Date and Time: Sunday, August 30, 2026; 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm.
Outside concert with option to picnic on the green at 3:30 pm, weather permitting. If weather requires, concert will move inside the barn.
Location: Island Arts Center, 1127 U.S. Rte. 2, North Hero
Tickets: Free concert, thanks to VT Anonymous Donors. Please Register below–registration appreciated but not required.

Vermont musician Colby Crehan, former vocalist and songwriter for the Bluegrass Gospel Project and Possum Haw, reunites with her Possum Haw bandmates in the 5-piece acoustic project Marsh Lights.

Marsh Lights plays acoustic folk-grass music. The program features songs composed by Crehan. “Colby Crehan is a powerful and magnificently talented musician.”–– Robert Resnik, host, All the Traditions, Vermont Public Radio.

Marsh Lights’ songs explore bravery, darkness, spirituality, and grace with lyrics that often employ metaphoric places and female heroes and perspectives. And Marsh Lights pulls from the old songbook of PossumHaw, particularly the songs found on their last recording, the live 2017 album Limberpine. The band also plays instrumentals written by banjoist Ryan Crehan and mandolinist Stephen Waud. Charley Eiseman’s warm vocals join Colby and Ryan’s for hauntingly sweet three-part harmonies. Charley plays lead acoustic guitar with nuanced blues and jazz inflections. Mitch Barron, a long-time essential presence in the Vermont folk music scene, brings his skilled upright bass playing to the stage, along with deep, rich vocal backup.

Vermont Vocalist of the Year
Vermont Song of the Year
Former members of PossumHaw and The Bluegrass Gospel Project
“The combination of talent, passion, and songwriting in the band is breathtaking.”
– Mary-Nell Bockman, Whallonsburg Grange

Date and Time: Sunday, July 23, 2023; 4 PM.
Inside concert with option to picnic outside on the green at 3:30, weather permitting.
Location: Island Arts Center, 1127 US Rt 2, North Hero, VT 05474
Tickets: Free concert, thanks to VT Anonymous Donors. Please Register below–registration appreciated but not required.

Prepare to be amazed! MetalWerx is a unique local quartet consisting of two euphoniums—played by and Jenna Schultz of Winooski and Cynsy Van Santen of Bristol, and two tubas—played by Tim Foley of Burlington and Yutaka Kono of Shelburne.

The repertoire is an eclectic mix of fantasies, suites, marches, jazz, and pop music standards, and a few favorite classical transcriptions sure to please the ear of every music lover’s taste. Noted composers include Holst, Sousa, Puccini, Rossini, and Piazzolla. MetalWerx has presented concerts at the University of Vermont, participated in the 2015 “Bach In The Subways” event in Burlington, and provided music for wedding and funeral services.

MetalWerx spreads the gospel of the lush and colorful sounds of the tuba and euphonium by performing works written or arranged for this specific instrumentation. The group has commissioned new pieces for this quartet by Vermont composer/hornist Lydia Lowery Busler and Burlington trombonist/ pianist/ composer/ arranger Andrew Muroz.

The quartet was founded in 2008 to provide incidental music for the Milton Community Band Christmas concert. They had so much fun putting that together, they decided to continue and see where it led.

Come hear the remarkable range of sounds and the wide array of musical styles presented by MetalWerx.

It is a sound like no other!

View their Face Book page here

Date and Time: Friday, August 21, 2026  7 PM-8:30 PM  No intermission.
Location: Island Arts Center, 1127 US Rt 2, North Hero, VT 05474
Tickets: $25 – $30

New York City concert pianist Sohyun Ahn returns to Island Arts for the fifth year. An Island Arts’ favorite, Sohyun’s well-attended concerts of the last four summers have  continued to elicit raves, including “dreamy”, “amazing delicacy”, and “world class.”  This program showcases Sohyun Ahn in a solo piano concert featuring shorter works by J. S. Bach, Robert Schumann, and other composers to be announced.

J. S. Bach has long been an important composer in Sohyun Ahn’s repertoire. Her 2021 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations is described by critics: “crystalline clarity,” “insightful nuance,” and “dynamic breadth”, and offering a “perfectly balanced elegance” and “emotional storm,” with a high level of technical skill.

She is described as “an absolute master” by the New York Concert Review, and as an “amazing pianist” by the Classical New Jersey Society. Our Vermont audience raved: “Absolutely superb.” “I was enthralled.” “Such a different experience from the big city hall where you are miles from the performer.”

