June Recital Week: Senior Recital - Heitor Mantovani-Ferreira
2025-06-06 19:30 (America/New_York) | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Heitor Mantovani-Ferreira, viola
student of Julia Adams
Chris Staknyo, piano
Celia Mantovani, piano
Johann Sebastian Bach – Suite No. 2 in D minor
Johannes Brahms – Sonata in F minor, Op. 120, No. 1
Niccolo Paganini – Cantabile

June Recital Week: Student Recital #1
2025-06-07 11:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
See PCM students as they perform for you in this free concert showcasing their hard work and dedication.
Featuring students from the following string, voice, and piano studios:
Margaret Hopkins
Julia Adams
Colin Whiteman
Victoria Stubbs
Rachel Herzer
Eleanor Lehmann

June Recital Week: Student Recital #2
2025-06-07 14:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
See PCM students as they perform for you in this free concert showcasing their hard work and dedication.
Featuring students from the following guitar, violin, and piano studios:
Robert Gans
Margaret Hopkins
Paul Kneller
Chiharu Naruse
Rachel Herzer

June Recital Week: Student Recital #3
2025-06-07 17:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
See PCM students as they perform for you in this free concert showcasing their hard work and dedication.
Featuring students from the following piano and cello studios:
Miriam Schwanauer
Amy Hunter
Victoria Stubbs
Ben Noyes
Rachel Herzer

June Recital Week: Adult Recital
2025-06-07 19:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
See PCM students as they perform for you in this free concert showcasing their hard work and dedication.
Featuring adult students from the following piano, voice, guitar, violin, and cello studios:
Amy Hunter
Luette Saul
Ben Noyes
Chiharu Naruse
Sylvia Schwartz
Paul Kneller
Miriam Schwanauer

Not Not Jazz | WMPG's Jazz at the Movies
2025-10-18 19:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
JAM presents the film “Not Not Jazz”, Saturday, October 18th
WMPG’s Jazz At The Movies and the Portland Conservatory of Music are excited to present the documentary film “Not Not Jazz”, Jason Miller’s documentary on Medeski Martin & Wood.
The original architects of jam band music, keyboardist John Medeski, bassist Chris Woods, and drummer Billy Martin first got together in New York clubs back in the early 1990s. They have since gone on to become major stars on the national and international festival circuit. Some call their music “avant-groove”, some call it “avant- jazz”. John Medeski calls it “ wide open”. Whatever you call it, the music this powerful trio makes is remarkable and defies categorization. It is where the art of improvisation meets the irresistible groove. Medeski Martin & Wood can take an audience on an adventure that seamlessly navigates a path through improvised jazz, rock, hiphop and funk, and in a way that invariably gets them up and dancing.
“Not Not Jazz” offers us a real behind the scenes view of the band in the process of creating new music, at a recording studio in Woodstock, NY. With more than 25 years of performing together as a band, these 3 virtuosic players share a special kind of instinctual communication. And as this film shows us, through with copious footage of the band playing from then up to now, the chemistry between these 3 musicians remains electric to this day, and never stops. The groove they got just keeps going…
Just like the music, the movie Not Not Jazz flows with a momentum all its own. WMPG’s Jazz At The Movies invites you to join us on Saturday, October 18th, 7pm, at the Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St., Portland, for the film “Not Not Jazz”.
Tickets are free, and donations are gladly accepted.
And as a very special bonus, band drummer Billy Martin will be on hand to introduce the film in person. Together with Jamie Saft and Jesse Heasly will present a short performance.

Titus Abbott Quartet @ SPACE Gallery
2025-10-26 19:30 | SPACE Gallery, 538 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101, Portland, ME, 04101, US
DATE AND TIME
Sunday, October 26 2025
7:30pm
doors at 7:00pm
TICKETS
$20 advance
$25 day of show
$2 off for SPACE members
_
IRL Box Office | Cash only. No fees.
Fridays 12-6 pm at 534 Congress St.
Co-presented by
SPACE Gallery
BUY TICKETS HERESaxophonist and composer Titus Abbott brings a new quartet highlighting his decades-long collaboration with pianist and composer Mike Effenberger. The quartet is completed by Scott Kiefner on bass and Maine based but globally recognized drummer RJ Miller.
The evening will open with a series of short films by Peter Shellenberger (totaling 15 minutes), that are connected to singles from Titus Abbott upcoming trio release, Tangible Mystery.
As an improviser and composer, Titus has worked and recorded with a wide range of collaborators from his native Canada to Europe and the US including Graham Collier, Eddie Pévost, The Grand Union Orchestra, Ashley Maher, George Koller, Frank Carlberg, Pascal Niggenkemper, Michael Sarin, Marilyn Lerner, Curtis Clark, Nate McBride, Luther Gray, Jamie Saft, Sean Conly, Phillip Greenlief, Loren Stillman and many others performing at venues, concert halls and jazz festivals worldwide.

