film that captures winters striking and wild beauty alongside the subtlety, quiet, and darkness that define this time of year. The program includes Vivaldi's "Winter" from the Four Seasons, Richter's On the Nature of Daylight, and works by Schubert, Debussy, Price, and others. The performance features locally filmed imagery that captures the intricacy and beauty of Maine landscapes. |
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VIRTUAL HOLIDAY CONCERT in collaboration with Down East Singers and Bay Chamber Concerts
Premiered December 11, 2020 We are thrilled to team up with Down East Singers and Bay Chamber Concerts for a festive virtual program of choral and string music. The virtual performance features members of Down East Singers, Bowdoin Chorus, and other choristers, members of the Midcoast Brass Quintet, and Jennifer McIvor, keyboard accompanist. The video created for the concert was filmed by violinist and videographer, Luke Fatora in a hayfield in Cushing. View the concert here! |
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August 23, 2020 | 6:30 PM
Moore Auditorium Schoodic Institute, Winter Harbor, Maine We return to Schoodic Institute for a live-streamed evening of chamber music in Moore Auditorium. The program includes Borodin's String Quartet No. 2, Dvorak's "American" Quartet, and music by Mozart, Piazzolla, Villa-Lobos and more. The multi-media program is accompanied by a multi-media component featuring the coastal landscape of the Downeast Maine region. |
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NEW YEAR'S BY THE BAY
December 31, 2019 | 6 & 8 PM First Baptist Church, Belfast, Maine The 23rd Annual New Year’s By The Bay celebration will take place at venues throughout downtown Belfast, beginning at 2 PM with music and performance events all day and evening and culminating in the midnight bonfire at the Belfast Public Landing. |
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CHEBEAGUE ISLAND CONCERT
September 7, 2019 | 7:00 PM United Methodist Church, Chebeague Island, Maine We'll present the final concert of the season on the MacBeth Concert Series - sharing music by Schubert, Mozart, and more. The program will include a multimedia component combining live music with images that tell the story of Maine's changing climate and its impacts on Chebeague and its working waterfront. The program will feature artwork by Jill Pelto of Glaciogenic Art, as well as photos submitted by local photographers. For more information, visit Chebeague Events. Admission by donation. |
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CELEBRATE CITIZEN SCIENCE
August 26, 2019 | 5:30-8:30 PM Moore Auditorium Schoodic Institute, Winter Harbor, Maine Join us for an evening of music and imagery celebrating the contributions of the many volunteers who collect and record observations of the natural world at Schoodic Institute. The evening will feature music by Mozart and Dvorak and will portray the many ways every day observations become essential information for understanding our changing climate and its challenges. The work of citizen scientists amplifies research capacity, from monitoring patterns of seabird, hawk, and songbird migration, to evaluating trends in the intertidal zone at the edge of land and sea, to observing the timing of plant flowers, fruits, and seeds. This event is free and open to the public however, space is limited. |
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CAFÉ SCI
July 9, 2019 | 5:30 PM Bigelow Laboratory's Cafe Sci, East Boothbay, Maine We will kick off this year's Cafe Sci series with a collaborative program that hightlights the role of the arts in scientific communication. Our performance will be based around imagery from the Bigelow Lab’s 2015 photography exhibit, “Tiny Giants.” The performance will highlight the role marine microbes play in regulating our oceans and ultimately the ecosystems we depend on. |
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MUSIC ON THE MEDOMAK
June 22, 2019 | 7:00 PM Broad Bay Church, Waldoboro Join us for a celebration of the Medomak River and the working waterfront with music and imagery. The evening will feature music by Dvorak and Holst alongside a selection of Danish folk tunes, each paired with photographs and artwork by Midcoast artists. Through imagery, music and story, Music on the Medomak captures the many ways the river supports local fisheries from clamming and lobstering to ice fishing and the alewife run. Admission by donation. |
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ENVISIONING CHANGE
May 6th, 2019 | 1:00 PM High Mountain Hall, Camden, Maine This performance will take audience members on a musical and visual exploration of climate change impacts in Midcoast Maine. The program will combine photography and art with live string quartet music to capture the beauty, resilience, and vulnerability of the world we live in. The performance will open with a panoramic perspective of climate change that begins in the polar ice sheets and gradually zooms in to explore the impacts global changes are having in the Gulf of Maine and our Midcoast communities. Envisioning Change is intended for students and educators, however members of the public are encouraged to intend. The performance is designed to inspire new ways of thinking about and responding to the impacts of climate change by encouraging active stewardship of the places we live. |
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April 20th, 2019 | 6:00 PM
United Farmer's Market, Belfast, Maine Join us at for an evening of beautiful music and delicious food at the Belfast Farmer's Market. The concert will feature Dvorak's rousing "American" Quartet - a piece inspired by Native American and African American folk melodies. The program will be interspersed with traditional fiddle tunes that run the gamut from soulful waltzes to toe-tapping dances and span the globe from Argentina to Sweden. Tickets can be purchased at the door and are available for $10 at belfastmarket.com or by phone at 207.218.7005. A cash bar and food will be available. |
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The Four Seasons | 2016 Six months before the concert, community members were invited to submit photos of the natural world in Midcoast, Maine. The images spanned all four seasons and were projected during a live performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Musicians shared their own stories and reflections of time spent in Maine throughout the performance. A Little Night Music | 2017 A Little Night Music was inspired by sunrises and sunsets. The project began with a workshop at Miller Elementary School. Josie and Sophie projected images of Waldoboro skies and played music while third grade students painted their most memorable sunrises and sunsets. The vibrant artwork was projected alongside paintings contributed by local professional artists while musicians played Mozart’s A Little Night Music in candlelight. Farm to Fiddle | 2018 Four local farms contributed images capturing the daily rewards and challenges of farm life. The program featured information about each farm and interviews with the farmers about how climate change is affecting their farming practices in rural Maine. Images were projected while musicians performed Tchaikovsky’s beloved Souvenir de Florence—a rousing, rustic, and joyful piece. A strawberry shortcake reception followed with berries donated by three local farms. |
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
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