From Piano Music Magazine, Korea: “Such a gifted virtuoso, wonderful performing the emotional storm … with the perfectly balanced elegance.”

Your enjoyment of this fine concert will be enhanced by the improvements to the Island Arts barn completed this past winter. The 2025 renovations include new sound-proofed walls, doors, and windows to improve listening pleasure and comfort.

Sohyun will play a Yamaha C7 concert grand piano provided through the courtesy of the  Vermont Youth Orchestra Association. Island Arts is most grateful for their support.

Date & Time: Sunday, August 16, 2026, 4 to 5:30 pm. Outside concert.
Location: Island Arts Center (barn), 1127 U.S. Rte. 2, North Hero, VT 05474
Optional picnic on the green starting at 3:30. Bring a chair or blanket if desired. If weather
requires, concert will move inside the barn.
Tickets: $25-$30

Celebrating their 50th Anniversary! Vermont’s premier big-band swing/dance group.
Swingin’ for over 50 years, with this event directed by Grand Isle’s own Tony Pietricola.

In recognition of their enduring history, the program will include highlights from two
albums that Vermont Jazz Ensemble has published over the years.

Don’t know much about VJE? Their appearance is always a popular event in the hot
venues across Vermont such as Nectar’s in Burlington, The Stone Barn in Brattleboro, and
the Zenbarn in Waterbury. Now appearing right here for you in the Islands.

This VJE concert is sponsored by Otter Creek Awnings of Williston, for the fourth year!

Date & Time: Saturday, August 15, 2026, 7 to 9 pm with an intermission.
Location: Island Arts Center (barn), 1127 U.S. Rte. 2, North Hero, VT 05474
Tickets: $25 online -$30 at the door; Cabaret table seating is an option at this concert.
Tables: Reserve a table for seating at $15 for a 2-top, $25 for a 4-top, and BYOB. Table
tickets are available online or at the door, first come-first served and subject to
availability. (Tables tickets are not available from the local ticket outlets).

Enjoy an informal cabaret-style evening featuring a fine jazz quartet of clarinet, concert grand piano, double bass, and drums! Relax at your own table while the quartet performs all-time favorite music from the Great American Songbook.

Neal Haiduck on clarinet and David Heckendorn on piano are joined by two of Burlington’s finest musicians: Bruno John, bassist, a young addition to the growing Burlington jazz scene, and Dan Ryan, drums, leader of the popular “Dan Ryan Express. The quartet will be joined by special guest John Lehmann-Haupt, the superb classical guitarist from New York City who treated us last year.

The quartet will play—and sing—songs by composers they didn’t get around to last summer. This year you will hear music by George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, Rodgers & Hart, Lerner & Loewe, and Matt Dennis. Still on the program will be music by Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein, Johnny Mercer, and others––some well-known, some not-so-well-known.

Haiduck and Heckendorn have performed and recorded together for many years in the New York City area. Clarinetist Neal Haiduck has played jazz and classical music in New York City, Montréal, London, Europe, South America, and Japan. He now makes his home in Burlington, where he makes the lively jazz scene.

Pianist David Heckendorn was the orchestrator for “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” His compositions have been performed in various American venues, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Birdland in New York City, and in Europe and East Europe. He lives in Ulster County, New York.
David will play a Yamaha C7 concert grand piano provided through the courtesy of the
Vermont Youth Orchestra Association. Island Arts is most grateful for their support.

Date and Time: Saturday, August 8, 2026;  4PM to 5:30 PM, with an intermission. Inside concert.
Location: Island Arts Center, 1127 US Rt 2, North Hero, VT 05474.
Grounds open at 3:30 for an optional picnic on the green, subject to weather. Bring a chair or blanket if desired.
Tickets: $25 online -$30 at the door.

Tables: Reserve a table for seating at $15 for a 2-top, $25 for a 4-top, and BYOB. Table
tickets are available online or at the door, first come-first served and subject to availability.
Tables tickets are not available from local ticket outlets.

An outstanding roster of players, several new to The Dixie Six within the past few years, have infused the music with new energy. Tony Pietricola – clarinet, Lisa Henry – sousaphone , Chris Scribnau – cornet, Rich Magnuson – drums, Charlie MacFayden – piano, and George Voland – valve trombone will get your feet tapping.

