Fourth of July weekend celebrations at the historic Opera House in Boothbay Harbor will be celebrated with three nights of distinctly different musical acts. From June 30-July 2 residents and visitors will have an opportunity to hear Grammy-nominated musicians and talents from near and far with the flute and piano duo of Stroud & Odell, folk icon John McCutcheon and fast-rising talent Seth Glier all performing.

Chamber music with Leslie Stroud & Matthew Odell

The music of Philip Lasser, Sergei Prokofiev, Lowell Liebermann. Michael Merlet and Aaron Copland will be included during the Thursday, June 30 chamber music program by flutist Leslie Stroud and pianist Matthew Odell.Performing throughout New England, Stroud and Odell have quickly established themselves as provocative and colorful duo partners in presenting richly varied chamber music written or flute and piano.

The Juilliard trained Matthew Odell has won acclaim for his performances from Carnegie Hall to The Kennedy Center, as well as throughout Europe and Asia. He performs, both solo and with an orchestra in additional to being a chamber musician and has been hailed as “excellent” by the New York Times and “brilliant” by Gramophone. Odell is a founding member of the Hampton Trio and serves on the faculty of The Juilliard School, Keene State College and the Academie Internationale d’ete de Nice in France.

Ms. Stroud is an active orchestral and chamber musician throughout New England who has performed with the Savannah Symphony, the Annapolis Symphony, the Peabody Wind Quintet and the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra among others.

Advance purchase tickets for the performance by Leslie Stroud and Matthew Odell are $15.

Multi-instrumentalist & singer-songwriter John McCutcheon

The following night, Friday, July 1, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter John McCutcheon returns to the Opera House stage. For decades this activist icon of folk music has won the admiration of audiences and fellow musicians.

“John McCutcheon is not only one of the best musicians in the USA, but also a great singer, songwriter, and song leader. And not just incidentally, he is committed to helping hard-working people everywhere to organize and push this world in a better direction,” says Pete Seeger.

Acclaimed for his prolific work in the field of children's music, McCutcheon has produced both quality children's albums and folk albums since the early '70s. With 34 albums to his name, he is first and foremost an instrumentalist playing a multitude of instruments, including fiddle, banjo, guitar, auto harp, jaw harp, and especially the hammered dulcimer. He is considered one of the undisputed masters on the hammered dulcimer and adapts much of his music around the instrument.

Advance purchase tickets for John McCutcheon’s concert are $20. John McCutcheon’s concert is made possible by generous sponsorship from the Rocktide Inn of Boothbay Harbor

Grammy-nominated Seth Glier

Wrapping up “Windjammer Week” and kicking off the July 4th weekend, the Opera House welcomes the young Grammy-nominated Seth Glier to the stage with saxophonist Joe Nerney on Saturday, July 2. Despite his relatively young age, recording artist Seth Glier is a seasoned troubadour. A singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist who averages over 250 live performances annually, Seth has gone from opening act to headlining his own shows and playing major festivals. He’s shared the stage with artists as diverse as James Taylor, Mark Knopfler, Ani DiFranco, Edwin McCain, Martin Sexton, Emmylou Harris and Ryan Adams, and has quickly become known for his passionate live sets and powerful command of both piano and guitar.

Glier’s music has also caught the ears of fans, industry and critics alike, with USA Today stating that his “exquisite tenor echoes Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel.” Building on the acclaim of his Grammy®-nominated sophomore album The Next Right Thing, Glier’s subsequent record “Things I Should Let You Know” was called “a genuine revelation” by Blurt Magazine, and was praised by M Music & Musicians Magazine for its “shimmering, seductive melodies.”

Advance purchase tickets for Seth Glier are $17.

Tickets for all Opera House performances are available through the box office at 86 Townsend Avenue, Boothbay Harbor, or by calling 207-633-5159. Tickets and information are also available online at www.boothbayoperahouse.com.

Each of these performances begin at 7:30 p.m., doors for seating open at 7. All seating is general admission.