Events

Don’t miss the finale of the 57th Newport Classical Music Festival, featuring GRAMMY® Award-winning Harlem Quartet alongside Newport Classical’s Resident Festival Artists in an exhilarating evening of string octets. Known for bringing “a new attitude to classical music” (Cincinnati Enquirer), Harlem Quartet brings its signature dynamic energy to The Breakers for a performance steeped in innovation and collaboration. With a program dynamically anchored by Shostakovich and Mendelssohn, this finale promises to be a bold and exciting send-off to the 2026 Festival.

Inspire your little one’s love for classical music as Frisson returns to Newport in a free, outdoor, family-friendly concert perfect for kids and adults alike. This fun and interactive hour features a playful retelling of Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev, alongside popular favorites including Gershwin’s Summertime, The Pink Panther, selections from Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha and Maple Leaf Rag, as well as excerpts from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Pirates of the Caribbean. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs, and enjoy this program in a casual, laid-back setting. Come early to explore the instrument petting zoo and experience an afternoon of joyful music-making at the YMCA.

Join us at the Recital Hall as we open our 2026–2027 season with returning favorites Invoke! Described as “...not anything but everything: Classical, Folk, Bluegrass, Americana and a sound yet to be termed seamlessly merged into a perfect one” (David Srebnik, SiriusXM Classical Producer), the multi-instrumental quartet encompasses traditions from across America, including bluegrass, Appalachian fiddle tunes, jazz, and minimalism. Fueled by their passion for storytelling, Invoke weaves these styles together in their program American Voices, reflecting on the 250th Anniversary of the United States, featuring some of this nation’s most influential musical figures including William Still Grant, Florence Price, Duke Ellington, and more, alongside original works composed by and for the group.

Trio Azura is quickly emerging as one of today’s most promising young ensembles, characterized by “intelligence and imagination” and “profound emotion” (Gramophone). Having won the Grand Prize, Gold Medal, Lift Every Voice Prize, and Horszowski Trio Prize at the 51st Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2024, the trio is rapidly establishing itself on major concert stages across the United States and beyond. In a program anchored by Ravel and Mendelssohn’s cornerstone Piano Trios, Trio Azura invites audiences to explore the world of the piano trio across eras, from the Romantic and Impressionist traditions to the contemporary voice of Jennifer Higdon.

Who says chamber music must follow a program? Ensemble Mélange puts the audience in the driver's seat for an interactive concert unlike any other. With a menu of more than 30 selections spanning classical favorites, jazz, Latin, Broadway, and beyond, audience members are randomly chosen to select what the ensemble performs next. The result is an engaging, high-energy concert where no two performances are ever the same, offering an exciting musical adventure for concertgoers of all ages.

Who says chamber music must follow a program? Ensemble Mélange puts the audience in the driver's seat for an interactive concert unlike any other. With a menu of more than 30 selections spanning classical favorites, jazz, Latin, Broadway, and beyond, audience members are randomly chosen to select what the ensemble performs next. The result is an engaging, high-energy concert where no two performances are ever the same, offering an exciting musical adventure for concertgoers of all ages.

In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, Rasa String Quartet presents a musical patchwork quilt, weaving together the cultural traditions that have shaped the nation’s identity. Spanning jazz, bluegrass, Latin pop, Indigenous traditions, global folk music, and classical favorites, the program captures the vibrant creative spirit of American music. From the soulful lyricism of William Grant Still and the Latin groove of Bad Bunny to the infectious swing of Billy Strayhorn and the driving energy of Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, An American Patchwork brings America’s multitude of rich soundscapes all together on one stage.

Winner of the 2025 American Piano Awards, Michael Leonardo Davidman is among the most distinguished young pianists in the nation. Praised for playing with “thunderous authority and loads of interpretive nuance” (Upstage), he has appeared as a soloist with leading orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and has performed at renowned venues across the United States and Europe. He is a recipient of numerous top honors, including prizes at the Long-Thibaud Competition and the Juilliard Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition. For his Newport Debut, Davidman brings a program spanning Bach, Schubert, Liszt, and Franck to the Recital Hall for an evening featuring his signature “chiseled and fiery playing” (Pianiste Magazine, Paris).

Hailed as one of the leading classical guitarists of his generation, Raphaël Feuillâtre brings a deeply personal approach to the guitar's most beloved repertoire. In a program titled “Latin Passions,” Feuillâtre explores the rich musical traditions of Spain and Latin America through works by Tárrega, Albéniz, Llobet, Barrios, Lauro, Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, and Assad. From the shimmering beauty of Recuerdos de la Alhambra to the fiery rhythms of Brazil and Argentina, this vibrant program showcases the guitar's remarkable ability to sing, dance, and tell stories across cultures.

Tracing the evolution of the beloved sonata form, cellist Sterling Elliott and pianist Elliot Wuu bring together works by Ravel, Strauss, and Rachmaninoff. Sterling Elliott, a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence honoree, is celebrated for his commanding presence and “astonishing maturity,” described by The Millbrook Independent as that of “a star cellist who has risen beyond hopeful promise,” with appearances alongside leading orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, and Dallas Symphony. He is joined by pianist Elliot Wuu, a 2018 Gilmore Young Artist and Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant winner, recognized for his “power, speed and finesse,” hailed by Tribune Star as comparable to “artists twice his age,” with appearances at Carnegie Hall and leading international festivals.