Newport Classical looks ahead to spring season and offers holiday gift of music

Although winter is upon us, here at Newport Classical we are already looking ahead to our highly anticipated spring concert season at the Recital Hall at Emmanuel Church – one of the best places to hear chamber music year-round on Aquidneck Island. And if you are still looking for that perfect holiday gift, we have good news. For a limited time, we are offering gift subscriptions for our spring concert series. You can choose preferred seats for the five remaining chamber music concerts, creating a very special holiday gift. Details are available at www.newportclassical.org/chamber-series-packages.

For our next performance on Feb. 17, Newport Classical will be bringing celebrated and versatile Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Martinez, who will perform music by Rachmaninoff and Beethoven along with selections by young composers Caroline Shaw and Viet Cuong, as well as Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. Daring and insightful in her interpretations, Gabriela is establishing an international reputation for the virtuosity and lyricism of her playing.

Virtuoso 25-year-old violinist Randall Goosby, hailed by The New York Times for his “exquisite tone and sheer virtuosity,” will come to Newport on March 10, blending traditional and 20th century works by Beethoven, Grant Still, Ravel and Boulanger, with pianist Ann Han. Randall signed to major label Decca Classics in 2020 at the age of 24, and is acclaimed not only for his musicianship but also his mission to make music more inclusive and accessible, and to bring the music of under-represented composers to light.

The powerhouse duo of Thomas Mesa, hailed as one of the most charismatic cellists of his generation, and Ilya Yakushev, known for his pyrotechnics on the piano, perform our April 21 concert, featuring music by J.S. Bach and Rachmaninoff, alongside contemporary works by Lera Auerbach and Kevin Day.

On May 19, the remarkable saxophonists of the Kenari Quartet, described as “polished” and “intense” by the Wall Street Journal and “flat-out amazing” by Cleveland Classical, come to Newport for a concert that includes music by J.S. Bach and Mendelssohn, Jennifer Higdon’s Short Stories, and David Maslanka’s Mountain Roads.

And on June 9, our Chamber Series concludes with a concert by violinist William Hagen, hailed as a “brilliant virtuoso…a standout,” by The Dallas Morning News, including rarely heard works by Louise Farrenc and Clara Schumann plus Schumann’s Sonata No. 2 and Jessie Montgomery’s Rhapsody No. 1. Pianist Albert Cano Smit joins William for this performance.

As part of our commitment to creating connections between classical music, the artists who perform it, and our Newport community, all of these artists will perform for and speak with students during their time here, through our Music Education Residency initiative. Additionally, thanks to a generous grant from the Gruben Foundation, we are pleased to be able to offer free student tickets for the Chamber Series! Email info@newportclassical.org to learn more and secure your tickets today.

And if you are already making summer 2023 plans, be sure to save the date for our annual Newport Classical Music Festival, which next year runs from July 4-23, 2023. We will be announcing the programming and schedule in March.

As the New Year approaches, we welcome you to reflect on this past year's many meaningful accomplishments with us, and invite your end-of-year support as we prepare for the new season. None of these initiatives would be possible without your meaningful charitable support. Please consider a gift, in any amount, to invest in the future of your Newport Classical by visiting www.newportclassical.org/support.

Tickets and holiday subscription packages can be purchased online at www.newportclassical.org. And be sure to join Newport Classical’s mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming concerts and events: www.newportclassical.org/email-sign-up

Gillian Friedman Fox is the executive director at Newport Classical. Her column appears monthly on newportri.com and The Newport Daily News.

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Newport Classical looks ahead to spring season, offers gift of music