Arthur Russell Strings

Arthur Russell Strings (ARS) is the summer festival of Ellsworth Community Music Institute (ECMI). Young musicians travel to Southwest Harbor on Mount Desert Island for a week of playing music together, receiving instruction, and performing for eager audiences.

In 1998, Arthur Russell Strings was founded as a way to honor the legacy of an avant garde cellist, composer, singer, and musician with ties to Mount Desert Island, Maine. Arthur’s work spanned the genres of classical, disco, folk and rock. He collaborated with artists like Allen Ginsburg, Talking Heads, and Philip Glass, to name but a few. He died from AIDS in 1992. ARS began as summer festival for young musicians to experience the wonders of musical collaboration in small groups. Our one-week festival is designed to encourage young musicians to experience the joy of musical collaboration, to form deep and lasting friendships, to benefit from professional mentors, and to share the wonder of performance.