Bluegrass favorites Rock Hearts return to Center Theatre

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The acclaimed Southern New England bluegrass band Rock Hearts will return to the Center Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 17, for a full day of performances, workshops and storytelling sponsored by the Bluegrass Music Association of Maine.

Formed in 2013, Rock Hearts has been named an Official International Bluegrass Music Association Showcase Band and has earned national radio acclaim for their albums “Wanderlust” and “Unfinished Bridges”. Attendees at the Center Theatre show will be among the first to hear selections from their newly released September gospel album, “One More Valley”.

The performance serves as a homecoming for mandolin player and Cambridge native Bill Thibodeau, who spent years teaching music in Bangor and performing with regional favorites like the Bluegrass Supply Company. The group’s lineup features highly decorated musicians, including guitarist and showcase songwriter Alex MacLeod and award-winning fiddler Austin Scelzo, who was recently honored with the 2025 IBMA Momentum Industry Involvement award.

Ahead of the evening concert, the band will host two public afternoon sessions at the venue:

Fiddle Workshop (1-3 p.m.): Scelzo will conduct an intimate; 25-person master class on country fiddle mastery and improvisation. Registration is $30 at austinscelzo.com.

Meet & Greet (3:30-5 p.m.): An up-close Q&A and acoustic session limited to 37 seats in the theatre’s secondary screening room. Admission is $10.

The main concert begins at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.). Seating tickets for the main concert range from $20 to $24, while entry to the afternoon Meet & Greet is $10.  Attendees can purchase tickets for either event individually or together online at www.centertheatre.org or by calling the box office at 207-564-8943. Reservations are highly encouraged. More information on the band is available at rockheartsbluegrass.com.