Concord Community Music School

NEW DATE! Bach's Lunch: Love Heals (The Family Hodes with Kent Allyn)
2025-02-14 12:10 - 12:50 (America/New_York) | CCMS Recital Hall
Yes, we’re having a Bach’s Lunch on a Friday!
The Family Hodes returns for their annual Valentine’s Day Bach’s Lunch, with Kent Allyn.
Peggo and Paul Hodes have been musical partners with Kent Allyn for going on three decades…YIKES! As a trio, they have been performing, recording multiple albums and sharing beach bonfires for years. Following an award-winning run of albums for children and families as Peggosus, Peggo and Paul teamed up with Kent to record a series of acoustic oriented albums, “Patchwork Quilt, A celebration of The American Spirit”, which earned them a trip to perform at the White House, “Summer Nights” and the classic Holiday album, “Winter’s Light”. They released Peggo’s solo Jazz record, “In Love” on Parma’s Big Round Records imprint. Their performances are always light-hearted and heartfelt featuring original and folk songs extolling the wonders of love. As the Family Hodes, Peggo and Paul are joined once again by their talented daughter, singer-songwriter Ariana Hodes. Ariana tore up the indie country charts a while back and writes catchy songs about love and love lost. Her latest EP as “Ariana Hodes and The Longest Year” is on its way to cyber space.
This annual “Valentine’s Day” show has become a tradition to lift your spirits and make your heart sing in the depths of winter. It will be held in our historic Recital Hall. It is free of charge and open to the public, thanks in part to the generosity of the Walker Fund. Donations are appreciated.

NEW DATE! Bach's Lunch: Making Magic with Ken Burns
2025-02-20 12:10 - 12:50 | CCMS Recital Hall
Photo by Daniel B. Friedman

RESCHEDULED! Pianist Jacqueline Schwab spins musical stories out of the myriad strands in the American quilt and with the spirit of community music making at their heart. Her signature playing features in over a dozen of Ken Burns’ documentaries, including his Grammy-winning Civil War, Baseball, Lewis and Clark, Mark Twain, The War and Benjamin Franklin, as well as The Irish in America—The Long Journey Home and other PBS documentaries. She has performed at the White House for President Clinton and twice on PBS with the American Pops Orchestra and has accompanied Scottish singer Jean Redpath on public radio’s A Prairie Home Companion and on CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman. As a solo pianist, she has performed vintage music in almost every state of the Union. She is well known to the traditional dance world for her groundbreaking playing with the Bare Necessities ensemble. Her recently-released solo album I Lift My Lamp—Illuminations from Immigrant America celebrates vintage music from American immigrants. A recent project has been a collaboration with Alliance for New Music-Theatre, Washington, DC, where Jacqueline performed Ukrainian traditional music to accompany readings of recently translated plays about the war in Ukraine. Jacqueline graduated from New England Conservatory, majoring in piano improvisation. She grew up in Pittsburgh and has since lived in Boston and on Cape Cod.
Making Magic with Ken Burns, featuring pieces from Jacqueline’s Burns soundtrack performances, as well as pieces from her own work inspired by Ken’s piercing window into American history. From Burns’ documentaries, you will hear Jacqueline’s interpretation of Jay Ungar’s well-loved “Ashokan Farewell”, along with well-known vintage American standards, such as “Be Thou My Vision”, “Tenting on the Old Campground” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, as well as lesser-known period tunes, such as the traditional Scottish “Sae Merry As We Hae Been”. Jacqueline speaks about Ken’s unusual way of working with music—how he elicits emotive performances and uses music to amplify his messages and shed historical light on our lives today.
This event will be held in our historic Recital Hall. It is free of charge and open to the public, thanks in part to the generosity of the Walker Fund. Donations are appreciated.

CCMS Integrated Arts Recital - Feb 20, 2025
2025-02-20 19:00 - 20:00
Join us on February 20, 2025 to support our students! Student recitals are part of the Music School’s multi-level curriculum for private lesson students. These frequent performance opportunities help our students perform more easily, broaden their musical skills, and help them make new musical friends.
This performance is extra-special because participants have the opportunity to display visual art they have created, using their music as inspiration. These images will be projected on screen as they perform.
This event will be held in our historic Recital Hall. It is free of charge and open to the public. Donations are appreciated.

