Originally founded in 1969, and previously known at Newport Music Festival (NMF), Newport Classical has a rich legacy utterly devoted to classical music here in Newport. Newport Classical embodies timeless music for today with a year-round chamber series, free community concerts, family friendly events, and the summer Music Festival we all know and love. 

This year's iconic summer Newport Classical Music Festival returns, for the first time since 2019, from July 1 - 17 with an impressive twenty-four summer concerts in the renowned Newport Mansions, including The Breakers, The Elms, and Chinese Tea House, as well as other impressive venues, such as Castle Hill Inn, Blithewold Mansion, Newport Art Museum, Redwood Library & Athenæum, and the Norman Bird Sanctuary. Tickets will go on sale April 11th at 10:00 AM and range from free to $250.

Find more information and the full Music Festival schedule below. 

COVID-19 NOTE:

When you're ready, we can't wait to welcome you back to The Classic Coast. Rest assured, the safety and well-being of both visitors and locals remains our top priority. The mask mandate requiring face coverings in Rhode Island has been lifted, however local businesses may ask you to wear a mask when visiting their establishments. Please be prepared for individual business mask policies. Additionally, shops, attractions and tours are monitoring the number of guests at any given time and may ask you to socially distance to enter. 

All we ask when you land on these shores is that you play your part in keeping everyone safe. Please be kind, adhere to guidelines and maintain social distancing. 

FAST FACTS

What: Newport Classical Music Festival
When: July 1 - 17, 2022
Where: Historic Venues In + Around Newport
Admission: Tickets will go on sale April 11th at 10:00 AM and range from free to $250. 

THE SCHEDULE

Performances take place from July 1 - 17, 2022 at stunning historic venues in and around Newport.

1 OPENING NIGHT: ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WITH CHAD HOOPES

Where:
The Breakers
When:
July 1, 2022 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tickets:
$105/ $90/ $70/ $55

The world-renowned and GRAMMY award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra opens the 2022 Festival at The Breakers with works both in the style of and from the late Baroque Era. Acclaimed by critics worldwide for his exceptional talent and magnificent tone, American violinist Chad Hoopes joins Orpheus as soloist for Vivaldi’s iconic Four Seasons, performed on Baroque bows, as originally intended.

PROGRAM:

GEMINIANI La Folia
HAILSTORK Sonata da Chiesa
VIVALDI Four Seasons
*Program subject to change

 

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2 Joyce Yang

Where:
The Breakers
When:
July 2, 2022 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tickets:
$100/ $85/ $65/ $50

Captivating audiences with her virtuosity and interpretive sensitivity, Joyce Yang performs works by Bach, Aaron Kernis, Stravinsky, and others in her Newport debut performance at The Breakers. Acclaimed by the New York Times for her “vivid and beautiful playing,” Yang is bound to deliver a passionate performance, concluding with Stravinsky’s masterpiece – The Firebird Suite.

PROGRAM:

BACH French Suite #5 in G Major, BWV 816
RACHMANINOFF Ten Preludes, Op. 23
MOZART Fantasy in D Minor, K. 397
AARON JAY KERNIS “Un Bacio” – A Kiss (Romance & Transfiguration) on themes by John Corigliano and Mark Adamo
STRAVINSKY The Firebird Suite (arr. Agosti)
*Program subject to change
 

Joyce Yang

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3 Junction Trio

Where:
The Breakers
When:
July 3, 2022 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tickets:
$95/ $80/ $60/ $50

Three renowned visionary artists of the next generation combine talents in this eclectic new program celebrating the piano trio. Violinist Stefan Jackiw, recognized for musicianship that combines poetry and purity with an impeccable technique, joins pianist Conrad Tao and cellist Jay Campbell. Tao, who appears worldwide as a pianist and composer, has been dubbed a musician of “probing intellect and open-hearted vision” by the New York Times, who called Campbell “electrifying” for approaching both old and new works with the same curiosity and emotional commitment.

PROGRAM:

JOHN ZORN Piano Trio
IVES Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano
RAVEL Piano Trio in A minor, M. 67
*Program subject to change
 

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4 Triton Brass: A Salute to America

Where:
King Park
When:
July 4, 2022 from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Tickets:
FREE

On the historic day of the founding of this country, a celebration of America with the instrumental section that have helped define the United States’ sound: brass. Formed in Boston, this quintet has been in artistic residence at The Boston Conservatory, Boston College, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Join Triton Brass for this open-air concert at King Park to kick-off the Fourth of July celebration. Fun for all and fireworks to follow!

