Island Arts

Island Arts Jam Session
2026-07-11 13:00 - 14:30 UTC | Island Arts Center, 1127 US Rte 2, North Hero, 05474, United States
Island Arts Jam SessionAn 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.
FOR COPIES OF JAM SESSION SHEET MUSIC CLICK HERERegister BACK TO ALL EVENTS

Ken Clark Organ Trio - Soul, Jazz, R&B
2026-07-12 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Ken Clark Organ Trio – Soul, Jazz, R&B, FunkDate 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 second 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
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Skylark
2026-07-24 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
SkylarkDate 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.
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Sylvia Parker Plays the Classics
2026-07-26 16:00 - 17:30 (America/New_York)
Sylvia Parker Plays the ClassicsDate & Time: Sunday, July 26, 2026; 4 pm – 5:30 pm, no intermission.
Location: Island Arts Center (barn), 1127 U.S. Rte. 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.
Sylvia offers a solo piano recital of beloved shorter classical music (including some jazzy numbers) by composers that include Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Bartok, George Gershwin, and Scott Joplin.
A long time University of Vermont music professor and concert pianist (now retired), Sylvia enjoys spending the summer here in the Champlain Islands. Island Arts is delighted to showcase her musical talents for the first time in this concert.
Sylvia 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.
IMAGE CREDIT: Centaur Records CRC 2811. Photo by William DiLillo. Permission granted by Centaur Records.
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The Dixie Six Play Satchmo’s Louisiana Favorites
2026-08-08 16:00 - 17:30 UTC
The Dixie Six Play Satchmo’s Louisiana FavoritesDate and Time: Saturday, August 8, 2026; 4 PM 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.
Tickets: $25 online and at local outlets; $30 at the door. Tables: Add a reserved table for cabaret seating and BYOB; $15 for a 2-top, $25 for a 4-top. Table tickets are available online or at the door, subject to availability. Table tickets are not available from local ticket outlets.
On Saturday, Aug. 8 at 4 pm, The Dixie Six brings you the sound and repertoire of Louis Armstrong’s All Stars of the 1950’s and 1960’s. The outstanding roster of players infuses this music with energy and gets your feet tapping. Grand Isle’s own Tony Pietricola on clarinet, Lisa Henry – sousaphone, Chris Gribnau – cornet, Rich Magnuson – drums, Charlie MacFayden – piano, and George Voland – valve trombone.
The band is beloved by Island Arts’ audiences, and well-known in the greater Burlington music scene. Though retaining a traditional Dixie feel, the band’s updated rhythm injects a bright contemporary pulse into New Orleans classics and mid-century jazz.
“We hope you enjoy the music as much as we enjoy playing it for you.” – The Dixie Six
Listen to a recent performance:
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Haiduck & Heckendorn Cabaret Jazz Quartet: the Great American Songbook
2026-08-15 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
Haiduck & Heckendorn Sing & Play the Great American SongbookDate & 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).
Some bands take fifty years to find their way back to each other. Neal Haiduck and David Heckendorn first played together in the Catskill Mountains half a century ago — and this cabaret-style evening, now in its 4th year, is something of a reunion in disguise. Join them Saturday, Aug. 15 at 7 pm.
Settle in at your own cabaret table for an evening of clarinet, grand piano, double bass, and drums, playing favorites from Gershwin, Ellington, Bernstein, Mercer, Porter, Berlin, Rodgers & Hart, Lerner & Loewe, and more — the well-known and the wonderfully obscure.
Haiduck, on clarinet, has played jazz and classical music across NYC, Montréal, and abroad. He now calls Burlington home, where he’s a regular on the local jazz scene. Heckendorn, at the piano, does double-duty as a fine mellow singer of selections from this enduring music. He’s an expert who orchestrated the score for Mr. Holland’s Opus; his compositions have been performed at venues including Birdland, as well as throughout Europe.
They’re joined by Bruno John on bass, a rising presence on the Burlington jazz scene, and on drums by longtime friend, New Yorker Jeff Kane. And guest Classical guitarist John Lehmann-Haupt returns from NYC as well, bringing a set of Brazilian tunes and perhaps a contemporary addition to the Great American Songbook.
Heckendorn 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.
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Vermont Jazz Ensemble Celebrates 50 Years!
2026-08-16 16:00 - 17:30 UTC
Vermont Jazz Ensemble Celebrates 50 Years!Date & Time: Sunday, August 16, 2026, 4 to 5:30 pm. Outside concert. If weather requires, the concert will move inside the barn.
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.
Tickets: $25 online (no fee) and at local outlets, $30 at the door.
Vermont’s premier big-band swing ensemble marks a milestone this summer — fifty years of big-band sound on stages across the state. This anniversary program, featuring highlights from VJE’s recorded catalog, is shaped by a familiar face — Grand Isle’s own Tony Pietricola, retired music teacher and longtime active performer, who selected the program and will lead the band from within the ensemble.
The CBD food truck (dba Copper At Dorset) arrives at 3:30 offering gourmet choices. Check out the sample menu!
Join Vermont Jazz Ensemble outdoors on the Island Arts green on Sunday, August 16 at 4 pm. Bring a chair or blanket. Kids are welcome to dance and roam on the open lawn, and leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome outside.
CBD Food Truck & Sample MenuConcert sponsored by Otter Creek Awnings of Williston for the 4th year!Photo courtesy of The Vermont Jazz Ensemble
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Sohyun Ahn, solo piano: Bach, Mozart, & Schumann
2026-08-21 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Sohyun Ahn, solo piano: Bach, Mozart, & SchumannDate 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 online (no fee) and at local outlets; $30 at the door.
After four summers of enthusiast audiences, New York City concert pianist Sohyun Ahn returns to Island Arts on Friday, August 21 at 7 pm — and this year, audiences will hear her in a newly renovated barn, with sound-proofed walls, doors, and windows completed this past winter specifically to enhance your listening experience.
Ahn’s program spans three centuries: J.S. Bach’s French Suite No. 5, BWV 816, Mozart’s Fantasia in C minor, K.475, and Schumann’s Davidsbündlertänze, op. 6, a set of 18 short pieces built around two of Schumann’s invented alter-egos — the fiery Florestan and the dreamy Eusebius, representing opposing sides of the composer’s own temperament.
Bach is part of Ahn’s core repertoire; her 2021 recording of the Goldberg Variations drew praise from critics for its clarity and emotional range. The New York Concert Review called her “an absolute master,” and our Vermont audiences have described her performances as simply “enthralling” — with more than one noting how different the experience feels in the intimate barn setting compared to a distant concert hall.
Ahn will play a Yamaha C7 concert grand piano provided by courtesy of the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association. Island Arts is grateful for their support.
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MetalWerx Tuba/Euphonium Quartet
2026-08-23 16:00 - 17:30 (America/New_York)
MetalWerx Tuba/Euphonium QuartetJoin us as we honor the memory of Ann Porter, one of the founders of Island Arts
Date and Time: Sunday, August 23, 2026; 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
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Marsh Lights, an Acoustic Project
2026-08-30 16:00 - 17:30 UTC
Marsh Lights, an Acoustic ProjectDate 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
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