240 Strings will present a free community concert on Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at USM’s Corthell Hall in Gorham. Resident musicians will be joined by guest artists Betsy Hinkle on violin and Kal Sugatski on viola. The concert will feature quartets by Fanny Mendelssohn, William Grant Still, and Milad Yousufi, as well as some performances by 240 Strings students.

“It’s time to make composers like these part of everyday literature,” 240 Strings co-founder Annie Antonacos said. “We’re happy that Fanny Mendelssohn and William Grant Still have received more play time in the concert scene recently, but listeners can always use more exposure to some of the beautiful music written by female, Black, and other traditionally overlooked composers.”

Composer Milad Yousufi will perform with 240 Strings on Dec. 17. Courtesy photo

Yousufi is a young composer who has a dream to make a difference in the music and culture of Afghanistan. He has composed works for the New York Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, the Refugee Orchestra Project, Kronos Quartet, Music Worcester, Terezin Music Foundation, the Raleigh Civic Symphony Orchestra, Trio Solisti, the Worcester Chamber Music Society, the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, the VISION Collective and Musaics of the Bay.

240 Strings was founded by the Portland Piano Trio, which has been recognized as “among the city’s must-hear groups” by critic Allan Kozinn. The resident musicians have performed extensively in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. They are committed to bringing “energy, understanding, technique, insight, great beauty, humor” to the music they play.