Peregrine Road; Karen Axelrod and Rachel Bell - Midday Concert @1:00 on September 12

Peregrine Road from left to right; Karen Axelrod, piano & accordion and Rachel Bell, accordion

Peregrine Road to open a new season of Midday Concerts @ 1:00 at Ellsworth Community Music Institute on September 12

ELLSWORTH - Ellsworth Community Music Institute (ECMI) is opening the 2025-2026 year with its first Midday Concert @ 1:00 on Friday, September 12 performed by Peregrine Road; Karen Axelrod, piano and accordion, and Rachel Bell, accordion.

The concert will be held at the Moore Community Center Theater, 125 State Street in Ellsworth, Maine. The series is sponsored by Ellsworth Community Music Institute (ECMI) with funding assistance from the City of Ellsworth and supported in part by a grant from the Onion Foundation. Admission is free to the public.

Peregrine Road plays captivating acoustic music that occupies a sweet spot somewhere between chamber music and folk music, with complex arrangements and lush textures alongside raw energy and multi-cultural influences. Karen Axelrod and Rachel Bell have quickly become known together as a powerhouse duo capable of a huge variety of styles, in demand throughout North America and beyond for concerts, workshops, festivals, English country dances, contra dances, and other events.

Their music is rooted in Celtic, English, French, Quebecois, New England, and Appalachian traditions while at the same time being infused with the excitement of new compositions and dynamic improvisation. Audience members frequently remark on Peregrine Road's exquisite musicianship and mastery of their instruments, as well as their outrageous humor and ability to connect with listeners of all ages and walks of life.

Karen Axelrod’s piano playing combines expressiveness, energy, lyricism and power. She is equally at home with styles ranging from traditional folk melodies to passionate tango to old world French musette waltz to English Country dance tunes and much more. She left behind classical music over 35 years ago, and has happily settled into her musical home….somewhere between folk, classical and improvisation. Her playing is soulful yet touched with humor and whimsy.

When she is not playing concerts, Karen is one of the busiest and most sought after traditional dance musicians. Her elegant and rich piano playing and her colorful, gorgeous accordion playing are enlivened by her off-beat humor. Karen plays with a number of bands for traditional dance events as well as concerts. Her bands include Alchemy, Foxfire, Peregrine Road and 3rd String Trio. Based in Brattleboro, VT, she tours extensively throughout the United States, Canada and abroad at dances, festivals, concerts, camps private parties and other events.

Rachel Bell is an accordion player based in Brattleboro, Vermont. This performer, tunesmith, and teacher’s playing spans an enormous range of emotion, from nuanced and sensitive to exhilarating and powerful, pushing the boundaries of what is expected from an accordion. Rachel draws her inspiration from Celtic, French, English, and Québécois traditions, creating scores of innovative tunes while deeply respecting traditional melodies. She thrives on collaborative musical work, especially with her bands Eloise & Co., Peregrine Road, Alchemy, and Old World Charm School.

In demand throughout North America and abroad for concerts, contra dances, French BalFolk dances, English country dances, workshops, and festivals, Rachel is a musical adventurer at heart.

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