BELFAST, ME — November 6, 2026 — Belfast Chamber Music (BCM) proudly announces a concert featuring Trio Lasell on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 3:00 PM at the First Church in Belfast UCC, 8 Court Street, Belfast. Admission is free, with donations encouraged to support the performers.
The all-French program will feature the ethereal Piano Trio of Maurice Ravel, Lili Boulanger’s impressionistic D’un matin de Printemps, and Claude Debussy’s youthful and brilliant Piano Trio in G Major.
Trio Lasell brings together three of Midcoast Maine’s most exciting young musicians: Philipp Elssner, violin; Nora Willauer, cello; and Marlene McCarthy, piano. Their multifaceted careers span performance, education, chamber music, and musical scholarship. With roots in Maine, Ohio, New York, Canada, and Germany, the members of the trio bring varied musical experiences and perspectives to their collaborative work. Named after Lasell Island, a small island off the coast of Camden, the trio was born out of its members’ shared connection to the region.
Philipp Elssner is a violinist, violist, music theorist, and Artistic Director of Belfast Chamber Music. Since June 2024 he has been a member of Maine’s renowned DaPonte String Quartet. His principal teachers have included Jinjoo Cho at McGill, and Jaime Laredo and Jan Sloman at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has performed around the US and Canada, and at music festivals including Encore Chamber Music, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival.
Nora Willauer is a freelance cellist and dynamic music educator based in Cleveland, Ohio, and Midcoast Maine. She completed her doctoral studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Dr. Melissa Kraut and Mark Kosower. Nora’s culminating lecture recital explored the relationship between groove and classical cello pedagogy, and her work was awarded CIM’s Kaplow Prize for uncommon creativity. Nora maintains an active performance schedule as a chamber musician both in Northeast Ohio and New England. In addition, Nora often performs with the Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Pops, and Canton Symphony Orchestra.
Pianist Marlene McCarthy is known for a multifaceted career shaped by wide-ranging musical interests. She received her DMA from Stony Brook University, where she studied with Christina Dahl and served as an adjunct instructor. McCarthy earned her undergraduate degree at Mannes College of Music, studying with Victor Rosenbaum, and her master’s degree at New York University with Alexander Kobrin. Before relocating to Maine in April 2024, Marlene enjoyed performing and teaching private students in New York City for over a decade.
Founded in 2024 by local artists, Belfast Chamber Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing the public appreciation of chamber music through affordable performances and educational programming, supporting both local and visiting artists while enriching the cultural life of our community.
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