FREE Jazz Workshop: Otherlands Trio
2025-11-15 16:00 - 17:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Join Otherlands Trio for a workshop before their show, taking you behind the scenes into how they make music together! Learn about their approach to collective improvisation, aka spontaneous composition, and ensemble connection and development. Trio members will talk about their individual and collective processes and philosophies, and will play some to demonstrate. Open to the public for anyone who is interested, reservation and ticket purchase not required for the workshop.
RSVP Here

Improv-A-Ganza Presents: Giving From The Art
2025-12-06 16:00 - 18:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Tickets
Vol. 1 – United We Stand! ~~ All profits will go toward United Way of Southern Maine toward warming shelters, clothing and food.

Improv-A-Ganza Presents:
Giving From The Art – Vol 1 – United We Stand!
A Benefit show in support of United Way of Southern Maine.
This holiday season, Improv-A-Ganza is helping raise money for those in need here in Portland, Maine by supporting the funding of warming shelters, and providing food, clothes, and other resources.
Join us on Saturday, December 6th at The Portland Conservatory of Music for an evening filled with hilarious stand-up and improv comedy, and even some music!
Help us reach our fundraising goal for United Way of Southern Maine, while also enjoying an evening of hilarious comedy and entertainment!
~ Comedy Lineup ~
Adam Groppman
Amanda Eaton & Brendan Daly
Matt Dundas
Improv-A-Ganza
We’ll have raffle tickets available for purchase at the event and the prizes will be all sorts of gift cards and goodies from local businesses!
There will also be a Canned Food Drive and a Clothing drive, so make sure to bring your donatable items with you to the show, and we will receive them at the entrance! Everyone who brings something to donate will receive a free raffle ticket!
Tickets will also be sold at the door, but we encourage you to get them ahead of time so that we can plan accordingly for attendance.
So tell your friends and family, and mark your calendars, and we will see you on Saturday, December 6th!
Doors open at 3:30pm and the show will go from 4:00pm – 6:00pm.
~ We will also be selling snack food and drinks at the event ~

New Horizons: Band and Saxophone Ensemble Concert
2025-12-17 18:30 | Stevens Square Community Center, 631 Stevens Ave., Portland, 04103, United States
Don’t miss this New Horizons concert, featuring the Southern Maine New Horizons Band, and the New Horizons Saxophone Ensemble!
Date: December 17, 6:30 pm
Location: Stevens Square Community Center, 631 Stevens Ave., Portland, ME.
About New Horizons:
Southern Maine New Horizons Band provides an entry point to instrumental music making for adults with no musical experience at all or who have been inactive for a long period and want a fun and supportive place to start over again. Our motto is – “It’s Never Too Late!” and “Your Best is Good Enough!”

Beginners and novices are welcome. Choose any of the woodwind, brass or percussion instruments to learn or re-learn. You don’t have to be a novice, though. If you’re already an expert on your instrument, we want you too!

Learn More

January Recital Week: Suzuki Groups
2026-01-15 17:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
See PCM students as they perform for you in this free concert showcasing their hard work and dedication.

January Recital Week: Student Recital #1
2026-01-16 18:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States

January Recital Week: Student Recital #2
2026-01-17 11:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States

January Recital Week: Student Recital #3
2026-01-17 14:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States

January Recital Week: Student Recital #4
2026-01-17 17:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States

January Recital Week: Adult Recital
2026-01-17 19:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
See PCM adult students as they perform for you in this free concert showcasing their hard work and dedication.

January Recital Week: Student Recital #5
2026-01-18 12:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
See PCM students as they perform for you in this free concert showcasing their hard work and dedication.
Featuring students from the following violin, saxophone, guitar, clarinet, and piano studios:

January Recital Week: Recital #6
2026-01-18 15:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States

January Recital Week: Recital #7
2026-01-18 17:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States

January Recital Week: Chamber Ensembles
2026-01-21 18:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States

January Recital Week: Jazz Ensembles
2026-01-22 18:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States

January Recital Week: Middle Eastern Ensemble
2026-01-23 18:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
See the PCM Middle Eastern Ensemble perform for you in this free concert showcasing their hard work and dedication.