Bach's Lunch: The Roots of John Barleycorn: Myth, Folktale, Riddle, and Song
2025-03-06 12:10 - 12:50 | CCMS Recital Hall
A beloved song of the Anglo-Celtic folk song tradition, “John Barleycorn” parodies the traditional murder ballad style as it traces the life cycle of barley as it grows, is harvested, and turned into beer. Guitarist and CCMS faculty Dan Faiella, in turn, will trace the cycles of rebirth of the song itself as it winds its way from a distant Celtic past, through King Arthur Legends, 17th-century pub songs, and its recent revival in the 60s and 70s.
It will be held in our historic Recital Hall. It is free of charge and open to the public, thanks in part to the generosity of the Walker Fund. Donations are appreciated.

David Surette Mandolin Festival 2025
2025-03-07 - 2025-03-09 | CCMS
Announcing the 2025 David Surette Mandolin Festival at the Concord Community Music School on March 7-9, 2025.
There will be workshops on Saturday and Sunday for all levels on things like specific styles and skills, waltzes, how to play tasty back-up for songs, and more. There are classes each period for beginners to advanced levels. Each teacher will offer something for each level so you will get to be with every teacher by the end of the weekend. As always, a set of group tunes will be sent out in advance for you to work on for us to play together. The Saturday concert is included with your fee for the weekend. The Friday night concert in Kittery, Maine will be a separate ticket.
Instructors for the 2025 David Surette Mandolin Festival are Carlo Aonzo, Sharon Gilchrist, Will Patton and Neil Pearlman. Read more about the instructors here.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, March 7, 7:30pm – David Surette Mandolin Festival Kickoff Concert at Kittery Dance Hall featuring Carlo Aonzo, Sharon Gilchrist, Will Patton and Neil Pearlman with special guests Susie, Isa and Julianna Burke https://www.thedancehallkittery.org/ (note: this is a separate ticket from Saturday and Sunday events at the Music School).
Saturday, March 8 – Participatory workshops and jams, 9:30am-5:00pm (all Saturday and Sunday events at the Concord Community Music School, Concord, NH)
Saturday, March 8, 7:30pm – David Surette Mandolin Festival Concert featuring Carlo Aonzo, Sharon Gilchrist, Will Patton and Neil Pearlman with special guests Susie, Isa and Julianna Burke. Online ticket purchase no longer available – limited tickets available at the door!
Sunday, March 8 – Workshops 9:30am-1:00pm
Lodging is available at the Concord Courtyard by Marriott in Concord, New Hampshire, with a special festival rate of $139 per night. Please book by February 14, 2025 by using the following link: Book your group rate for Concord Community Music School Mandolin Festival
Additional Notes: As in years past, there will be a jam session at the Concord Courtyard by Marriott after the Saturday concert open to all festival participants. And as always, we will be offering the option to order a delicious lunch to be delivered to the school on Saturday for an additional fee. Coffee, tea and afternoon cookies will be freely provided.
Click Here to Register for Mandolin Festival Workshops
For questions regarding registration, please contact Registrar Nicole Laurin at nlaurin@ccmusicschool.org or call 603-228-1196.

David Surette Mandolin Festival Concert 2025
2025-03-08 19:30 - 21:00 | CCMS Recital Hall
Join us on Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 PM for the David Surette Mandolin Festival Concert, featuring Carlo Aonzo, Sharon Gilchrist, Will Patton and Neil Pearlman with special guests Susie, Isa and Julianna Burke. This concert takes place in the Music School Recital Hall, and tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for older adults (ages 65+) and ages 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased at the link below, in person at the Music School or over the phone by calling 603-228-1196. Note: admission to the Saturday evening concert is included for all festival participants; registration for the weekend workshops is available online HERE or by calling 603-228-1196. For questions regarding registration, please contact Registrar Nicole Laurin at nlaurin@ccmusicschool.org.
Online ticket purchase no longer available – limited tickets available at the door!

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
As some of you know, Carlo Aonzo experienced last minute visa problems which kept him from joining us from his home in Italy for the 2024 festival. We are so happy to tell you that Carlo will be joining us in 2025! Carlo’s illustrious career began with learning from his father in his native Savona. He is now is a world-renowned player and teacher of traditional Italian classical mandolin repertoire, but his interests and skills span across many genres. Carlo’s deep interest in outreach activities focused on his instrument is witnessed by his countless collaborations with mandolin orchestras and chamber orchestras around the world, as well as collaborations with a great number of fellow musicians including Beppe Gambetta and David Grisman. He is also regularly invited to judge mandolin contests, give lectures, and teach workshops in many countries. In the last few years he has toured Japan, USA, Panama, Australia, India, Switzerland, France, Norway and Germany. He has been awarded both the first prize at the Concorso Internazionale “Pitzianti” in Venice, and first prize at the Walnut Valley National Mandolin Contest in Winfield, Kansas! In 2006 he founded the International Italian Mandolin Accademia in Genoa Nervi, where David Surette taught in both 2018 and 2019. https://www.carloaonzo.com/