Vermont’s Dixie Six is a band well-loved by Island Arts’ audiences, and the group is well-known in the greater Burlington music scene. The six Vermont musicians focus on the sound and repertoire of Louis Armstrong’s All Stars of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Though retaining a traditional Dixie feel, the band’s updated rhythm section gives a new energy to New Orleans classics and mid-century standards.

“Thanks to Island Arts for inviting us to play. We hope you enjoy the music as much as we enjoy playing it for you.”
~ The Dixie Six

Listen to a recent performance:

Date and Time: Friday, July 24, 2026; 7 PM
Location: Island Arts Center, 1127 US Rt 2, North Hero, VT 05474
Tickets: $25 online – $30 at the door.

Tables: Reserve a table for seating at $15 for a 2-top, $25 for a 4-top, and BYOB. Table tickets are available online or at the door, first come-first served and subject to availability. Tables tickets are not available from local ticket outlets.

SKYLARK is an innovative contemporary string ensemble based in northern Vermont. With decades of professional experience, Skylark’s sound and repertoire challenge the boundaries between classical, folk, and modern idioms, creating inspired original works for all audiences. Influenced by the Nordic, Celtic, and American regions, SKYLARK’s music is melody-driven with unique energy, irresistible flair, and undeniable beauty.

The members of Skylark are Ben Lively on violin & guitar; John Dunlop on cello; Jane Kittredge on violin; and Ana Ruesink on viola.

Ben Lively, violin & guitar, is a violinist, violist, string arranger, and composer. He has worked in a wide range of styles including rock, jazz, tango, and classical music. A versatile musician, Ben is a passionate collaborator equally at home in concert halls and dive bars. Born in England and raised in rural Maine, Ben grew up playing classical violin with the Suzuki method at age five. In high school and at Middlebury College, he began studying jazz and exploring other styles of violin playing, eventually moving to France to study with jazz violin legend Didier Lockwood. Ben spent 15 years working in New York City, much of his time in Broadway pits.

John Dunlop, cello, has been principal cellist with the Vermont Symphony, Burlington Chamber Orchestra, Opera Company of Middlebury, Opera North, Vermont Mozart Festival, Vermont Virtuosi, and Green Mountain Opera Festival. He has performed as soloist with both the VSO and BCO. John is also the cellist with TURNmusic, which features many interesting young composers of our time. He studied under Richard Kapuscinski at Oberlin Conservatory and Bonnie Hampton at the San Francisco Conservatory, and has played in master classes for Yo-Yo Ma, Jerry Grossman, Steve Doane, and others. John has also Publicity Details for All Events_2026_with SHORT Blurbs_v2.0.docxNAC Feb 26, 2026 Page 22 of 40 composed and recorded several award-winning film soundtracks for short films, including a documentary on childhood hunger in Vermont, where he called on his skills as a guitarist and bouzouki player in addition to cello. He has played for Bernadette Peters, Lyle Lovett and Phish. John is Vermont’s busiest cellist!

Ana Ruesink, viola, enjoys exploring musical styles and traditions. An active freelance musician, she performs with the Vermont Symphony, Playing for Good, Dartmouth Symphony, and other regional ensembles. She plays English country dance music with her band Impropriety, Irish and Scandinavian tunes with her trio Symphony Reel, and an eclectic mix of old-time and traditional music with the Barker Family String Band (featuring her guitar-playing husband and two daughters). Beyond her musical pursuits, Ana likes to read, hike, and make kefir.

Jane Kittredge, violin, can be heard performing with her contemporary string quartet, SKYLARK, along with a variety of regional ensembles including the Vermont Symphony, Springfield Symphony, Opera Company of Middlebury, Opera North, Dartmouth Symphony and Handel Society of Dartmouth College, Middlebury Bach Festival, Burlington Choral Society, and on albums put forth by Vermont singer-songwriters. An avid educator, Jane is the Violin Professor at the University of Vermont and maintains a small private studio. She is an active member of Vermont’s arts community boards and currently serves on the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival Board and the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Boards. Jane has also been the orchestral contractor for the Burlington Choral Society since 2018.

Date and Time: Sunday, July 12, 2026, 7 pm to 8:30 pm.
Location: Island Arts Center, 1127 US Rt 2, North Hero, VT 05474
Tickets: $25-$30
Tables: Reserve a table online or at the door at $15 for a 2-top, $25 for a 4-top, and
BYOB. Table tickets are only available online or at the door––first come-first served,
subject to availability. Tables tickets are not available from local ticket outlets.

