Portland Symphony Orchestra Receives Grant to take KinderKonzerts: The Story of Abbie Burgess on Summer Library Tour

Abbie Burgess Grant

PORTLAND, Maine – The Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) will partner with seven Maine libraries this summer to take their popular KinderKonzert performance The Story of Abbie Burgess on the road. PSO’s KinderKonzerts are fun and interactive concerts for young children and are designed to educate and entertain, working to develop a love of music at a young age. The summer concerts, which are free of charge to the public, will be funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
 

The Story of Abbie Burgess tells the true tale of a courageous young girl who tended Maine’s Matinicus Rock lighthouse on her own, braving the treacherous month-long Nor’easters throughout the winter of 1856. Her strength and determination attracted much attention and she became a renowned local heroine. Today, her story is featured in several popular children’s books.

 

Matinicus Rock Light Station

“This program will serve to energize the PSO’s youngest audiences – and Maine’s youngest readers – around music and literacy, and will hopefully help instill in them a lifelong love of music and reading,” said Heather Summer, education and community engagement manager for the Portland Symphony Orchestra.

Children are encouraged to sing, dance and wiggle while they listen and watch the orchestra members tell the inspiring story of Abbie Burgess. The concert has a 40-minute running time and is meant for children aged 4-8. The PSO has made teaching materials pertaining to Abbie’s story available for download online to help prepare library staff and parents for their child’s concert experience.

Concert Dates for Summer 2012:

·       Wednesday, June 20^th – Bath, Patten Free Library (2:00 pm and 3:00 pm)
·       Thursday, June 21^st – Farmington, Farmington Public Library (10:30 am and 11:30 am)
·       Monday, July 16^th – Portland, Portland Public Library (10:30 am)
·       Monday, July 30^th – Kennebunk, Kennebunk Public Library (6:30 pm)
·       Saturday, August 4^th – Chebeague, Chebeague Recreation Center (2:00 pm)
·       Tuesday, August 7^th – Damariscotta, Lincoln Theatre (10:00 am)
·       Tuesday, August 7^th – Rockland, Rockland Public Library (1:30 pm)
 

For additional information contact the libraries directly or visit portlandsymphony.org.

About Portland Symphony Orchestra’s KinderKonzerts:
KinderKonzerts are a wonderful way for kids ages 3 through 7 to gain exposure to symphony music as they explore the different families of musical instruments. Each performance is part of a series of programs that feature the four families of instruments: woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion. Attendees are encouraged to sing, smile, and engage with the musicians while they learn about classical music and symphony performances.