In the short time Ogunquit has been an officially incorporated town—only 27 years—it has developed a reputation for being as rich in artistic vitality as it is in coastal scenery. The Ogunquit Performing Arts Council has been essential in cultivating that reputation through its efforts to attract dance, music and theater productions to the community.

The first Elizabeth Dunaway Burnham Memorial Piano Festival, which takes place from Thursday, April 19 to Sunday, April 22, will be the next manifestation of the council’s efforts. The four-day festival takes place at the Dunaway Center and will include performances by national and international musicians, as well as ambitious young pianists from southern Maine.

“We’ve set for ourselves a bar or standard to go beyond the regular Maine and New Hampshire circuit piano players. We want to bring musicians a notch or two or three above,” says Stuart Nudelman, chairman of the Ogunquit Performing Arts Council.

The festival is named in honor of Elizabeth Dunaway Burnham, an original member of the volunteer-run, municipal Performing Arts Council. She was the daughter of prominent Ogunquit resident Justin Dunaway, who established the council in 1978 with a donation of $235,000. Burnham, a teacher and an accomplished pianist, dreamed of holding an international piano competition in Ogunquit.

The council purchased a Steinway C grand piano in the 1980s, coming one step closer to realizing Burnham’s dream. The piano, which is over 100 years old, is the filet mignon of musical instruments. It draws a variety of musicians, eager to feast on its tender keys and delicious sound. The council bought the instrument for $17,000, but its value has since increased to $70,000, according to Nudelman.

The first night of the festival will feature a “four hand” performance by the piano duo Randall Hodgkinson and Leslie Amper. Hodgkinson performs at the Ogunquit Chamber Music Festival each June. “People are impressed by his laid-back attitude and superb piano playing,” Nudelman says. The duo will perform a diverse program of 18th and 19th century music before closing with George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”

The second evening features E. Martin Perry performing an evening of music on a replica of the forte-piano played by Ludwig van Beethoven, which Perry will bring. Following the performances, the man who built the replica forte-piano, Rodney J. Regier, of Freeport, Maine, will present a discussion on the history of the instrument.

The third night features an evening of waltz music performed by classical Russian pianist Irina Nuzova, winner of numerous international awards and known for her on-stage intensity. The council and the musicians typically decide together what music will be played, Nudelman says, but when Nuzova proposed the idea of playing strictly waltz music, the council readily approved the program.

The last event will be on the afternoon of April 22 and will feature some of the best aspiring pianists on the Seacoast. In an effort to stimulate support and appreciation of the piano among younger generations, the council invited area music teachers to nominate students under the age of 17 to play at the festival. According to Nudelman, the handful of youth performers will benefit from the experience of playing on “a marvelous piano in front of an audience.” This part of the festival is free and open to the public.

Nudelman believes the festival will bolster the local economy by attracting tourists and locals to spend money in Ogunquit’s shops, restaurants and hotels. The festival will give vacationers something to do while they enjoy the coast, Nudelman says. “All arts are good for business,” he said.

It’s also an opportunity for local residents of all ages to listen to first class music and learn about the piano. “We feel that for a little volunteer organization we bring a lot of interesting and exciting performance to York County and the Seacoast area,” Nudelman says, although he does not know what kind of turnout to expect at this year’s festival. “It’s the first one, so we are hoping for the best, but whether we have 50 or 100 people, we are just concerned that it become a positive experience for those people that do attend,” Nudelman says.

Tickets for individual shows are $14 in advance and $16 at the door. Students 18 and under will receive free admission. Tickets are available at the Ogunquit Camera Shop, The Dunaway Center and the Ogunquit Welcome Center, or by calling 1-207-646-6170.