We are pleased to welcome into our mando family Nashville mandolin player Sharon Gilchrist! Our festival founder David had hoped to hire Sharon for a number of years, and we’re thrilled that our schedules have finally meshed. Sharon Gilchrist began touring the national bluegrass circuit in her home state of Texas before earning a BA in Mandolin Performance at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. For two decades, Sharon has performed with many of the groundbreaking legends in bluegrass and new acoustic music including The Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet, Scott Nygaard and John Reischman in The Harmonic Tone Revealers, Darol Anger, Tony Trischka, The CA Bluegrass Reunion Band, Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands, Uncle Earl and many others. She is also a respected and influential music educator offering private mandolin instruction, online mandolin courses at http://www.pegheadnation.com, and teaching at music camps internationally. In 2024, Sharon joined the John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project as a featured artist and co-producer on their Vol 2. album, which will be released in early 2025. Sharon currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee. https://linktr.ee/sharongilchristmusic

Last year, with just days before the festival, Maine’s Neil Pearlman filled in for Carlo with fabulous mandolin and piano playing. We asked him to come back for 2025 and are glad he said yes! Multi-instrumentalist, producer, step dancer and host of the TradCafe podcast, Neil Pearlman is a vital and distinctive voice in contemporary folk music. While he is best known for his groundbreaking approach to the piano in Celtic music, Neil is also a fantastic mandolinist, as anyone who attended the 2024 mandolin festival can attest. Neil’s playing is continually evolving and spontaneous without losing its roots in the traditional piano styles of Atlantic Canada, New England and Scotland. He has appeared internationally at major festivals such as the Newport Folk Festival, Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Celtic Colours in Cape Breton and the Orkney Folk Festival and has recorded or performed with luminaries of traditional folk music including Natalie MacMaster, Darol Anger, Seamus Egan and Alasdair Fraser. Neil plays with the wonderful Maine-based quartet the Pine Tree Flyers, in addition to his solo work and other collaborations. His medley of Scottish tunes was a memorable concert moment in 2024. https://neilpearlman.com/

And last but not least, it will be great to welcome back after a long absence our Vermont friend, Will Patton. Will has taught at the mandolin festival several times over the years, always to rave reviews. Will plays everything from Brazilian choro music to bluegrass to the Beatles. He has been playing music since the age of 6, starting on piano and taking up guitar at age 12. Mandolin and bass soon followed, and he’s been leading bands since he was thirteen. He studied at Middlebury College in Vermont and discovered a deep connection with the rural landscape there, but his travels have taken him to Rio, Paris and the Caribbean as well as all over the U.S. and Canada. During the last twenty years he has been visiting and playing in Paris, and has been recording and collaborating with legendary manouche guitarist Ninine Garcia. He also has a passion for Brazilian music, exploring the music known as choro with his band Estrela do Norte, and in the last 5 years he has been performing with the Vermont Mandolin Trio featuring Matt Flinner and Jamie Masefield. (Susie fondly remembers the duets David and Will did over the years and recalls even more of their ear-to-ear grins, as seen in his photo.) https://wpatton.com

Bach's Lunch: A Celtic Journey
2025-03-13 12:10 - 12:50 | CCMS Recital Hall
With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, join the Concord Community Music School’s folk faculty as they share some of our favorite songs and fiddle tunes from the Celtic tradition. A trio of fiddlers – Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki, Liz Faiella, and Audrey Budington – will join forces with guitarist Dan Faiella to present toe-tapping fiddle tunes and classic songs.
This event will be held in our historic Recital Hall. It is free of charge and open to the public, thanks in part to the generosity of the Walker Fund. Donations are appreciated.

CCMS Student Recital - March 14, 2025
2025-03-14 18:00 - 19:00 | CCMS Recital Hall
Student recitals are part of the Concord Community Music School’s multi-level curriculum for private lesson students. These frequent performance opportunities help our students perform more easily, broaden their musical skills, and help them make new musical friends.
This event will be held in our historic Recital Hall. It is free of charge and open to the public. Donations are appreciated.

Spring Folk Gathering
2025-03-20 18:00 - 20:30
Join us for an evening of jamming with fellow folk musicians and CCMS folk faculty, plus performances by students from the Concord Community Music School’s Folk Department!
6:00 – 7:00pm – Slow Jam | Novice/Early Intermediate (other levels welcome to sit in!)
7:00 – 7:30pm – Ensemble Performances
7:30 – 8:30pm = Fast Jam | Late Intermediate/Advanced (other levels welcome to sit in!)