 

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5 Classical Movie Music

Where:
Blithewold Mansion
When:
July 5, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Tickets:
$55/ $50

From Star Wars to Indiana Jones, Schindler’s List to E.T.― this program features music from Hollywood’s most epic film scores of all time. Relive the magic of blockbuster classics performed by the Newport Classical festival artists and special guests―the perfect summer outing for classical music lovers and film buffs alike.

 

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6 Sarah Cahill: The Future is Female

Where:
Newport Art Museum
When:
July 5, 2022 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Tickets:
FREE WITH ADMISSION TO THE NEWPORT ART MUSEUM! ADVANCED REGISTRATION LINK COMING SOON!

Sarah Cahill, hailed as “a sterling pianist and an intrepid illuminator of the classical avant-garde” by The New York Times and “a brilliant and charismatic advocate for modern and contemporary composers” by Time Out New York, has commissioned and premiered over seventy compositions for solo piano. “The Future is Female” Piano Marathon centers on the piano literature featuring more than 70 compositions by women around the globe, from the Baroque to the present day, including new commissioned works. This four-hour marathon performance allows audience members to sit and listen for any length of time, with the ability to come and go, as well as the ability to walk around the space.

This performance is free with admission to the Newport Art Museum! Advanced registration link coming soon!
 

Sarah Cahill: The Future is Female

 

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7 Classical Contemporaries: Middle Years

Where:
Newport Art Museum
When:
July 5, 2022 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Tickets:
FREE WITH ADMISSION TO THE NEWPORT ART MUSEUM! ADVANCED REGISTRATION LINK COMING SOON!

While Mozart may have been one of the most influential and prolific composers of the Classical Period, other incredible works were being composed and performed by his contemporaries and received little attention. In this inspiring morning concert, Newport Classical’s five festival artists perform works by from the middle years of the Classical Era, featuring works by Haydn, Mozart, Boccherini, Bologne, and Beethoven. Listen for shared influences and varying perspectives.

PROGRAM:

HAYDN String Trio Op. 6, No. 3 Hob. V:1     
MOZART Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, K. 254                   
BOCCHERINI Viola Sonata, G.18, C minor
BOLOGNE Sonata for violin and piano                                    
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 2, WoO 47
*Program subject to change
 

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8 Black Oak Ensemble: Silenced Voices

Where:
The Breakers
When:
July 6, 2022 from 8:00 PM to 9:45 PM
Tickets:
$95/ $80/ $60/ $50

Black Oak Ensemble, a string trio boasting three of Chicago’s most enterprising and dynamic chamber musicians, makes its Newport debut at The Breakers with an evening of inspired and uplifting works by six promising, early 20th century Jewish composers originally from Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and the Netherlands. In today’s context, the works evoke a sadness of lives lost and potentially unfulfilled, yet there is joy, community, and a familiarity to be found in each composition.

PROGRAM:

DICK KATTENBURG Trio à cordes
SÁNDOR KUTI Serenade for String Trio
HANS KRÁSA Passacaglia & Fuga for String Trio
GIDEON KLEIN Trio for violin, viola, and cello
PAUL HERMANN Strijktrio
GÉZA FRID Trio à cordes, Op. 1
*Program subject to change
 

Black Oak Ensemble: Silenced Voices

 

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9 Piano Quintets

Where:
The Elms
When:
July 7, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Tickets:
$55/$50

The friendship between Johannes Brahms and Antonin Dvorák is one of the most extraordinary musical relationships in music history. This morning concert celebrates the piano quintet and each composer’s prolific contributions to the form. Brahms’ Quintet is “often called the crown of his chamber music,” and Dvorák’s a “masterpiece in the form.” The Newport Classical Festival Artists breathe new life into these iconic works in this deep and invigorating morning concert.

PROGRAM:

BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34
DVOŘÁK Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 81, B. 155
*Program subject to change
 

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10 Inna Faliks: Reimagining Schumann and Ravel

Where:
Castle Hill Inn
When:
July 7, 2022 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Tickets:
$115/ $95

Versatile Ukrainian-born pianist and Festival favorite Inna Faliks returns to Newport in a special concert at Castle Hill that ties together three centuries of music and a range of social commentary and interpretations with her acclaimed artistry and impressive technique. The program opens with Clara Schumann’s G minor Sonata which, though unpublished until 1991 and nearly forgotten, is a powerful testament to her profound gifts as a pianist composer. The second half of the program showcases Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit alongside new works by three important living composers, each commissioned in response to Ravel’s notoriously complex work.

