READFIELD — Music legend Judy Collins, who has captivated audiences worldwide with her blend of interpretative folk songs and contemporary themes, will appear in May at Kents Hill.

At age 71, Collins, whose career has spanned more than 50 years, is still writing, performing and nurturing fresh talent. She plays 80 to 100 dates a year around the country.

A relentlessly creative spirit, Collins is a modern-day Renaissance woman who is also an accomplished painter, filmmaker, record label head, musical mentor and an in-demand keynote speaker for mental health and suicide prevention. She continues to create music of hope and healing.

In 1961, Collins released her first album, “A Maid of Constant Sorrow,” at age 22 and began a 35-year association with Jac Holzman and Elektra Records. She interpreted the songs of fellow artists, particularly the social poets of the time such as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and Tom Paxton.

Collins is also noted for her rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” on her 1967 album, “Wildflowers,” which has since been entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Collins’ version of “Send in the Clowns,” a ballad written by Stephen Sondheim for the Broadway musical “A Little Night Music,” won the 1975 Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

The Aleigh Mills Concert Series supports the Aleigh Mills Scholarship Fund, created by Tim and Donna Mills in memory of their daughter Aleigh who was a member of the class of 2006 at Kents Hill School. She was known for her outgoing nature, concern for others and generous spirit. The concert series was developed by Jamie Isaacson, co-founder of the North Atlantic Blues Festival.

“An Evening with Judy Collins” will be presented at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 13, at the Center for the Performing Arts at Newton Hall on the Kents Hill School campus.

General admission tickets are $55; VIP seats are available for $75. Tickets are available through the school’s development office; at www.kentshill.org/concertseries; or by calling 685-1635.

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