Newport Classical Music Festival concert picks from

Summer is upon us here in the City-by-the-Sea, and I’m handing over this month’s column to our incredible staff at Newport Classical, who are bringing you their own recommendations for the 2023 Newport Classical Music Festival. The festival runs from July 4-23, and we’ll be presenting 27 concerts throughout Newport’s historic mansions and venues. If you are having trouble deciding exactly which concerts to enjoy, read on and learn what our team can’t wait to experience! We look forward to welcoming you.

Sinta Quartet (July 5) – Barbara Warner, business manager

I’m looking forward to hearing the Sinta Quartet in the beautiful setting of the Bellevue House and Gardens on July 5 at 6 p.m. This saxophone quartet are true virtuosos – and, they perform entirely from memory, which really draws you in as a listener. You can feel the excitement. The Sinta Quartet will play music steeped in lively folk traditions, as well as music from around the globe by composers such as Bela Fleck, Mark O’Connor, Jay Unger, Ligeti and Dvořák. As a bonus, we will have special access to the private gardens at Bellevue House. I can’t think of a better way to spend an evening.

Aizuri Quartet (July 7) – Reggie Onorati, graphic designer

My pick for this summer’s festival is the amazing, infectiously energetic Aizuri Quartet, performing July 7 at 8 p.m. at The Breakers. I am a fan of their debut album, “Blueprinting,” which was nominated for a 2019 Grammy Award and named one of NPR Music’s Best Classical Albums of 2018. Aizuri’s program in Newport explores the ways in which the atmosphere, psychological power, and political metaphor of the night have been an inspiration for composers from the classical era to the present day. I look forward to joining them on this journey toward dawn. As an artist and graphic designer, I also appreciate the inspiration for the group’s name – Aizuri Quartet draws its name from “aizuri-e,” a style of predominantly blue Japanese woodblock printing that is noted for its vibrancy and incredible detail.

Eldbjørg Hemsing (July 14) – Gail Skidmore, head of volunteers

One musician I’m particularly excited to hear this summer is the phenomenal Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing, who is coming to Newport for the first time to perform at The Breakers on July 14 at 8 p.m. Praised for her “radiant and sophisticated performances” (BBC Music Magazine), Eldbjørg is committed to bringing her art form to new audiences around the world, and has performed at major global events including the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo, the United Nations, the Shanghai Expo, and the UN Security Council, and has even toured the world with the royal family of Norway. I’ve been enjoying her debut album on Sony Classical, Arctic, this month. She’s also the subject of a documentary feature, “Forte,” which is being shown by newportFILM outdoors on July 13. Forte follows three women musicians as they seek to define success, on their terms, and is an inspiring but real look behind the scenes at the classical music world.

Classical Lieder: Art in Song (July 19) – Trevor S. Neal, director of artistic planning & engagement

I can’t help myself – I’m choosing a concert during this summer’s festival that I’ve curated! My pick is our Classical Lieder: Art in Song performance on July 19 at 11 a.m. at The Elms. Mezzo soprano Heather Gallagher and baritone Joseph Parrish, two quickly emerging concert artists, will bring fresh takes on some rarely performed works that span across continents, in an intriguing recital program of songs composed in the nearly 40 years between 1888 and 1922. My selections highlight the changing styles of music that emanated from four important centers of music-making: from Vienna, the voice of the Hugo Wolf, known as the aesthetic adversary to the traditionalist Brahms; from France, varied sound-pictures of Faure; from Italy, the genius of the often-overlooked Respighi; and from the UK, the imagination and sensitivity of Gerald Finzi.

Concert and Cocktails: A Musical Soirée with Anthony McGill and Anna Polonsky (July 21) – Whitney S. Clarke, cirector of development

For my festival pick, I’m choosing this return performance by the incredible Anthony McGill, principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, who has been praised by The New York Times for his “trademark brilliance.” He’ll be back at the festival to perform with pianist Anna Polonsky at our Musical Soirée on July 21 at 8 p.m., which will be held at the intimate Redwood Library & Athenæum. What a not-to-be-missed opportunity to hear Anthony and Anna up close like this. They will be playing music by a wide range of composers including Amanda Harberg, Copland, Adolphus Hailstork, and more. And during the special intermission reception, you can explore the Library while enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. I hope you’ll join us to toast the musicians and the festival at this celebration.

Excelsis Percussion (July 22) – Nicolas Buzzi, marketing and database manager

I am newly on board at Newport Classical and am looking forward to my first festival with the team! For my pick, I’m choosing Excelsis Percussion, an international group of women percussionists redefining the classical concert experience, who will be performing at The Colony House on July 22 at 2 p.m. Excelsis’s innovative concerts bring an incredible energy to the stage, and the music they perform spans from classical to avant-garde to pop. But all of it is infused with a trademark vibrancy and excitement, and the group’s belief that “music possesses an ability to unite us all.” I look forward to meeting Excelsis Percussion – Marcelina Suchocka (Poland), Aya Kaminaguchi (Japan), Britton-René Collins (United States), and Mariana Ramirez (Mexico) – next month!

Festival Artists Finale & Curtis Stewart’s The Gilded Cage (July 22) – Gillian Friedman Fox, executive director

The Festival Artists are the backbone of our summer festival – bridging the gap between artist and advocate. This exceptional group of some of the country’s most talented musicians will perform a tour-de-force program on July 22 at 8 p.m. at The Breakers, anchored by Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G Major and the world premiere of a new piece by three-time Grammy-nominated violinist and composer, Curtis Stewart. Curtis’s piece, “The Gilded Cage,” is inspired by his father’s time living in Newport and being part of the Baptist AME church community, as well as the history of The Breakers’ many caretakers over the decades. It is the latest in our ongoing, annual commissioning initiative, which we began in 2021. Newport Classical is committed to the future of classical music and working closely with composers like Curtis, who are shaping it. I can’t wait for our community to learn from and be inspired by Curtis’s music during his time here in Newport next month.

Tickets for Newport Classical’s concerts can be purchased online at www.newportclassical.org/music-festival or by calling the Box Office at 401-849-1133 x1.

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