This event is free and open to the public.

CCMS Student Recital - March 28, 2025
2025-03-28 19:00 - 20:00 | CCMS Recital Hall

Bach's Lunch: Raga Music Composition (Lecture)
2025-04-03 12:10 - 12:50 | CCMS Recital Hall
Hari Maya Adhikari and David Nugent will present a lecture on traditional Indian string instruments and their use in the creation and performance of Raga music.
A raga is a melodic framework for improvisation in, and is central to, Indian and Nepalese classical music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, from the perspective of the Indian tradition, the resulting music has the ability to “color the mind” as it engages the emotions of the audience.
Hari Maya Adhikari is originally from Nepal, holds a Master’s in Music from the Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India, and taught music at a university in Nepal. She performs for Indian, Bhutanese, and Nepali communities in New Hampshire and throughout the Northeast, especially for religious events and important traditional celebrations. She plays classical Indian music as well as sacred and popular tunes, and composes some of her own music in the South Asian traditions.

This event will be held in our historic Recital Hall. It is free of charge and open to the public, thanks in part to the generosity of the Walker Fund. Donations are appreciated.

NE Roots and Branches - "Transatlantic Tunes: Celtic & British Isles Folk Tunes"
2025-04-05 18:00 - 21:00 | CCMS Recital Hall
Explore the roots of New England’s unique and beautiful folk music tradition via Concord Community Music School’s new “New England Roots & Branches” series. Some of New Hampshire’s premier folk musicians will combine concerts, jam sessions, and contradancing into lively celebrations of a variety of traditions. Folk musicians of all levels are invited to bring their instruments to play along with performers (and CCMS faculty) Audrey Budington, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki, and Liz Faiella, fiddles and Dan Faiella, guitar at the start and end of each session. However, it is not necessary to play an instrument or have contradance experience to attend and enjoy the events.
“Transatlantic Tunes: Celtic & British Isles Folk Tunes” celebrates music from across the pond that has made its way into the New England folk repertoire. It will begin with a slow jam at 6:00 p.m., followed by a concert at 7:00 p.m., and wrapping up with a fast jam at 8:00 p.m.
And save the date for our final “Roots and Branches” event, also held at CCMS:

Friday, May 23, 2025 – 6 PM – “Music From North & South: Canadian & Appalachian Folk Tunes”

The “New England Roots and Branches” series is free and open to the public. It is made possible in part through a Folklife and Traditional Arts grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.

Bach's Lunch: South Asian Music (Performance)
2025-04-10 12:10 - 12:50 | CCMS Recital Hall
Hari Maya Adhikari, Prem Sagar Khatiwada, David Nugent, William Fletcher, and Sushil Gautam perform a variety of traditional Indian and Nepalese tunes.
Hari Maya Adhikari is originally from Nepal, holds a Master’s in Music from the Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India, and taught music at a university in Nepal. She performs for Indian, Bhutanese, and Nepali communities in New Hampshire and throughout the Northeast, especially for religious events and important traditional celebrations. She plays classical Indian music as well as sacred and popular tunes, and composes some of her own music in the South Asian traditions.
Prem Sagar Khatiwada holds a Master’s degree in music from the Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India. He was born in Nepal and comes from a very musical family; his brothers play the bamboo flute and sing. He plays the tabla (a double drum with resonating surfaces on the top side) and the madal (a single drum with resonating surfaces on either end). After graduate work, he was on the music faculty of a university in Nepal. In addition to his musical expertise, Mr. Khatiwada studied Sanskrit and is a Hindu priest. (by special arrangement)
William Fletcher holds degrees in Choral Music Education and in Music Theory and Composition from the University of New Hampshire. He retired, after 37 years, from the faculty of St. Paul’s School (Concord, NH) where, in addition to his duties as Wind Ensemble director and Choirmaster for 30 years, he taught voice, composition and music theory. He is a former faculty member of CCMS. In addition, he has taught public schools in both Weston, Ct. and Horseheads, N.Y. He is a frequent adjudicator and guest conductor of music festivals throughout New England. As music director of the Concord Chorale , a 75 voice auditioned community chorus, he has led tours of France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Canada and Czechoslovakia. In addition to being a respected music composer and producer, Fletcher is also known as a talented portrait painter and graphic/web designer.
Sushil Gautam graduated from Tribhuvan Universit in his native Nepal in 2002. He dedicated years of work toward the preservation and promotion of Nepalese ethnic musical instruments and culture, including writing a book on the sarangee (a traditional Nepalese bowing instrument) and helping to establish Music Museum of Nepal in Kathmandu.In addition to his work as a Nepali language interpreter and instructor for foreign students, international travelers, and diplomats, Gautam has performed on stages in Nepal, India, China, Europe, and the United States. Now a permanent resident of the US, Gautam lives and works in Massachusetts.
This event will be held in our historic Recital Hall. It is free of charge and open to the public, thanks in part to the generosity of the Walker Fund. Donations are appreciated.

