Cellist Scott Kluksdahl returns to Maine to perform with the DaPonte String Quartet in Schubert's much-adored “Cello Quintet in C Major” for five performances of the DSQ’s final concert series, from May 7-14 in Brunswick, Portland, Damariscotta, Boothbay Harbor and Rockport.

Composed during the last weeks of Schubert's life, the Quintet is considered by many to be his masterpiece. Schubert's decision to use a second cello allows him to explore the string trio texture in the middle of the ensemble and also adds to the overall richness of the piece, contributing to a darker sound. Kluksdahl, a graduate of Harvard and Julliard, has been described by Strings magazine as “a simply superb cellist, playing with consummate technical ease, a beautiful sound, total conviction, authority and dedication to the music.” 

The program, dubbed “Memento Mori,” also offers a rare chance to hear Thomas Adès's complex "Arcadiana." In this evocation of paradise, according to the New York Times, “the idyllic and the terrifying are closely intertwined. One moment dark, sliding string figures evoke a dance of death; the next is a serene paean to England … " Samuel Barber's most famous piece, the excruciatingly moving “Adagio from String Quartet,” completes the concert.

 “Memento Mori” performances are: May 7 - Sunday -3 p.m., Brunswick, Unitarian Church, 15 Pleasant Street; May 11 - Thursday- 7:30 p.m,: Portland,  Maine Jewish Museum, 267 Congress Street;  May 12 - Friday - 7:30 p.m:., Damariscotta, Lincoln Theater, 2 Theater Street; May 13 - Saturday - 4 p.m., Boothbay Harbor, St. Columba’s Church, 32 Emery Lane; May 14 - Sunday - 3 p.m.,  Rockport, Rockport Opera House, 6 Central Street.

Tickets are $20 and are available at www.DaPonte.org, Sherman’s Books in Damariscotta and Boothbay Harbor; Longfellow Books in Portland; Gulf of Maine Books in Brunswick; and by calling 207-529-4555.