ARTSNCT to open free concert series with NPHS guitar ensemble

ARTSNCT will open its 2026 Free Performance Series with the New Philadelphia High School Advanced Guitar Ensemble Saturday, March 14, at 1 p.m. The performance will take place onstage at Newcomerstown Middle School and is free and open to the public.

Before the concert, the Newcomerstown Historical Society will host a community lunch in the school cafeteria. The meal will be offered at no cost and available by freewill donation.

The opening performance highlights one of northeast Ohio’s established student music programs. The New Philadelphia High School Guitar Program began in 2004, when director Chad Roberts launched two introductory guitar classes to provide a hands-on musical experience for students not involved in band or choir. What began with about 35 students has grown into a program serving about 125 students each semester, with beginning, intermediate and advanced levels offered at both the middle and high school.

The program has received regional recognition, including a feature on the PBS program “Applause,” which highlights arts organizations throughout northeast Ohio.

The Advanced Guitar Ensemble, the program’s flagship performing group, includes 23 students who have studied in the program for three to six years. Membership is earned through a competitive audition process.

Throughout the year, the ensemble performs at school concerts, community events, holiday programs, the annual January Jam Guitar Concert, a Guitar Ensemble Variety Show featuring diverse musical styles, and major arts events such as the NPHS Art Show and Art on the Alley.

ARTSNCT’s Free Performance Series is part of the organization’s Arts for All initiative, which aims to make arts programming accessible throughout the community.

The next concert in the 2026 ARTSNCT Free Performance Series will feature the Dover High School Steel Drum Band and Jazz Band Saturday, April 18, at 1 p.m. at Newcomerstown Middle School.