A Jazz Milestone: A Miles Davis Tribute (CCMS Fundraiser)
2025-04-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Bank of NH Stage, 16 South Main Street, Concord, NH, 03301, United States
Join Concord Community Music School for our annual Jazz Night, a vibrant spring fundraiser at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (Downtown Concord, NH). This year’s event is “A Jazz Milestone: A Miles Davis Tribute,” by the CCMS All-Stars (Russ Ryan, Zeb Cruikshank, Andrew Grosvenor, Matt Hogan and Jared Steer).
In addition to being one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpeters, Davis is also known for assembling some of the finest ensembles in jazz, featuring musicians who would go on to become jazz legends themselves.
“Kind of Blue” is considered one of his greatest recordings, due in no small part to the contributions of his bandmates – John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, and Wynton Kelly.
Join CCMS faculty & friends as we pay tribute to this late-’50s era of Miles Davis’ music, and perform selections from the critically-acclaimed “Kind of Blue”, along with other Miles compositions of that time period.
Space is limited, so advance purchase is highly recommended.
We’re offering multiple ticketing options for this lively concert: table seats at $75 each and balcony seating for $30 ea.
Full tables for a group of four can be purchased for $250 (a savings of $50) and includes four drink tickets.
Your ticket purchase at any level includes a pre-show reception from 5:30-6:30 PM in BNHS’s upstairs Cantin Room, where you can meet the musicians!
Order your tickets today at ccanh.com here

CCMS Student Recital - April 17, 2025
2025-04-17 18:00 - 19:00 | CCMS Recital Hall

Songweavers Concert: Hope, Love, and Understanding
2025-04-26 17:00 - 18:30 | South Congregational Church, 27 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH, 03301, United States
The Songweavers Women’s Chorus with Director Jennie O’Brien present a concert on Saturday, April 26 at 5:00 PM at the South Congregational Church at 27 Pleasant Street in Concord, NH featuring songs of Hope, Love, and Understanding. Join us for a concert of songs and drumming to lift your spirits, to bring in the spring, and to feel community. Joining the singers will be the Songweaver drummers performing West African style rhythms, co-directed by Grace and Lindsey Schust.
Songweavers is New Hampshire’s first all women’s chorus and all women’s drum group and is an ensemble of the Concord Community Music School. Founder Carolyn Parrott strongly believed that everyone can sing and created an ensemble and community where all women are welcome. Songweavers has been singing and creating community ever since!

Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children (under 18) or older adults (65+). Tickets can be purchased below via credit card, in person at the Music School or by calling us at 603-228-1196.
Please note: online and phone ticketing closes at 5 pm on Friday, April 25, and then tickets must be purchased at the door. We will not be creating physical tickets for this concert. Once your tickets have been purchased (online, by phone or in person) we will add you to our list and check you in at the door!
Download a concert poster

April Vacation Week Camp: Black Light Puppet Theatre!
2025-04-28 - 2025-05-02 | CCMS
Black Light Puppet Theatre! April Vacation Week Camp
Week of April 28-May 2 (9:00 am – 1:00 pm)
Ages 6-12
Join us mornings during April Vacation week, to build and perform a wildly original puppet performance, using brightly colored, paper-constructed puppets and fluorescent lighting.
Tuition includes all materials. There will be a lunch break each day; campers should bring their own food and water. In the event that we have insufficient registration to run the program, all fees will be refunded in full; families will be notified by April 14.
REGISTER ONLINE
About The Bee Skep Puppet Theatre
The Bee Skep Puppet Theatre is a professional company that aims to tell tales that explore humanity’s interconnectedness, celebrate community, and illuminate our place in the natural world. It seeks to transform base materials into spiritual gold, as the bee transforms plant pollen into golden honey that feeds and sustains the hive, and the world.
About the Instructor
Jonathan Edward Cross, (a/k/a “Jonny ClockWorks”) returned to his native New Hampshire following a 33-year theatre career in NYC. His Cosmic Bicycle Theatre company and The ClockWorks Puppet Theatre were recipients of several Jim Henson Foundation Grants, and UNIMA-USA award for excellence in puppet theater, an Off-off Broadway Review Award, and a PIF Award overseas.

