Palaver Strings

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Portland, ME
Palaver Strings

Non-profit chamber orchestra strengthening and inspiring community through music Our mission is to strengthen and inspire community through music.

Palaver Strings is a musician-led string ensemble and nonprofit organization based in Portland, ME. In our musician-led organization, Palaver’s musicians share artistic and administrative leadership, guided by a passion for engaging new audiences, addressing social justice issues, and amplifying underrepresented voices through classical music.

08/25/2026

Meet Kiyoshi, violinist and co-artistic director, in his own words:
‌
Yoooo! My name is Kiyoshi, but my friends call me Ki!
I play violin and viola (joined the dark side about 3 years ago), am passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation, and have a health & career coaching practice where I help creative entrepreneurs build the business skills and holistic lifestyles they need to create meaningful and sustainable careers.
I’ve been with Palaver since the early days of 2016!!!! WILD to see how far we’ve come, and I’m constantly blown away by the awesomeness, dedication, and heart of this crew.
I value Palaver incredibly deeply because it’s such a supportive family of like-minded musicians and it’s reconnected me with the joy, fulfillment, and sense of community I first experienced playing music as a kid. After every Palaver event, I walk away inspired to be a more intentional musician, a more compassionate person, and a more thoughtful citizen of the world. Real talk – these people are dope and they walk the walk!
Aside from Palaver, my other musical families include @‌rasastringquartet and @‌capecodchamberorchestra, and I spend my summers teaching at @‌ithacainstitute and @‌applehillmusic.
Outside of music and coaching, I’m an apple fiend (2–5 apples a day ), ping pong wizard, health nut, outdoors enthusiast, podcast ju**ie, aspiring yogi, and occasional pickup soccer, tennis, and basketball player.
Y’all better be ready because Palaver is gonna BRING IT this season!
Every year @‌mayfrench, Gwendolyn Xtané Matias-Ryan , and Co. dream up huge goals for how the ensemble can keep growing, how PMC can deepen its impact in the Portland community, and how Palaver can become a bigger voice in the classical music world. And somehow, every year, they over-deliver.
I’m most excited to keep refining our musical ideas and group sound, explore new places on our national tours, strengthen our culture and communication as a completely democratic musical fam (with MANY amazing personalities!), and have more legendary hangs.
Season 13 LET’S GOOOOOOO

📸 Titilayo Ayangade Yoon S. Byun

08/20/2026

we know it’s summer but here’s “moth”, performed live in a Maine winter ice-storm at Mechanics' Hall

Composed by maya french & littleoshima

Video by Yoon S. Byun

08/18/2026

Meet Maya French, violinist, co-artistic director and executive director. We’re so lucky to have her!
A few words from maya french :

“I’m floored that Palaver has been part of my life since I was 19 in Boston, from the very beginnings. It’s been very special, watching this group ebb and flow and, even metamorphose: where each individual is so unique and so beautiful, and yet the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I am in inspired by the community within this ensemble, our incredible staff, and the families and students who teach us as much as we offer them.

I play violin because of my older sister and two cousins who motivated me through grade school, alongside countless folk legends from midcoast Maine. The chamber music world cracked wide open for me through Kneisel Hall and Kinhaven at a young age, and I never looked back, though being a musician is truly a choice one makes again every single day. Through admin work, I think about that constantly, and dream to make these careers more sustainable for all of us.

We are so lucky to be doing this work together, and I hope we continue to use our time to make change through our music. I’m loving that Palaver is touring more and finding ourselves in new places but really wish I could bring my dog cow. 🐄”

📸 Titilayo Ayangade Yoon S. Byun + Luke Fatora

08/15/2026

Lifesongs began as an idea from Palaver cellist Matthew Smith: a songwriting collaboration with older LGBTQ+ adults in Boston. In 2021 we brought it to Portland with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and MaineTransNet, and opened it to adults of any age. Now led by Sampson Spadafore, participants spend five days with musicians and our producer Matt Brady turning their own stories into original songs. As rising bigotry threatens hard-won rights, these songs are reminders of where we came from and how far there is to go.

