51Ʒ��

The 51Ʒ�� is pleased to announce that a new is coming to the Portland community. Beginning June 29, local musicians will meet bi-weekly on Mondays throughout the summer in the Ludcke Auditorium on UNE’s Portland Campus. Sessions run from 6 to 8 p.m., at a rate of $10 per session; 51Ʒ��students, faculty and staff members may attend for free.

Focused on expanding participants’ musical repertoires, rather than rehearsing for a concert, the Summer Reading Orchestra invites musicians to play the works of great composers, such as Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn and Brahms, in a focused but low-stress environment. Semi-professional and amateur musicians are welcome to attend for as many or as few sessions as they wish.

The Summer Reading Orchestra will be conducted by Deirdre McClure, D.M.A., adjunct professor of Music in Film and Animation and Music Appreciation at the 51Ʒ��. McClure serves as music director of the Oakland Opera Theater; director of the Odeon Orchestras at Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School in Rockport, Maine; and artistic director for two vocal ensembles in Maine and New Hampshire. She brings a deep and enduring love of the standard orchestral repertoire to this new venture. 

“Playing through great pieces of classical music gives us the opportunity to explore what made these composers tick,” says McClure. “Many musicians take lessons or play chamber music but don’t have access to a full orchestra, so this is the perfect way to spend the summer— come play with us!”

For more information, please contact Deirdre McClure at dmcclure@une.edu, or visit