Bach's Lunch: Recital of Song
2025-05-01 12:10 - 12:50
The recital is based around “song” with the three more lyrical choices highlighting the different characteristics of despair, dream, and loss. The time period of these three choices spans the 19th century-halfway into the 20th century exploring the harmonic changes in compositional writing through the romantic, impressionist, and more contemporary eras. Bach’s 5th suite in the key of C minor, brings a turn to the baroque era, 1600-1750, and explores dance elements while continuing the darker tone of the program. Bach uses multiple voices in the writing that spreads through the range of the cello, while other movements have the absence of chords and use simpler rhythm creating a more mournful and desolate movement. It’s the only cello suite using alternate tuning: having the A string tuned to the note G called scordatura. Combined with elements of lyricism and rhythmic motives, the tuning and message of this suite continues the atmosphere and story of the recital, to convey a darker tone.
Bach’s Lunches are free and open to the public. They are made possible in part through the generosity of the Walker Fund.
Performers:
Described as a “brilliant cellist” by the Boston Globe, Harel Gietheim has impressed audiences and critics alike with his fresh interpretations and dramatic presentation style. Equally at home as both soloist and chamber musician, Mr. Gietheim has performed across North America, Europe and Asia. Orchestra positions include appearances as principal cellist for Symphony New Hampshire, Springfield Symphony, Back Bay Chorale, and Boston Masterworks Chorale. New Hampshire’s Hippo Press singled out his solo playing as “top notch”. Mr. Gietheim has performed as soloist with groups such as Nashua Chamber Orchestra, Keshet Eylon Festival Orchestra, Longy School of Music Summer Orchestra and Newton Symphony Orchestra. Chamber music performances include collaborations with artists such as Sharon Kam, Gil Shaham, Alexander Bailey, and musicians from Boston, San Francisco, and London Symphony Orchestras. Harel Gietheim was born in Kibbutz Ruhama, Israel, and began his cello studies at the age of eight. His major teachers were Uri Vardi, Michael Haran and Eric Rosenblith. He participated in many master classes with renowned cellists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Lynn Harrell, Janos Starker, and Aldo Parisot. He is a faculty member at Manchester Community Music School and St. Paul’s School.
Abigail Charbeneau holds a B.A. in music from Skidmore College and M.M in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Illinois. She has studied with Pola Baytelman, William Heiles, Arkady Aronov, Adaleina Krivosheina, Kenneth Drake, and Reid Alexander. She’s a collaborative pianist at Plymouth State University, teaches piano at Saint Paul’s School and Concord Community Music School, and is the organist at South Congregational Church all in Concord, New Hampshire.
CCMS faculty Jan Fuller, described as “a wonderful cellist and musician” by Lynn Harrell, is a Concord, NH resident and began his studies at the age of five. He has performed across the East Coast as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, performing at prestigious halls such as Jordan Hall, Sanders Theater, Symphony Hall, Alice Tully, and Carnegie Hall. He has participated at festivals such as The Interlochen Music Festival, Tanglewood BUTI, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Meadowmount School of Music, Heifetz International Music Institute, Aspen Music Festival, and the National Summer Cello Institute, working with artists such as Steven Doane, Uri Vardi, Lynn Harrell, Hans Jensen, Franz Helmerson, Ralph Kirshbaum, Christoph Henkle, Antonio Lysy, Desmond Hoebig, Darrett Adkins, Richard Aaron and member from the Ying Quartet. A passionate teacher, Jan continues to work with his former teacher, Harel Gietheim, as his assistant during summers at the Manchester Community Music School. Jan plays a cello made in 2007 by William Whedbee. He received his Bachelors and Masters degrees from The Juilliard School, studying with Timothy Eddy. His former teachers include Harel Gietheim and Natasha Brofsky.