January Recital Week: Cello Choir
2026-01-24 18:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
See the PCM Cello Choir as they perform for you in this free concert showcasing their hard work and dedication.

WMPG's Jazz at the Movies | Music Pictures: New Orleans
2026-01-31 19:00 - 21:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
JAM presents the film”Music Pictures: New Orleans”, Sat., January 31st.
WMPG’s Jazz At The Movies and the Portland Conservatory of Music are pleased to present our first film of the 2026 season, the documentary “Music Pictures: New Orleans”. Beautifully shot and recorded, the film is a loving portrait of four Crescent City jazz, soul, and blues legends, and a celebration of 100 years of New Orleans musical history.
Directed by New Orleans native filmmaker Ben Chace, “Music Pictures: New Orleans” is a vibrant documentary exploring the rich musical heritage of New Orleans. It showcases the city’s diverse musical landscape, from legendary jazz clubs to lively street performances, highlighting the influences of Creole, African American, and French cultures, and how historical events, like Mardi Gras and Hurricane Katrina, have shaped the city’s music scene. Through interviews with local musicians and historians, Music Pictures: New Orleans reveals music's central role in the city’s cultural and social fabric.
The film showcases four New Orleans music legends: Grammy-winning Irma Thomas “The Soul Queen of New Orleans” ; Benny Jones Sr., the leader and drummer of the world renowned Treme’ Brass Band; guitarist Little Freddie King, the “Last King of the Blues”; and the pianist and educator, Ellis Marsalis, Jr., patriarch of the famed jazz family, in what would be his last concert before his death. Music Pictures: New Orleans follows each of the four artists, one by one, as they talk about their lives, rehearse, and record a new album in the studio in early 2020s. By combining vintage footage with live interviews and rare backstage access, this film provides a wonderful snapshot of New Orleans as the home for so much great American music, from soul to brass band to jazz and the blues. What better way to get ready for the Mardi Gras season!
WMPG’s Jazz At The Movies invites you to come join us on Saturday, January 31st, 7PM, at Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St., Portland, for “ Music Pictures: New Orleans”. Admission is FREE, and donations are gladly accepted. Let the good times roll!

WMPG's Jazz at the Movies | Shhhh....It's Top Secret!
2026-02-21 19:00 - 21:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Shhhhhhhhh….It’s top secret!!

As part of Black History Month, WMPG’s Jazz At The Movies is excited to present
a film so special we can’t even mention its name! A Sundance Film prize winner featuring
everyone from Stevie Wonder to Sly Stone and Nina Simone – a concert so epic that it’s been called “Harlem’s answer to Woodstock”…
Be ready to see and hear some of the baddest concert footage ever recorded. You won’t want to miss it, and it’s showing by special arrangement right here in Portland – One night only!

Saturday, February 21st, 7:00PM at the Portland Conservatory of Music, 29 Neal St.
Admission is FREE

Admission is FREE, and donations are gladly accepted.

240 Strings | Echoes Through Time and Story
2026-03-15 15:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
We explore the expressive voice of the flute as it travels across centuries and styles—from the ornate elegance of Baroque Italy with Vivaldi, through the evocative melodies of 20th-century film music by Nino Rota, to the vivid colors and playful spirit of Jacques Ibert’s modern French repertoire. Each piece invites listeners to experience the flute as a storyteller, painting vivid scenes and emotions with every note. We are thrilled to welcome our guest, Nicole Rabata, flute.
Guest Tim Paek, Cello
Anastasia Antonacos, Piano
Tracey Jasas-Hardel, Violin
Run Time: 90 minutes
Learn More

WMPG's Jazz at the Movies | Low Down
2026-03-21 19:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
WMPG’s Jazz At The Movies and The Portland Conservatory of Music are pleased to present “Low Down”, a film adaptation based on the first person memoir of A.J. Albany, the daughter of the great bebop jazz pianist Joe Albany. Back in the late 1940s, Albany had played with Mingus, Charlie Parker, and Lester Young, but by the early 1970s had faded into obscurity.
Shot in grainy 16 mm by cinematographer Jeff Preiss (who shot the beautiful 1990 Chet Baker documentary ”Let’s Get Lost”), and with a superb soundtrack with music from Joe Albany, Coleman Hawkins, Monk and Max Roach, Low Down is not just a jazz movie. It is the compelling and touching story of an adoring daughter’s love and forgiveness for a father who has fallen prey to hard times and unforgiving hard drugs. It is about one girl’s growing up, and about one man’s refusal to. And as Amy- Jo says, it’s really about the jazz that shaped her, and “a love story, a poem to my father, and also to Los Angeles.”
Among the stellar cast are Glen Close as the girls wise grandmother, Elle Fanning as Amy-Jo, and Ethan Hawkes as the jazz crazed pianist Joe Albany. Joe Albany, of course, was not alone in falling victim to the demon dope; it had taken the lives of such jazz greats as Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday. There is a sad but poignant beauty throughout this film about the downside of the jazz life. Like the music, it can be sweet and low down too.
Join us Saturday, March 21st, 7 PM for the “Low Down” at the Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St., Admission is free, and donations are gladly accepted.

