Month: July 2016

The Centennial Festival. In the days leading up to the Centennial Anniversary, FOKO hosted a spectacular week long festival of concerts, master classes, and exhibitions to celebrate the Centennial of the Kotzschmar Organ. The Festival concluded on August 22, 2012 with a Gala Dinner and Concert on the day of the Centennial. Merrill Auditorium was … Read more

David Peter Kirstein, lives in Scarborough with Linda, his spouse. They have three grown children and two grandchildren who live in Portland. They enjoy international travel, gardening and photography. David is a retired biomedical research administrator. A graduate of Bates College (BS) and Villanova University (MS) he spent 27 years at the Trudeau Institute in … Read more

This May, over 600 fourth through sixth grade students came to Merrill Auditorium for our annual Meet the King of Instruments Concert. Students heard a variety of music and genres from Bach’s Little Fugue in g minor and Vierne’s Carillon de Westminster to Nigel Ogden’s Penguin’s Playtime (with accompanying videos which captured the antics of … Read more

As of this writing, I am still President of the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ but you will probably read this after I have stepped down and Tom Cattell will have been installed as my successor. After three years as president, I am glad to turn the reins over to an able compatriot. But I … Read more

As FOKO celebrates its 35th year, I reflect on the time that I have spent in Maine and with this organization. My first Kotzschmar experience was John Scott’s performance on a blustery winter evening in 2003. I had had the privilege of working with John while I was employed by VocalEssence and singing with the Ensemble … Read more