Bach's Lunch: Air Space
2025-05-08 12:10 - 12:50
Air Space is the sonic dialogue between keyboardist, Mike Effenberger and percussionist, Brian Shankar Adler. Inspired by the minimalist structures and analogue textures of artists like Brian Eno, Ólafur Arnalds, Jóhann Jóhannsson, and Nils Frahm, the duo transcends boundaries, creating an atmospheric soundtrack to the somnambulist’s night in the deep woods.
Their expansive sound comes from Effenberger’s analog and digital keyboards and tape delays, pitted against Adler’s genre-defying use of percussion from South America, South Asia and the sewers of Brooklyn. Blending Indian raga, post-Cageian minimalism, and lo-fi nostalgia with an occasional field recording of crickets, tiny sparks fly while the music retains a deceptively serene appearance. There is a haunting alchemy in the collision of Effenberger’s hazy, warbly approach to synthesis and Adler’s incisive rhythmic personality.
At times complementary, at times combative, and always richly musical, the duo explores site specific new music as well as the occasional unsuspecting gem from elsewhere. Effenberger says: “I have long been interested in the possibilities that come from two very different things being allowed to simply be different rather than negotiate a truce, existing alongside each other without giving up their individualities. Brian’s musicality absorbs the challenge with a grace that is exciting and inspiring.”
Adler and Effenberger were both heavily involved in the Brooklyn music scene in the 2000s and 2010s. However, it wasn’t until 2020 that they met and began working together in Maine and New Hampshire, where they now reside. Adler reflects: “Upon moving north, I was really wanting to make music in a duo setting. A mutual friend introduced Eff and I, and we arranged a session shortly thereafter. I was instantly struck by Eff’s musical choices: his patience in developing an idea, his intentional use of space and the way he recontextualized my musical ideas. I left that session thinking that we have something here (and also wondering if he ever cracks a smile)!” Shortly thereafter the newly formed Air Space made its debut in a casemate at Fort Gorges, an island off the coast of Portland.
Cricket Cipher was recorded on July 7, 2020 at The Noise Floor, New Hampshire’s finest studio and unwilling raccoon sanctuary. The duo took a minimal approach to the production, using as few microphones as possible while still capturing the magic of the space and of the interplay. The result is a juxtaposition of high and low fidelity that creates a sonic space all its own.
Bach’s Lunches are free and open to the public. They are made possible in part through the generosity of the Walker Fund.

Folk Department Jam & Student Recital
2025-05-08 18:00 - 20:00
Join CCMS Folk Department faculty and students for an evening of folk music! Bring an instrument and check out the pre-recital open folk jam starting at 6pm, or just come to listen and enjoy performances by Folk Department students and ensembles in the recital starting at 7pm.
This event is free, open to the public, and will be held in our Recital Hall.

CANCELLED - CCMS Student Recital - May 9, 2025
2025-05-09 19:00 - 20:00 | CCMS Recital Hall
This event has been cancelled. We welcome you to attend our other events and happenings.
Student recitals are part of the Concord Community Music School’s multi-level curriculum for private lesson students. These frequent performance opportunities help our students perform more easily, broaden their musical skills, and help them make new musical friends.
This event will be held in our historic Recital Hall. It is free of charge and open to the public. Donations are appreciated.

CCMS Adult Student Recital - May 14, 2025
2025-05-14 19:00 - 20:00 | CCMS Recital Hall
Student recitals are part of the Concord Community Music School’s multi-level curriculum for private lesson students. These frequent performance opportunities help our students perform more easily, broaden their musical skills, and help them make new musical friends.
This event will be held in our Community Room. It is free of charge and open to the public. Donations are appreciated.

Seussical Jr. (With Purple Finches Youth Chorus; Fri PM SOLD OUT)
2025-05-16 18:30 - 20:00
A musical perfect for the whole family, Seussical JR (performed by our Purple Finches Youth Chorus and directed by Maria Isaak) takes us into the world of Dr. Seuss, where we revisit beloved characters including The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie, and JoJo.
The Cat in the Hat guides us into The Jungle of Nool where we see Horton, the kind-hearted elephant who discovers a speck of dust containing Whoville. He meets JoJo, a Who child reprimanded for thinking too many “thinks.” Horton decides he must protect the speck of dust on a nearby clover, while at the same time protecting an abandoned egg left to his care by the lazy Mayzie la Bird. Horton tries to convince the other animals in The Jungle of the existence of the Whos, but he is ridiculed and put on trial for insanity. Only his loyal neighbor, Gertrude McFuzz, never loses faith in him and eventually, the two fall in love.
Seussical JR weaves a story of friendship, loyalty, and love. Despite all odds, Horton and Gertrude band together to save the Whos, free Horton, and restore peace and unity to the Jungle of Nool.
Seussical JR teaches us the power of being unique, and the importance of fighting for your beliefs.

