BSO to present banjo, bass and guitar performance

BANGOR – The Bangor Symphony Orchestra and the Kruger Brothers, led by music director and conductor Xiao-Lu Li, will present a special music performance combining banjo, bass and guitar.

“Music from the Spring: A Romantic Serenade for Banjo, Guitar, Bass and Orchestra” premieres at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at the Maine Center for the Arts, Orono. A special patrons’ reception with the Kruger Brothers, Maestro Li and the orchestra leaders will follow the performance.

The Kruger Brothers earned a strong following in Maine, having performed summer festivals here for several years. After meeting with Maestro Li, Jens Kruger’s dream of composing for orchestra and traditional American banjo, guitar and bass has become a reality.

Last summer’s Kingfield POPS and Camden POPS concerts featured the Kruger Brothers performing excerpts from “Music from the Spring” for the first time.

With the BSO, the Bangor school department and the Bangor Public Library presenting a series of educational “informances” as an offshoot of the BSO’s “Know Your Orchestra!” outreach program “Strings Attached,” the collaboration has had a positive impact on the community during this past year.

The program showcased the Kruger Brothers, local and regional fiddling ensembles and BSO musicians to build new audiences for two genres of music – American folk and classical. A long-term goal of the collaboration was to encourage string lessons among the area’s young people.

Because there are relatively few string programs in Maine schools, the BSO is challenged by an ongoing shortage of proficient local string players. Organizers also sought to showcase local artists and support Maine teachers’ efforts in music education.

The Kruger Brothers, Abbott Hill Ramblers, Bangor High School Fiddlers and Franklin County Fiddlers performed for thousands of school children throughout the state, in Swanville, Farmington, Wilton, Strong, Phillips, Stratton, Bangor, Ellsworth and Kingfield. Many people also attended music programs at the Bangor Public Library with BSO violist Laura Gallucci; Dr. David Klocko, musicologist; the Abbott Hill Ramblers; and Bangor High School Fiddlers.

The success of the “Strings Attached” program is demonstrated by the number of young people attending the BSO’s classical concerts during the 2006-07 season. The enthusiasm for performing and learning to play an instrument has resulted in teachers and parents requesting that the programs continue and return for repeat engagements.

Individual advance tickets for the World Premiere event range from $15 to $35, with senior and youth discounts available. Tickets may be reserved online at www.bangorsymphony.com or by calling the Bangor Symphony Orchestra box office at 942-5555 or (800) 639-3221.