In October 2023, Classical Uprising hosted Ethio Classic Quartet as part of Center Stage’s fall tour lineup.

Where we are based, in lovely Portland, Maine, it was just starting to feel like fall—leaves turning colors, a chilly nip in the air, sweaters coming out of summer hibernation—a great time for sharing music with our community.

As both a producer and a presenter, we work with over 300 performing artists a year—both Mainers and those from “away” based in Boston, New York, and beyond—but this was our first time hosting an ensemble from the African continent. 

As a performing arts nonprofit committed to creating immersive musical experiences for everyone, we were thrilled to add a weekend of events to our fall lineup that connected our community by sharing new perspectives, stories, and skills.

And, as a woman-led organization, we were especially thrilled to welcome the first and only female-led classical quartet in Ethiopia!

Ethio Classic Quartet (ECQ) came to Maine following a stint in Virginia in residency at Shenandoah Conservatory. Classical Uprising is many things, and very different than a conservatory. We are deeply invested in strengthening communities through accessible and approachable arts experiences for people of all ages, backgrounds, and comfortability with classical music. Over the years, we have found that some classical music makers, while open-minded, are ultimately uncomfortable doing things differently—performing in alternative venues, having people chatting while they play, or even having kids in the room. Without any knowledge of the performing arts landscape in Ethiopia and with limited interaction with ECQ beforehand, we wondered whether they would feel comfortable with Classical Uprising’s immersive and interactive approach after being in more traditional environments. We had to trust that Center Stage chose Classical Uprising for a reason and that our job was to serve our community, ECQ, and the program in the best way we know how: through dynamic programming.

Classical Uprising partners with over 30 organizations a year, but we used ECQ’s visit as an opportunity to make new friends and reach new audiences. We approached partners and cohosts in the arts, business, and services sectors, and everyone was excited. With thanks to our friends and colleagues, we kept ECQ very busy: they were featured guests at a lunch with Portland’s women leaders in the arts at Mechanics’ Hall, an artist meetup at the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center, and an Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony at Coffee By Design, and shared interactive performances at Bach & Beer hosted by Goodfire Brewing Co., services at First Parish in Portland, and a noontime concert at Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education.

Partnering with ECQ and Center Stage was a great experience for the Classical Uprising staff and the Portland community. Highlights included:

• Bringing together women leaders in the arts in Portland for a cross-cultural discussion about the difficulties in our field and ideas we’re using to develop solutions. 
• Connecting with the diaspora through the Ethiopian coffee ceremony (the quartet had dinner later in their stay with the family who hosted the ceremony).
• Learning musical games from their culture and being silly together with friends of all ages.

This residency was a great way to introduce our community to new kinds of music, but it also reinforced that, even though this quartet came to us from another continent, they are still just like us; musicians, teachers, moms, wives—multiple identities to connect with regardless of where we are born or choose to make our homes. It was a gift to experience ECQ’s talent, kindness, and warmth. We can’t wait for the reunion tour!