A concert with Gregory Biss and friends will open EAC’s annual Concert Series at 7 pm on July 1. The program will include piano music by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Glass & Biss. One of Biss’ compositions on the program, “Routes”, was written more than 50 years ago and features piano and trombone, both of which are manipulated electronically in live time. Jane Lanctot, piano, and Gene Nichols, trombone, will join Biss for this piece.

Concert Series performances will continue weekly through September 2; shows are primarily on Friday evenings, with two Saturday exceptions. Tickets are $15; attendees 17 and under will be admitted free of charge; purchase tickets at the door or via the event page on the EAC site, where reserve seats are also available for $20. The full schedule may be viewed at eastportartscenter.org/the-concert-series.

In a video sneak peek recorded this week at SummerKeys in Lubec, Biss performs Mozart’s C minor Sonata.
Jane Lanctot explains the workings of the nontraditional score for Biss’ “Routes” to concertgoers at Lubec’s SummerKeys.

Biss was born in Illinois and educated in New England and Germany. His music has been performed by the Denver Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Vermeer Quartet. Retired from a 20-year career as a scuba diver in the aquaculture industry, Biss has resided in Eastport for more than 45 years. He is currently composing a children’s opera to be mounted at EAC in the fall of 2023.

Jane Lanctot, who specializes in period keyboard instruments, has performed countless premieres of new works, appearing live on MPR and PRI. She also studied classical Cambodian music for 18 years with Bun Loeung, and ran his School of Traditional Cambodian Music for 11 years after his death. Lanctot gave a fortepiano recital this past winter for the Sunday Afternoons at the Arts Center series, and serves as accompanist for Quoddy Voices.

Nichols was a beloved fixture at the University of Maine at Machias for 35.5 years, where his musical teaching engaged countless students and local community members. He has also been a prominent local music figure, appearing in parades, musical theater and with groups, including the UMM Ukulele Club and Passamaquoddy Bay Symphony Orchestra. A skilled multi-instrumentalist, Nichols with helpers gave a memorable show involving a U-Haul full of instruments at EAC last April.

Eastport Arts Center is at 36 Washington Street, Eastport and eastportartscenter.org, and is handicapped-accessible. EAC abides by State of Maine CDC COVID guidelines. Additionally, at this time, patrons are required to wear masks when in the EAC building. 

Friends Gene Nichols, above left, shown playing serpentine horn with Passamaquoddy Bay Symphony Orchestra, and Jane Lanctot (above right, discussing the fortepiano for a Sunday Afternoons at the Arts Center program, will join in for a concert with pianist Gregory Biss on July 1. Photos by Robin Farrin, L. Elwood and Lauren Koss.