HISTORY & MUSIC IN A MAINE BARN

History & Music

IN A MAINE BARN

THE MUSICAL LEGACY OF SURRY ARTS AT THE BARN

BY CRYSTAL SANDS

Nestled in the hills and trees of Surry, overlooking Acadia National Park, stands a beautiful old barn. But this barn is unique among old Maine barns. It doesn’t contain cows or goats or chickens. This barn houses a Steinway grand piano and provides center stage for a variety of musical performances. Each summer, Surry Arts at the Barn hosts dozens of musical events, and though some may not have heard of the organization, it boasts a long history of bringing music, art and culture to rural Maine.

Alan Wittenberg is the director of Surry Arts at the Barn, but the program was originally founded in 1965 by Walter Nowick, a classical pianist, Julliard graduate and the son of immigrant potato farmers from Long Island, New York. Nowick’s classical music study brought him to Maine the summers of his youth, and in 1965, he started a music program in Surry for young Japanese students and professionals. In the 1980s, Nowick began an opera program that brought Russian artists to Maine and Maine artists to Russia. Wittenberg, who studied with Nowick for decades, said Nowick studied languages and music “but above all else, he was a visionary.”

“Nowick decided music was a way to bridge the differences between the American people and the Russian people,” Wittenberg explained. In 1986, the Surry Arts program made their first trip to Russia and made more than a dozen trips in the

Surry Arts at the Barn has a long history of bridging the gap between Maine and the world through music.

years to come. Russian artists performed in Maine more than a dozen times as well, thanks to the program.

During this time, the program expanded. The artists in Surry went on tour with Russian artists and performed around the world in countries such as Japan, France and Germany. Nowick and the Surry Arts program were featured in the likes of the New York Times, People magazine and CBS’s “On the Road” with Charles Kuralt. “It was an incredible unfolding of music, friendship and the way we saw the world,” said Wittenberg.

Today, the barn serves as a symbol in Maine for bringing people together with music and the arts. Surry Arts at the Barn boasts wonderful acoustics and has provided a venue for dozens of concerts every summer for decades. The barn seats about 100 people, and with such a beautiful location near Acadia National Park, the program is a draw for many musicians. Wittenberg said the program has expanded their offerings in recent years to include more than just classical music and now offers programming in jazz, the blues, folk, film and dance.

The calendar for this summer is full of diverse events, including an August 19 performance by the jazz band Swingmatism. The summer 2022 season will host more than 30 concerts and events from June through October.

Wittenberg runs an Airbnb on the beautiful property where the barn is located to help keep the music and arts program funded, but he also has plans to grow the offerings at the barn and says the program accepts donations of support. Of course, one of the best ways to support this historic barn and music program is to attend one of the many events this summer.

Surry Arts at the Barn features “an iconic old Maine barn with a fantastic legacy,” said Wittenberg. Its walls and wood are full of history and music, making this barn a treasure for our state. You can read more about Surry Arts at the Barn and view the calendar of events at surryartsandevents.com.

Originally printed June 17, 2022 in the “Discover: Downeast Maine” special section in the Bangor Daily News.