.jpg)
Spring Salon & Benefit
An evening with Nick Kendall and Melissa Reardon
with special guests Lau Noah and Ahmed Alom
Sunday, May 17, 2026 | 5:00 PM
Sky Lounge at The Casco (201 Federal Street, Portland)
For over 30 years, since they first met as students at the Curtis Institute of Music, Nick Kendall and Melissa Reardon have been close friends and colleagues, sharing a passion for reimagining the role of classical music and musicians in today’s world. Join us for an evening of joyful music-making, exquisite refreshments from Experience Maine Culinary, and the chance to win unique items at the exclusive silent auction, all in a spectacular setting in support of PCMF’s artistic and education programs.
TICKETS
$250 Impresario (includes VIP seating and acknowledgement at the event)
$175 Patron
Meet The Artists
_edited.jpg)
Melissa Reardon
viola
PCMF Artistic Director Melissa Reardon is the violist of the internationally acclaimed Borromeo String Quartet and a founding member of the artist collective East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO). She serves on the faculty of New England Conservatory and is Artist in Residence at Bard College and Conservatory.
Nick Kendall
violin
With a multifaceted international career, Nick Kendall is a restless innovator who is reinventing what it means to be a violin virtuoso. A founding member of Grammy and Emmy Awards-winning genre-busting string band Time for Three and of ECCO, The Washington Post has declared him “a poster child for a new breed of super-musicians.”
Lau Noah
guitar/voice
Ahmed Alom
piano
Lau Noah is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer from Catalonia, Spain. She was the first Catalan artist to perform on NPR’s Tiny Desk Series and has toured with Chris Thile, Ben Folds, and Jacob Collier, who called her “one of the most special storytellers on earth.”
Cuban pianist/composer Ahmed Alom has been acclaimed as “one of the most versatile artists in the Western Hemisphere” (Diario de Mallorca). This summer, he is Music Director for a groundbreaking program which includes the world premiere of his major new work La Diaspora, written for superstar pianist Yuja Wang and the powerhouse Afro-Latin music collective People of Earth.
Silent Auction Preview
Vintage Wines
Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 1989 – St Julien
This is a highly regarded, mature St Julien known for its complex and elegant character. It features deep aromas of blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco, truffle, with a medium-bodied, velvety palate and soft, well-resolved tannins. It is considered to be one of the finest 1989 Bordeaux.
Chateau L’Evangile 1994 – Pomerol
Medium to full- bodied with considerable richness. Characterized by intense dark fruit and a savory, almost austere finish, reflecting the tannic nature of the vintage. It is mature now.
Chateau Latour 1994 – Pauillac
Chateau Latour 1994 is widely considered a “wine of the vintage”, showcasing immense power and structure. It is characterized by dark fruit aromas, tobacco and cedar, with significant, ripe tannins that have matured well. The tannins are considered substantial and well-integrated, giving it long-term aging potential, though it is currently in a very pleasant drinking window.
Private tour and tasting at Chocolats Passion
Chocolats Passion, an award-winning French chocolate shop in Portland's West End, invites your family and/or friends (up to 8 participants, all ages welcome) to have a behind the scenes tour this summer!
Aside from gaining an understanding of artisanal chocolate production, the tour will feature a demonstration, and of course a tasting. The auction winner will also be able to hand select 16 chocolates, placed in a beautiful gift box, to take home.