Tables: Reserve a table online or at the door at $15 for a 2-top, $25 for a 4-top, and BYOB. Table tickets are only available online or at the door––first come-first served, subject to availability. Tables tickets are not available from local ticket outlets.

The Ken Clark Organ Trio has been performing around New England, the eastern U.S., and internationally for 15 years. This is their first appearance at the Island Arts Summer Festival. “Organist Ken Clark, guitarist Mike Mele, and drummer Steve Chaggaris lean on the beat, (high stepping funk, shuffle boogaloo back beat ballad), build dynamic climaxes sprinkle in jazz solos and deliver the goods. Clark controls the B3 like a master: hip bass lines, sizzling chordal washes, feel-good riffs, funky blues lines and syncopated accents figure in the mix. The groove, the sonic power of the organ and a soulful message are a forceful combination for reaching the people, all the way from the church to the dance floor. Can’t beat the feeling.” ~ Owen Cordle, Jazz Times

“You might be skeptical about listening to a CD without a bass player, but from the opening bars of the first track, school is in session! Organist Ken Clark has a punchy, thick bass tone that rivals Rocco’s, and he grooves like a funky S.O.B. His right hand is pretty happening, too. A must hear for fans of jazzy, funky groove music.” ~ Bass Player Magazine

An amateur musicians’ event for everyone

Date and Time: Saturday, July 11, 2026, 1 pm to 2:30 pm
Location: Island Arts Center, 1127 US Rt 2, North Hero, VT 05474
Tickets: Free for all. Registration appreciated but not required. Click below.

Attendees bring their instruments to the barn for an informal jam session. All instruments are OK, from bassoon and cello to ukelele and washboard. All ages OK. Children must have a parent or other adult accompanying.

Jam session will be led by music teacher Tony Pietricola, who is an active performing member of The Dixie Six, a popular local jazz ensemble, and a former music teacher in the Grand Isle School. Music will include Blues and a mix of music for all.

Date and Time: Sunday, June 28, 2026, 4 pm to 5:30 pm, with no intermission
Location: Island Arts Center, 1127 US Rt 2, North Hero, VT 05474
Tickets: $25-$30

This ensemble of local musicians features music of the Baroque, tango, and opera,
played on the oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. Experience the Calamellus Trio in an
intimate chamber concert that brings rich, layered sound to our island community.
This is the first appearance of Calamellus at the Island Arts Summer Arts Festival.

Reserve your seat, invite a friend, and spend an evening discovering how three
antique woodwinds can fill the room with color, conversation, and connection.
Antique instruments often offer a more intimate or nuanced sound versus the louder
tone of modern instruments. A baroque bassoon, for example, may feature a darker,
richer sound than today’s version.

The program includes a Baroque Suite of dances by Handel, Lully, Boyce, and
Rameau; Three Tangos by A. Barbirolli; a trio by M. Franck; Century Dances by Cecilia
McDowall; and several other pieces.

The three musicians are principals in the Champlain Philharmonic Orchestra:
Ruby Brezinsky — Oboe
Lisa Hoyt — Bassoon
Margaret Barsumian — Clarinet

Meet and greet the Trio members and enjoy light refreshments after the
performance. Their concert last Fall in South Hero was enjoyed by a full house. This
is your opportunity to enjoy this unusual ensemble.

Date and Time: Saturday, June 27, 2026, 6:00-7:30 pm. Grounds open at 5:30. Optional
picnic on the green.
Location: Island Arts Center, 1127 US Rt 2, North Hero, VT 05474. Outside concert. If
weather requires, concert will move inside the barn.
Tickets: Free concert, thanks to VT Anonymous Donors. Please Register below–registration appreciated but not required.

Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy a summer evening overlooking beautiful Lake Champlain. Boogie on the Bayou – the Zydeco and Cajun sounds of Louisiana! Lots of room to dance and space for kids to move around.

Mango Jam Vermont, a six-piece dance band from Burlington, plays straight-ahead Zydeco as well as New Orleans-inspired funk, Reggae, and Ska. Its infectious beats and great sound will get your feet moving. Band members are Gus Ziesing, accordions, saxophones and vocals; Mimi Ryan, alto saxophone, rubboard, and vocals; Peter Riley, bass and vocals; Dennis Willmott, guitar and vocals; Bill Mullins, guitar; Cannon Labrie on Cajun accordion and vocals; and Michael Bradshaw on drums.

Well-behaved pets on leashes are welcome outside.

Laissez le bon temps rouler!