WINTER SERIES
Friday Night Music
January & February 2026 Schedule
7:30 PM | Parkview Auditorium
23
JAN
Friday Night Music — Kris Deelane
Kris Deelane is a fixture in the Portland Rock scene. She sings, plays guitar, and writes songs. Ever the collaborator and musical conspirator, Kris has performed with or shared stages with national artists such as Brian Wilson, Joan Jett, John Doe (X , The Knitters), Jill Sobule and Peter Yarrow. Kris is a talented multi-instrumentalist playing drums, bass, guitar, and keys.
30
JAN
Friday Night Music — Portland Youth Philharmonic Ensemble
The Portland Youth Philharmonic is celebrating 101 years of making music with Portland’s youth. Over the years, thousands of young musicians have played in one or more of PYP’s ensembles. Some have gone on to professional careers in orchestras and chamber ensembles across the country. Others have achieved success in teaching music or exploring non-musical fields, while continuing to be accomplished amateur musicians and active supporters of the arts in their communities. Ensembles from PYP will perform classical music.
6
FEB
Friday Night Music — The Nostalgians
Going on their third year, The Nostalgians play a wide-ranging selection of popular tunes from the '50s through the ‘90s from such notable artists as Crosby, Stills and Nash, Beatles, Beach Boys, Eagles, Styx, Everly Brothers, Neil Young, the Cranberries, Carole King, Neil Diamond and many more. Consisting of Joe Leitch on vocals and bass, Kit Bryant on vocals and guitar and Lew Tarnopol on vocals, guitar, mandolin, ukulele and harmonica, the Nostalgians sing delightful three-part harmonies and play joyful music while weaving a storyline that connects the songs with one another to more fully engage the audience.
13
FEB
Friday Night Music — Julian Perkins, harpsichord
Dubbed ‘‘The Indiana Jones of Early Music” by BBC Radio 3, Julian Perkins brings a dynamic and adventurous spirit to all of his music-making. As Artistic Director of Portland Baroque Orchestra, he loves collaborating with his fellow musicians to create thrilling, historically inspired – yet contemporary – performances, combining artistic excellence with meaningful scholarship. He is also Founding Artistic Director of Cambridge Handel Opera and the period-instrument ensemble Sounds Baroque in the UK while enjoying a busy and varied international career as a conductor/director, chamber musician, and solo keyboard player.
20
FEB
Friday Night Music — Le Bon Bande, Cajun
Le Bon Bande is a Cajun music trio, consisting of accordion, fiddle and guitar. They play and sing old French songs. The subject is love, loss, death, drinking and dancing, but the music is rootsy, upbeat and danceable. Paul Rathje has been playing single-row, 10-button accordion, singing high and lonesome in Cajun French, and loving this music for 20 years. He drives the traditional, rural feel of this music. Robert Lee has been playing fiddle with the local Cajun/Zydeco band Too Loose since its founding, sweetly contrasting with the accordion, adding a sophisticated bluesy touch. John Cushman keeps it together for us on rhythm guitar.
27
FEB
Friday Night Music — Dan Balmer and Adlai Alexander, jazz guitar
From coffee house gigs at fifteen to chart-topping success with the Tom Grant Band in the 90s, world tours with two-time Grammy Award winner Diane Schuur and contemporary jam-bands, Dan Balmer brings fire and heart every time he plays the guitar. His playing spans nearly one hundred CDs including twelve as a leader from which his original works have appeared internationally in television, film and radio.
Noted for the sweetness and wide range of his voice, Adlai Alexander sings and accompanies himself with intricate guitar in a way that’s rare in both the acoustic and jazz worlds. Adlai enjoys the challenge of arranging band or orchestral music for solo guitar, drawing from his formal training in classical theory and composition. At times, his arrangements of jazz, Brazilian, ‘60s pop, and other music demand that he play simultaneous melody and bass lines.