2026 David Surette Mandolin Festival at The Dance Hall

Description

Founded in 2001, the David Surette Mandolin Festival is an annual weekend of mandolin-focused workshops and concerts in Seacoast Maine and New Hampshire. Presented by the Burke-Surette family, The Dance Hall, and Concord Community Music School.

Glen Loper is a mandolin and tenor banjo player and teacher living in Portland, ME.  Best known in the contra dance world, Glen brings his lively and exuberant playing to dances, festivals, and camps across the Northeast and beyond with bands including Stomp Rocket and Frigate. He plays Irish, New England and Quebecois tunes and styles, among others. He also is a longtime teacher at Maine Fiddle Camp, where he and David Surette taught together and annually took over the stage for "Maine Mandolin Camp"!  We're thrilled to have Glen back at the festival again!

We're so excited to have Chris Moore at the festival for the first time this year! Chris returned to his home state of Maine in 2013 to work as the Director of Music Education for 317 Main Community Music Center in Yarmouth. He plays and teaches a variety of music styles including traditional Shaker music, English country dance music, and bluegrass. Chris is also a songwriter whose songs have been recorded and performed by Adrienne Young, Mark Erelli, Rani Arbo, Dennis Brennan, Joe K. Walsh and others.

We have another wonderful new instructor this year in Noah Fishman! Noah is a performer, composer, and educator rooted in Maine. At home on a number of stringed instruments including mandolin, bass, and guitar, Noah is known for his instrumental creativity and fluid improvisation across folk, chamber, and jazz styles. Noah has played across the United States and Europe with his own projects and with bands like Frigg, Alisa Amador, and Mike Block Trio. He also writes music for film and television and teaches at music camps.

And lastly, we're so thrilled to have our longtime friend Steve Roy back at the festival. A multi-instrumentalist who plays and teaches mandolin, bass, guitar, fiddle, and ukulele, Steve is fluent in a wide array of musical styles, including bluegrass, jazz, folk, jam, country, old-time, and rock. Steve is a member of Old Hat Stringband, and has been a sideman with many national and local acts. He regularly teaches at many music camps. Steve was one of David's dearest friends and favorite musical collaborators, and we're so glad he's returning to the festival this year!

This event sells out early, so don't wait to buy your tickets!

$25 advance | $30 day-of | $15 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)