Performance history by decade · 1980s 

During our time as the Portland Music Commission, the Portland Concert Association, and PCA Great Performances, we have brought many of history’s greatest performing artists to Maine. In this section, we have compiled a list, believed complete, of each season’s artist roster. Use the links below to navigate the list by decade.

  • 1979–80

    • James Galway & Friends
    • Buffalo Philharmonic
      Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
    • Pinchas Zukerman
    • Kenneth Cooper
    • Garrick Ohlsson

  • 1980–81

    • Murray Perahia
    • The American Brass Quintet
    • Boston Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players
    • The Waverly Consort
    • The Vienna Boys’ Choir
    • Mstislav Rostropovich

  • 1981–82

    • Peter Serkin
    • Vienna Chamber Orchestra
      Philippe Entremont, conductor
    • Marianna Christos & Evelyn Petros
    • Itzhak Perlman & Samuel Sanders
    • Ohio Ballet
    • Carol Wincenc
    • Richard Goode
    • Kenneth Cooper
    • Dave Brubeck Quartet

  • 1982–83

    • Emanuel Ax & Yo-Yo Ma
    • Cecile Licad
    • Jean-Pierre Rampal
    • Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
    • Los Angeles Philharmonic
    • The Vienna Boys’ Choir
    • Washington Ballet
    • Eduardo Fernandez
    • Sharon Robinson
    • Jeffrey Kahane

  • 1983–84

    • Emanuel Ax, Young Uck Kim & Yo-Yo Ma
    • Warsaw Philharmonic
      Tadeusz Strugala, conductor
    • Juilliard String Quartet
    • Richard Stoltzman
    • Mummenschanz
    • Carlos Montoya
    • The Murray Louis Dance Company
    • The Boston Camerata
    • The Boston Museum Trio
    • Stephen Burns & John Van Buskirk
    • Dong-Suk Kang & Leslie Sixfin

  • 1984–85

    • Les Ballets Trockaderos de Monte Carlo
    • Empire Brass Quintet
    • The Vienna Boys’ Choir
    • Pilobolus
    • Modern Jazz Quartet
    • Julian Bream
    • The King’s Singers
    • Berlin Radio Symphony
      Riccardo Chailly, conductor
      Shlomo Mintz, violin
    • Murray Perahia
    • John Gibbons
    • Lucy Shelton & Margo Garrett
    • Carter Brey & Edmund Battersby

  • 1985–86

    • Academy of Ancient Music Ensemble
    • Royal Winnipeg Ballet
    • Preservation Hall Jazz Band
    • Richard Goode
    • Jean-Pierre Rampal
    • Ohio Ballet
    • The Chieftains
    • Isaac Stern
    • Mitchell/Ruff Jazz Duo
    • Steven Lubin
    • Randolph Bowman
    • Mendelssohn String Quartet

  • 1986–87

    • Yo-Yo Ma
    • The Clancy Brothers
    • Gary Burton
    • Jose Feghali
    • Czech Philharmonic
      Jiri Belohlavek, conductor
    • Marcel Marceau
    • James Galway
    • Peking Acrobats
    • Elmer Iseler Singers
    • Christopher Trakas
    • Anne-Marie McDermott
    • Anne Chamberlain
    • Paul Neubauer
    • Gary Burton Quintet
    • The Boston Camerata

  • 1987–88

    • André Watts
    • Tokyo String Quartet
    • The Vienna Boys’ Choir
    • The Barber of Seville, New York City Opera
    • The Chieftains
    • Elly Ameling
    • Finnish National Ballet
    • Itzhak Perlman

  • 1988–89

    • Jessye Norman & Geoffrey Parsons
    • Jeffrey Kahane/David Shifrin/
      Joseph Swensen Trio
    • Canadian Brass
    • A Christmas Carol, Nebraska Theater
    • Caravan
    • Emanuel Ax
    • Christopher Parkening
    • Pilobolus
    • Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig
      Kurt Masur, conductor
    • The Flying Karamazov Brothers
    • Elmer Iseler Singers