We’re excited to be celebrating 10 years of Lifesongs next spring and hope you’ll join us in attending the concert next Pride.

Recordings are on our SoundCloud, and the 2025 celebration concert is on YouTube.

Photo: @‌yoon.strewn

08/11/2026

Meet Christelle Mutoniwase, our Operations Director. We couldn’t do this without her!

A few words from Christelle:

“I was born in Rwanda and Moved to Portland, Maine in 2014. Since I was a child, music has always been part of how I connect with people, from the songs my family sang to the traditions I grew up dancing to. When I joined Palaver Strings, classical music entered my life in a way I never expected, and it’s been a genuinely beautiful experience.

What I love most about Palaver is how deeply the mission shows up in the everyday work. The performances, education programs, and community relationships all reflect a real commitment to sharing music and lifting each other up. I’m grateful for the people I learn alongside every day, and I’m looking forward to growing with this community and helping bring our next projects to life.”

📸: Titilayo Ayangade E⃨g⃨i⃨d⃨e⃨F⃨o⃨x⃨w⃨o⃨r⃨t⃨h⃨🎬

08/10/2026

Since 2019, the Palaver Music Center has been a place to grow up in music. From early childhood classes to string lessons, songwriting projects, and community music classes, PMC teaches hundreds of students a year. We’re located in Bayside, blocks from where many of our students and families work, live and go to school.

Classical music has a history of exclusion. PMC is our attempt at the opposite: sliding-scale tuition, scholarships, transportation support, and and a learning environment that is intentionally cross cultural and economically diverse. 60% of our students qualify for low-income subsidies and 55% are first-generation immigrants.

As our professional ensemble does, PMC aims to teach music as a means to understand and communicate.

As we look toward fall, we’re looking back at some favorite moments from our history. Can’t wait to see you in September.

📸 Yoon S. Byun

08/06/2026

“Apologia”, live from Newport Classical in 2025.

🎥 by Yoon S. Byun

08/05/2026

Meet Maïthéna Girault (she/her) — violinist, tinned fish enthusiast, and one of the people who makes Palaver Palaver. First in a series introducing the humans behind the music. In her words:

“Since before the day I received a violin for Christmas until now, my interest in making music has intrinsically been tied to what I understood as a necessary condition: that music should always be shared. This fundamental collectivity is what made me fall in love with Palaver, its mission and its actions.

Reflecting on these two years together, I feel so fortunate to be part of a collective that considers each step so deeply and mindfully. Our tours, our school and our many community programs somehow always turn into these wonderful masterclasses in compassion, spirit, imagination and generosity. So naturally I am a glutton for all our meetings and philosophical discussions, too! Most importantly, these friendships make me grow daily and I feel like the luckiest flower. I can’t wait to make our next dreams come true.

P.S. Our collective tinned fish and seafood obsession does not hurt.”

📷s by Yoon S. Byun Diana Titilayo Ayangade

07/24/2026

Please join us in welcoming cellist Adalus Low-Manzini - Cellist, Teaching Artist to Palaver Strings!

Adalus will join us beginning this fall, and we’re over the moon to have her as part of the ensemble.

Here’s a little message from Adalus herself:
As someone who loves joint effort and spaces where creating magic through the art of collaboration is at the forefront of each decision, I could not think of a more suitable, fruitful, and welcoming creative family to do this with than Palaver Strings. I am overwhelmed with joy, honor, and humility when I think of working with each of my colleagues, who are not only outstanding artists but also one-of-a-kind human beings.

We’re so glad you’re here!

📷: Titilayo Ayangade

07/06/2026

it’s true!

Address

380 Cumberland Avenue
Portland, ME
04101

Website

http://palaverstrings.org/

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