PROGRAM:

CLARA SCHUMANN Piano Sonata in G minor
RAVEL Gaspard de la Nuit
PAOLA PRESTINI Variations on a Spell
TIMO ANDRES Old Ground
BILLY CHILDS Pursuit
*Program subject to change
 

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11 Sunrise Meditations

Where:
Chinese Tea House
When:
July 8, 2022 from 5:15 AM to 6:15 AM
Tickets:
$55/50

Experience the stunning sunrise over Newport’s iconic Cliff Walk during this inspiring and whimsical concert as the festival artists take you from the Baroque through Post-Modernist eras. These works, introspective in nature and written for different string configurations, together make for a meditative and uplifting way to begin your day.

PROGRAM:

BIBER Passacaglia for Violin Solo in G minor                                                                                       
BEETHOVEN Duet with two obligato Eyeglasses, WoO 32
PÄRT Psalom                  
HOLST Phantasy Quartet on British Folksongs, Op. 36         
GOLIJOV Tenebrae String Quartet
*Program subject to change
 

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12 The King’s Singers

Where:
The Breakers
When:
July 8, 2022 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tickets:
$105/ $90/ $70/ $55

The King’s Singers have represented the gold standard in a cappella singing on the world’s greatest stages for over fifty years. They are renowned for their unrivaled technique and consummate musicianship, drawing both on the group’s rich heritage and pioneering spirit. The British vocal ensemble makes its Newport debut with a brand-new program full of music that spans centuries and covers the globe. Expect the group’s trademark sound, their unique charm, and a variety of classical a cappella music you’ll find nowhere else.
 

The King’s Singers

 

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13 Gavilán Brothers and a World Premiere

Where:
The Breakers
When:
July 9, 2022 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tickets:
$100/ $85/ $65/ $50

Violinist Ilmar Gavilán and pianist Aldo López-Gavilán, two of the most gifted Cuban musicians of these times, come together under the artistic name “Gavilán Brothers”, in a duo program of their own compositions; and Aldo López-Gavilán performs the world premiere of a new work by critically acclaimed and award-winning composer, Shawn E. Okpebholo. This piece for solo piano is inspired by the story of Occramer Marycoo, an enslaved African in 18th-century Newport, whose owner dubbed him Newport Gardner. Marycoo, despite his enslavement, became educated, speaking multiple languages, and becoming a trained classical musician. He is credited with being the first African American person to have a composition published in the Western-style. The work was called “Crooked Shanks.” Okpebholo’s work reflects the “paroles of the enslaved, the hope of freedom, and the return home.”

PROGRAM:

GAVILÁN BROTHERS “Brothers”
SHAWN E. OKPEBHOLO “On a Tune by Newport Gardner: Crooked Shanks” [world premiere]
*Program subject to change
​

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14 Strings in Nature

Where:
Norman Bird Sanctuary
When:
July 10, 2022 from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Tickets:
$45

Through the evocation of birds and animals, the illustration of rain and thunder, or the sound of the waves, nature seems to be an infinite source of inspiration for composers. The Newport Classical festival artists take us on a journey through these touchpoints between music and nature anchored by one of Haydn’s most prolific compositions.

PROGRAM:

HAYDN String Quartet in D Major, Op. 64, No. 5, “Lark”
MARTINŮ Three Madrigals for Violin and Viola               
BORODIN StringTrio in G Major
*Program subject to change
 

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15 Spektral Quartet

Where:
The Breakers
When:
July 10, 2022 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tickets:
$95/ $80/ $60/ $50

Multi-Grammy nominated Spektral Quartet is widely praised for illuminating the connections between beloved works in the canon and fresh new repertoire by living composers in its innovative programs – which is just what they’ve done in curating this evocative program spanning several centuries and continents.

PROGRAM:

ELIZA BROWN String Quartet No. 1
HENRI DUTILLEUX “Ainsi la Nuit”
FANNY MENDELSSOHN String Quartet
TOMEKA REID Prospective Dwellers
DEBUSSY String Quartet in G minor
*Program subject to change
 

Spektral Quartet

 

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16 Sō Percussion

Where:
Great Friends Meeting House
When:
July 12, 2022 at 2:30 PM
Tickets:
$50

Rooted in the belief that music is an essential facet of human life, a social bond, and an effective tool in creating agency and citizenship, Sō Percussion creates and presents new collaborative works to adventurous and curious audiences. In addition to works by Pulitzer-prize winner Julia Wolfe and rising star composers Viet Cuong and Shodekeh Talifero, the program features the ambitious and meditative sophomore work by Bryce Dessner, best known as a guitarist and songwriter in The National. This innovative ensemble will create an immersive experience in the oldest surviving house of worship in Rhode Island, and a rare surviving example of the late medieval form, for what promises to be an invigorating and transformative concert-experience.

