Palaver Strings

Palaver Strings is a musician-led string ensemble and nonprofit organization based in Portland, ME. Founded in 2014, Palaver has established itself as a forward-thinking ensemble with the mission to strengthen and inspire community through music. In this musician-led model, Palaver’s musicians share artistic and administrative leadership, guided by a passion for engaging new audiences, addressing social justice issues, and amplifying underrepresented voices. Each year, Palaver presents a full series of live performances featuring diverse musical programming, cross-genre projects, and community collaborations.

Equally committed to education, Palaver offers quality music instruction through the Palaver Music Center in Portland, serving hundreds of students each year. Palaver has toured widely throughout the United States, performing at the Kennedy Center and at a celebration of the Lullaby Project at Carnegie Hall. The ensemble recently released its third album, "Ready or Not" in partnership with Azica Records. Palaver has enjoyed residencies at Rockport Music, Boston Center for the Arts, Bay Chamber Concerts, and Longy School of Music from 2022-2023. Palaver’s residency at Longy included regular performances and teaching a graduate course on music and community engagement.