BLUE HILL – A Bangor musician, Dr. Patricia Stowell, has been appointed the new director of the Young Musicians program, an outreach program at Kneisel Hall, according to artistic director Seymour Lipkin.

Stowell holds a doctorate in piano performance and chamber music from Northwestern University and was a director of the Pine Tree Competition. She was piano and string coach at Bay Chamber’s Next Generation program. She has a pivate teaching studio for piano and chamber music in Bangor.

The Young Musicians program provides groups of young Maine musicians with opportunities to take part in ensemble playing, coached by Kneisel Hall faculty. According to Lipkin, young musicians will learn an increased awareness of playing with other musicians, how to merge their personalities within the ensemble performance, and how to produce a “single voice.”

This season there will be two string quartets of young Maine artists, appointed by celebrated cellist George Sopkin. Kendra Lenz (violin) of Hampden, Ryan Lena (violin) of Orono, Mackenzie Gass (viola) of Bangor and Ryan Graebert (cello) of Holden will meet in Bangor.

Kelsey Hudson (violin) of Blue Hill, Nina Monfredo (violin) of Seal Harbor, Travis Reilly (viola) of Brooklin and Andrew Young (cello) of Corea will meet in Blue Hill.

Sopkin, a student of Emmanuel Feuermann, was one of the youngest members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He was a founding member of the Fine Arts Quartet, which appeared at festivals at Ravinia, Tanglewood and Edinburgh.

The ensemble toured worldwide, and recorded much of the major literature for string quartet. In 1979, Sopkin resigned from the quartet and retired from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, with distinction. In 1998, he received the Chevalier du Violincelle from the University of Indiana. Sopkin will coach the 2000-2001 Kneisel Hall Youth Ensemble program.