PROGRAM:

JULIA WOLFE Dark Full Ride, Part 1
VIET CUONG Water, Wine, Brandy, Brine
NATHALIE JOACHIM Note to Self
BRYCE DESSNER Music for Wood and Strings
*Program subject to change
 

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17 Classical Contemporaries: Later Years

Where:
The Elms
When:
July 13, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Tickets:
$55/ $50

While Mozart may have been one of the most influential and prolific composers of the Classical Period, other incredible works were being composed and performed by his contemporaries and received little attention. In this inspiring morning concert, Newport Classical’s five festival artists perform works from the later years of the Classical Era, featuring works by Mozart, Bologne, Auernhammer, and Danzi. Listen for shared influences and varying perspectives as the late period beacons the arrival of the Romanic Period.

PROGRAM:

AUERNHAMMER Six Variations on the aria “Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja”
MOZART Piano Sonata No. 17 in B-flat Major, K. 570
MARGARETHE DANZI Sonata for Violin and Piano in E Major, Op.1 No 3
BOLOGNE String Quartet No. 1 in G Major, Op. 18
*Program subject to change
 

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18 Dmitry Masleev

Where:
The Breakers
When:
July 13, 2022 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tickets:
$95/ $80/ $60/ $50

Dmitry Masleev, 2015 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition-winner and “super-soloist,” makes his Newport debut in a program that celebrates the prolific legacy of the great Russian composers. Masleev is quickly becoming world renowned for his interpretations of these masterworks, with his“ transcendent virtuosity augmented by his delicate touch.”

PROGRAM:

TCHAIKOVSKY The Seasons, Op. 37a
SCRIABIN Etude in C# minor, Op. 2, No. 1
SCRIABIN Etude in G# minor, Op. 8, No. 9
RACHMANINOV Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36
RAVEL Sonatina À la manière de Borodine, M. 63/1
*Program subject to change
 

Dmitry Masleev

 

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19 Emily Levin: The Glass Salon

Where:
The Elms
When:
July 14, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM
Tickets:
$55/ $50

Principal Harpist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Bronze Medal Winner of the 9th USA International Harp Competition, Emily Levin’s playing has been praised for its “communicative, emotionally intense expression” (Jerusalem Post) and the Herald Times commended her “technical wizardry and artistic intuition.” Levin makes her Newport debut in a program that explores the domestic roots of the harp, the stereotype of its femininity, and the female harpists and composers who championed its development, including solo works by Hannah Lash, Germaine Tailleferre, Angelica Negron, and Henriette Renié’s Trio for harp, violin, and cello, featuring two Newport Classical Festival Artists.

PROGRAM:

HENRIETTE RENIÉ Contemplation
HANNA LASH Stalk
GERMAINE TAILLEFERRE Sonata for Harp
ANGÉLICA NEGRÓN Technicolor
ANDRÉ CAPLET Divertissements
HENRIETTE RENIÉ Trio for violin, cello, and harp
*Program subject to change
​

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20 Emi Ferguson, Rachell Ellen Wong and Ruckus

Where:
The Breakers
When:
July 14, 2022 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tickets:
$95/ $80/ $60/ $50

A collaboration with flutist Emi Ferguson and Rachell Ellen Wong, Fly the Coop is a joyous, kaleidoscopic romp through some of Bach’s most playful and transcendent works. The program features new arrangements of Bach’s Flute Sonatas and Keyboard Preludes, orchestrated for baroque flute and the forces of Ruckus that include theorbos, baroque guitars, baroque bassoon, cello, viola da gamba, harpsichord, organ, bass, and the occasional banjo.

Ruckus explodes Bach’s bass lines into a rainbow of textures and colors, continually shifting like light over the landscape as Ferguson’s flute lines dance above. Contrasting the three flute sonatas are new arrangements of a variety of Bach’s keyboard preludes, with selections ranging from the beloved Well Tempered Clavier, to alternate movements from keyboard suites that are rarely performed.

