Newburyport Chamber Music Festival Comes to Town
Musicians from near and far are gathered in Newburyport for the annual Newburyport Chamber Music Festival. What was once a three-day event has expanded to two weeks of music that comes to life in coffee shops, bookstores, the library and other locations around town.
From August 5th through August 18th there will be opportunities to learn about the composers, attend open rehearsals to observe the artists as they develop performances of string quartets and other chamber music by composers such as Shostakovich, Mozart, Bartok and French composer Henri Dutilleux. “What makes our festival different from other festivals is the proximity of the artists to the audience,” said David Yang, festival artistic director and violist. “We’re making connections, lowering the barrier between the audience and the artists.”
This year the festival will feature the world premiere of “A Day in the Life of Newburyport” by composer-in-residence Robert Bradshaw, a collaborative effort that includes eight paintings by members of the Newburyport Art Association, along with new poems by local poets Rhina Espillat and Alfred Nicol. The movements of this piece, working with the paintings and poems, correspond with eight iconic locations around town.
Come meet musicians, painters and poets at the Newburyport Art Association on Water Street, Saturday, August 10th from 6:00-8:00 P.M.
The Festival hopes to attract audience members of all ages with puppet shows, lectures, a family concert, discussion panels and open rehearsals. All these events lead up to the three concerts with music from across the centuries as well as Bradshaw’s, “A Day in the Life of Newburyport.”
Summer Concert #1 – Wednesday, August 8th at 7:30 PM – Shostakovich/Mozart/Dutilleux at St. Anna’s Chapel
Nachtmusik – Friday, August 16th at 8:00 PM at Brown Chapel
Summer Concert #3 – Sunday, August 18th 7:00 – Bradshaw/Bartok/ Ravel at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
For the complete schedule and to purchase concert tickets, please go to: