Peter Bergin

CRYSTAL FALLS – Ragtime concert pianist Peter Bergin will return to Crystal Theatre Saturday, May 23, at 7 p.m. to welcome long-awaited summer.

Appropriate for the Memorial Day weekend and USA’s 250th celebration, Bergin presents a patriotic program called American Jamboree.

Bergin has entertained audiences for more than two decades. His mission is to celebrate life through music and stories; he loves sharing the rhythms and history of ragtime piano.

Classically trained, the Michigan-based performer embarked on a full-time music career after 24 years in computer software. “There isn’t a day I have regretted that decision,” Bergin said in a news release.

Bergin’s debut CD, “Regime in Time,” features the Big Three of classic ragtime: Scott Joplin, James Scott and Joseph Lamb. His crossover project, “The American Parlor,” explores the intersection of ragtime and American classical music. His latest CD, “Beyond the Maple Leaf,” features the music of Joplin and the vintage pianos of the Music House Museum in Grand Traverse County, Michigan.

Bergin is a popular entertainer for school assemblies, libraries, museums, and community concert venues like the Crystal Theatre. “Playing in the heart of community brings me immense joy and satisfaction,” Bergin said. He is passionate about bringing ragtime to audiences everywhere as a testament to America’s original popular music.

Four-event season flex-passes or advanced tickets can be purchased online at thecrystaltheatre.org, by calling 906-875-3208 or in person weekday mornings at Stage Left.