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Partnering with Schoodic Arts for All, steward of Hammond
Hall, home to a rare 1924 Steinway concert grand piano, the
Winter Harbor Music Festival is now a blanket term for a
year-long series of inclusive classical music programming
in addition to the expanded two-week summer festival.
“A lot of stuff comes out of those two weeks,” Deiran
explains.

“Ever since we had our chamber concerts here the whole
place has felt like it has been set for an opera,” he said. The
backstage offers changing, dressing and costume storage
rooms with a stage manager’s booth, light and tech equip-
ment completing the 1903 former town hall’s impressive
acoustics. A fully equipped kitchen makes possible the irre-
sistible “eat, perform, go home” community sing events.
Carol Wincenc, Abagail Krieger and Deirdre McArdle perform
a trio at Hammond Hall.
Three seasons ago, the opera program was added to the orchestra program with the 2020 bill to feature Rossini’s Barber of Seville, a
sort of storyline prequel to Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro planned for 2021. “And at some point,” Deiran admits, “I’d even like to
mount a performance of Die Fledermaus opera on New Year’s.”

“I can’t believe he does this,” Deirdre interjects.
Deiran’s passion, energy and expertise masterfully condense a professional opera company’s normal rehearsal schedule of six weeks
into two for a cast of performers and musicians of all ages and levels of experience. Founded on the belief that everyone has some-
thing to teach and to learn, even those with no experience whatsoever are offered a schedule that encourages participation. “Time is
managed differently with only a few obligations each day,” Deiran explains.

“When I was younger, I felt like I spent the whole year at school and did
not want to go to school in summer, and so I wanted to create a program
like this that didn’t feel like school, that felt like something enjoyable, not
didactic.”
“One of the things I can say we have accomplished,” Deirdre offers, “is we
have integrated Maine musicians and students from the University of Maine,
with New York musicians and students, and it has been very beneficial for
their careers. I feel really good about that.”

Above: Two priests (Nathan Krishnaswami and John
Cunningham) from Mozart’s The Magic Flute prepare
Tamino (Omar Bowey) for his trials.

Left: Sir Joseph Port (Deiran Manning) from HMS Pinafore
and his able bodied seamen (Ross Schwaber, Irv Hogkins and
John Cunningham) perform an opera flashmob in Corea, Maine.

For more information on the Winter Harbor Music Festival
email them at winterharbormusicfestival@gmail.com or by
calling (917) 238-0819. Or contact Schoodic Arts for All, at
www.schoodicartsforall.org or by calling (207) 963-2569.

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