Seattle is well known for the quality and variety of its music. But Bainbridge Island and the West Sound?

“You bet!” said Carol Estes, organizer of the new Summer Lights music series. “No one needs to trek to Seattle this summer to hear good music.”

“I’ve met people right here who’ve played at Carnegie Hall, toured internationally, and sung opera professionally,” she said. “But often we don’t even know that these talented folks live among us, and we rarely get a chance to see them perform.”

Estes, with the support of Eagle Harbor Congregational Church, hence decided to organize the Summer Lights music series to give West-Sounders a chance to hear their neighbors perform.

“It’s an experiment in accessibility,” Estes said. “The concerts are planned to be shorter than most — an hour or less — and the atmosphere is casual and relaxed. We want the musicians to talk with the audience about the music they are performing.”

The first concert in the series, set for 8 p.m. Thursday, June 26, features Mark Wesley Power, an operatic tenor who has performed in many countries including Taiwan, the Philippines and Ireland. He will be singing a selection of the best-loved Italian arias.

The concert will take place at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church. The show is free and open to the public.

At least three more free concerts have already been scheduled for mid-July and August.