Performance dates and times are:
Friday, May 16, 2025: 6:30 PM – SOLD OUT
Saturday, May 17, 2025: 2 PM and 6:30 PM
Sunday, May 18, 2025: 2 PM

Tickets are $10/pp (all ages). Please use the following links to purchase tickets
Friday, 6:30 PM show: https://square.link/u/wq5k69NO- SOLD OUT
Saturday, 2 PM matinee: https://square.link/u/AiRKX9k1
Saturday, 6:30 PM show: https://square.link/u/e7BdkT6D
Sunday, 2 PM matinee: https://square.link/u/BoJwiVOy

Seussical Jr. (With Purple Finches Youth Chorus; Sat Matinee)
2025-05-17 14:00 - 15:30
A musical perfect for the whole family, Seussical JR (performed by our Purple Finches Youth Chorus and directed by Maria Isaak) takes us into the world of Dr. Seuss, where we revisit beloved characters including The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie, and JoJo.
The Cat in the Hat guides us into The Jungle of Nool where we see Horton, the kind-hearted elephant who discovers a speck of dust containing Whoville. He meets JoJo, a Who child reprimanded for thinking too many “thinks.” Horton decides he must protect the speck of dust on a nearby clover, while at the same time protecting an abandoned egg left to his care by the lazy Mayzie la Bird. Horton tries to convince the other animals in The Jungle of the existence of the Whos, but he is ridiculed and put on trial for insanity. Only his loyal neighbor, Gertrude McFuzz, never loses faith in him and eventually, the two fall in love.
Seussical JR weaves a story of friendship, loyalty, and love. Despite all odds, Horton and Gertrude band together to save the Whos, free Horton, and restore peace and unity to the Jungle of Nool.
Seussical JR teaches us the power of being unique, and the importance of fighting for your beliefs.

Performance dates and times are:
Friday, May 16, 2025: 6:30 PM
Saturday, May 17, 2025: 2 PM and 6:30 PM
Sunday, May 18, 2025: 2 PM

Tickets are $10/pp (all ages). Please use the following links to purchase tickets
Friday, 6:30 PM show: https://square.link/u/wq5k69NO
Saturday, 2 PM matinee: https://square.link/u/AiRKX9k1
Saturday, 6:30 PM show: https://square.link/u/e7BdkT6D
Sunday, 2 PM matinee: https://square.link/u/BoJwiVOy

Seussical Jr. (With Purple Finches Youth Chorus; Sat PM)
2025-05-17 18:30 - 20:00

Seussical Jr. (With Purple Finches Youth Chorus; Sun Matinee)
2025-05-18 14:00 - 15:30

We Will Rise (Joint Northern Lights / Canterbury Singers Concert)
2025-05-18 17:30 - 19:00 | Wesley United Methodist Church, 79 Clinton St., Concord, NH, 03301, United States
This year marks the second annual joint concert with Canterbury Singers and Northern Lights Women’s Vocal Ensemble. Each group will present a short set of songs and then join forces to sing some uplifting Gospel music.
Location:
Wesley United Methodist Church, 79 Clinton St., Concord, NH
Tickets:
$15 (advance purchase suggested at https://square.link/u/4nG9hist )

New Horizons Band Concert- May 2025
2025-05-22 18:30 - 19:30
5/22/25 UPDATE: Due to inclement weather, this event will be held in our historic Recital Hall.
The New Horizons Band is a community band that welcomes adults of all ages who play woodwind, brass, or percussion instruments. No auditions, no requirements, just reasonable comfort on your instrument to get started.
Under the direction of Maria Isaak, New Horizons at CCMS is a supportive group for those who have always wanted to learn an instrument, those who haven’t played in years, and even players who have kept their music making current and desire to play in a concert band setting.
Learn more about the Band at ccmusicschool.org/new-horizons-band/

NE Roots and Branches - "Music From North & South: Canadian & Appalachian Folk Tunes"
2025-05-23 18:00 - 21:00 | CCMS Recital Hall
NEW DATE! Explore the roots of New England’s unique and beautiful folk music tradition via Concord Community Music School’s new “New England Roots & Branches” series. Some of New Hampshire’s premier folk musicians will combine concerts, jam sessions, and contradancing into lively celebrations of a variety of traditions. Folk musicians of all levels are invited to bring their instruments to play along with performers (and CCMS faculty) Audrey Budington, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki, and Liz Faiella, fiddles and Dan Faiella, guitar at the start and end of each session. However, it is not necessary to play an instrument or have contradance experience to attend and enjoy the events.
“Music From North & South: Canadian & Appalachian Folk Tunes” begins with a slow jam at 6:00 p.m., followed by a concert at 7:00 p.m., and wrapping up with a fast jam at 8:00 p.m.
The “New England Roots and Branches” series is free and open to the public. It is made possible in part through a Folklife and Traditional Arts grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.

Songweaver Drummers Recital - Spring 2025
2025-05-28 19:00 - 20:00
Songweaver Drummers is open to intermediate and experienced women drummers with at least one year’s experience, where they can learn African hand-drumming techniques taught in the oral tradition.
This recital is free and open to the public. It will be held in our Community Room.