Portland Community Mandolin Orchestra
2026-03-27 19:00 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
An open letter to all lovers of the mandolin in Portland, Maine and it’s surrounding environs:
You are cordially invited to the final concert of the Portland Community Mandolin Orchestra on Friday, March 27th at 7pm, held at the Portland Conservatory of Music.
We have had an absolute blast working all this music up and can’t wait to share it with you! No tickets necessary – we can’t wait to see you.
Show – 7:00pm
Doors – 6:30pm

PCM Jazz Night
2026-03-31 18:30 | Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
PCM Student Jazz Ensembles present JAZZ NIGHT!
Fill your evening with classics from some of the great Jazz musicians and groups, with a few surprises possibly thrown in!
Free Admission

DIJ @ Mechanics' Hall | Vardan Ovsepian Spiderweb Project
2026-04-02 19:00 | Mechanics’ Hall, 519 Congress St, Portlan, ME, United States
OVERVIEW
Mechanics’ Hall, the Armenian Cultural Association of Maine & the Portland Conservatory of Music present the pianist/composer with his band

Our ballroom transforms into a jazz sanctuary with Vardan Ovsepian and his unforgettable Spiderweb Project:
“Vardan Ovsepian’s Spiderweb Project emphasizes the choices and actions we make, sending vibrations through the wider web, affecting others, and shaping our own reality. What you weave today becomes the foundation for your life tomorrow.”
Ovsepian blends classical refinement with fearless jazz improvisation, weaving melodies that ripple outward like a living web. The artist is joined by Vinicius Gomes (guitar), Joshua Davis (bass), and Austin McMahon (drums).
Peter Erskine writes, “Vardan brings his own sound and ingredients… I have never heard any musician quite like him in terms of harmonic awareness and melodic power. I suspect that he will prove to be quite a sensation…”
Thursday, April 2 at 7:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM). $15 for Mechanics’ Hall Members, $20 for general admission. There is a $5 surcharge on the day of the show. No one turned away for lack of funds.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Vardan Ovsepian is an Armenian-born pianist/composer whose studies include Yerevan State Conservatory, Estonian Music Academy, Helsinki Jazz Conservatory, and Berklee College of Music.
From the early years, Vardan was fascinated by the blend of western classical music with jazz, and has been in perpetual search for unique ways of incorporating the hybrid formation in his composing and improvising. Consequently, his semi-large chamber ensemble (VOCE) was formed in 2005, focusing on the cinematic approach in the musical narrative.
Throughout the years, Vardan developed a remarkable angular geometric world, connected to his background in chess, and his attraction to minimalism and contemporary architecture, resulting in the publication of 2 books: Mirror Exercises (2011) and Permutation Studies (2020).
Another spotlight is the “Fractal Limit” duet with Tatiana Parra, which received immense international recognition. The project showcases Vardan’s remarkable technical proficiency and capacity to articulate contrapuntal textures.
In addition to VOCE and Fractal Limit, Vardan has collaborated with artists like Mick Goodrick, Peter Erskine, Jerry Bergonzi, Tim Miller, Ben Monder, David Binney, and has released 20+ albums as a leader and co-leader.
PARKING & TRANSPORTATION
Mechanics’ Hall is located at 519 Congress Street. Our main entrance is between Loquat Shop and the Art Mart. The Greater Portland Metro’s Congress & Casco Street Stop is directly in front of our building, served by routes 1, 7, 8, and 9B.
Parking is available at the Arts District Garage, located on Casco and Brown Street, with a rate of $5 per hour. Metered street parking is available on Congress, Casco, Cumberland, Free Street, and other nearby streets. Free hourly street parking is available between Parris and Alder Street.
ACCESSIBILITY
To enter Mechanics’ Hall, patrons will need to navigate a single step or use a modular ramp. There is a wheelchair-accessible elevator.
If you have a wheelchair or need accessibility accommodations/questions, please contact us at programming@mainemechanics.org or 207-773-8396.

Tickets