PROGRAM:

BACH Prelude in G Major
BACH Sonata in E minor, BWV1034
BACH Prelude in E minor
BACH Sonata in E Major, BWV 1035
BACH Prelude in G minor
BACH Prelude in C minor
BACH Prelude in C Major
BACH Sonata in C Major, BWV 1033
BACH Prelude in E Major
BACH Harpsichord Concerto in D minor
*Program subject to change
 

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21 Sunrise Concert with Harpist Emily Levin

Where:
Chinese Tea House
When:
July 15, 2022 from 5:15 AM to 6:15 AM
Tickets:
$55/ $50

Experience the stunning sunrise over Newport’s iconic Cliff Walk during this uplifting and lively concert with harpist Emily Levin. This intimate performance will highlight the beauty and complexity of the harp and the intricate solo repertoire written for this instrument.

PROGRAM:

CARLOS SALZADO Chanson dans la nuit
SCHUMANN Nocturne, Op. 6 No.2 (arr. Levin)
JONATHAN CZINER Comes the light
BACH French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BMV 816
BRAHMS Intermezzo, Op. 118 No. 2 (arr. Levin)
MARCEL TOURNIER Etude de Concert “au matin”
JIM HENSON The Rainbow Connection (arr. Levin)
*Program subject to change​
 

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22 Opera Night: La bohème

Where:
The Breakers
When:
July 15, 2022 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tickets:
$105/ $90/ $70/ $55

A memorable un-staged presentation of Puccini’s passionate La bohème in concert, featuring exceptional operatic vocalists, bringing this timeless love story to life at The Breakers. An Italian opera in four acts, the story is set in Paris around 1830, and depicts the Bohemian lifestyle of a poor seamstress and her artist friends. The cast features seven rising stars, hailing from The Metropolitan Opera company, Glimmerglass Opera Festival, Boston Lyric Opera, to name a few, with artistic direction and casting by Newport Classical’s own Trevor S. Neal. A fresh take on a classic makes for a magical evening.

PROGRAM:

PUCCINI La bohème

Shannon Jennings, Mimì
Dane Suarez, Rodolfo
Kenneth Stavert, Marcello
Emily Misch, Musetta
Jonathan McCullough, Schaunard
Ryan Kuster, Colline
Emily Geller, Benoit/Alcindoro
*Program subject to change
 

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23 Closing Night Celebration: Johannes Moser and Marc-André Hamelin

Where:
Redwood Library & Athenæum
When:
July 16, 2022 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tickets:
$250/ $200

Celebrate the conclusion of the 54th Newport Classical Music Festival and the 275th anniversary of the Redwood Library & Athenæum in this intimate and historic performance. German-Canadian award-winning cellist Johannes Moser join’s festival-favorite Canadian virtuoso pianist Marc-André Hamelin in a celebratory evening of duets. Opening with Nadia Boulanger’s 3 pièces, which was originally composed for organ, Moser and Hamelin also explore Hamelin’s own composition and Debussy’s iconic Sonata. The evening concludes with Franck’s best-known compositions, considered to be one of the finest sonatas for violin and piano ever written. During the special intermission reception, explore the Library and enjoy a champagne toast to mark the end of the 2022 Festival.

PROGRAM:

NADIA BOULANGER 3 pièces
MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN Four Perspectives for cello and piano
DEBUSSY Sonata
FRANCK Sonata
*Program subject to change
 

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24 Festival Artists Finale

Where:
Emmanuel Church
When:
July 17, 2022 from 3:00 PM to 4:15 PM
Tickets:
$35

This concert will feature the 2022 Festival Artists in their final performance of the summer, at the historic Emmanuel Church. This invigorating program of music will open with Mozart’s Piano Trio in B-flat Major, considered the finest piano trio of the form. The most technically challenging piece in the viola repertoire, George Enescu’s Concertstück precedes the beautiful and romantic first piano trio by Cecile Chaminade to close out this electrifying showcase. All ticket sales for this performance will go toward supporting Emmanuel Church and the vibrant community who gathers here.

PROGRAM:

MOZART Piano Trio in B-flat Major, K. 502                                                                       
ENESCU Concertstück
CHAMINADE Piano Trio No. 1 in G minor, Op. 11                                                             
*Program subject to change
 

Festival Artists Finale

 

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Featured Image Photo Credit: Newport Classical. For more information or to purchase tickets (starting April 11th), please visit newportclassical.org.

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