The 2023 Rockport Chamber Music Festival promises a much needed, indulgent feast for the senses and soul.

Glorious music from across the centuries performed by close to one hundred exceptional musicians. 

From festival favorites such as Marc-André Hamelin, the Dover Quartet and A Far Cry, to our abundance of exciting new artists, as well as composer-in-residence Mark Applebaum, the festival is sure to inspire.

Bring your open hearts and minds and join us as we celebrate the future.

Schedule:

Friday, June 9 : 7:30 PM

Festival Opening Night

Dover Quartet & Guests

Dover Quartet | Andrew Wan, violin | Njioma Grevious, violin | Barry Shiffman, viola | Desmond Hoebig, cello

Named one of the greatest string quartets of the last 100 years by BBC Music Magazine, the GRAMMY® nominated Dover Quartet, along with guests, bring a dynamic opening night program of Haydn, George Walker and Mendelssohn’s masterful octet.

Saturday, June 10 : 5 PM

Jan Lisiecki, piano

A Deutsche Grammophon recording artist and winner of the Leonard Bernstein Award, pianist Jan Lisiecki returns to the Festival with a breathtaking program of Chopin Nocturnes and Etudes.

At eighteen, Lisiecki became both the youngest-ever recipient of Gramophone’s Young Artist Award and received the Leonard Bernstein Award.

Sunday, June 11 : 5 PM

Schubert & Schumann

Gilles Vonsattel, piano | Andrew Wan, violin | Barry Shiffman, viola | Desmond Hoebig, cello | Kebra-Seyoun Charles, double bass

An all-star ensemble, led by pianist Gilles Vonsattel, brings a program with two chamber music greats—Schumann’s Piano Quartet and Schubert’s famed Trout Quintet.

The “Trout” Quintet is one of the most recognizable chamber works of all time and a favorite of musicians and audiences alike.

Thursday, June 15 : 7:30 PM

Chad Hoopes, Violin & Anne-Marie Mcdermott , piano

Acclaimed as both soloists and collaborators, violinist Chad Hoopes, joins with pianist Anne-Marie McDermott for a riveting program of Mozart,Fauré and culminating with Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata.

Celebrated for their solo careers, as well as chamber musicians in the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, this concert promises a collaboration of the highest caliber.

Friday, June 16 : 7:30 PM

All-Star Brass

Jens Lindemann, trumpet | Richard Kelley, trumpet | Chris Cooper, horn | Marshall Gilkes, trombone | Patrick Sheridan, tuba

Trumpeter Jens Lindemann brings his All-Star Brass quintet, comprised of the greatest brass soloists in the world, to perform a diverse and virtuosic program of Gabrieli, Bach, Ellington, the Beatles and more!

Friday, June 16 : 9:45 PM

Cabaret: Violins, Pianos & Watches, Oh My!

Mark Applebaum, piano | Escher Quartet | All Star Brass | Chad Hoopes, violin | Barry Shiffman, viola | Jennifer Snow, piano | Richard Tennant, piano

This eclectic program will take concertgoers on quite a ride, traveling from stately Handel violin/viola duos to earthy jazz and Americana pieces to a six hand piano piece before ending in delightfully esoteric compositions using wristwatches and …metaphysics? Come on, admit it. You’re intrigued.

Saturday, June 17 : 5 PM

Escher Quartet

Adam Barnett-Hart, violin | Brendan Speltz, violin | Pierre Lapointe, viola | Brook Speltz, cello

Known for their profound musical insight, the Escher Quartet brings a program of Mozart, Bartók and Dvorák.

Regular season artists at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Wigmore Hall, this quartet is renowned around the world for its eloquent, full-blooded playing.

The four players offer a beautiful blend of individuality and accord BBC Music Magazine.

Sunday, June 18 : 5 PM

Mahan Esfahani, Harpsichord & Escher Quartet

A Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine Award winner, Mahan’s performances are hailed as something to treasure - The Times.

Esfahani has set himself apart as the first harpsichordist in a generation whose work spans virtually all areas of classical music.

He joins with the Escher Quartet for a program featuring works of J.S. Bach along with a new work by Mark Applebaum.

Thursday, June 22 : 7:30 PM

Christina & Michelle Naughton, piano duo

Four hands, twenty fingers…one amazing night of music! Come hear the incredibly talented Naughton sisters (the first piano duo to win the coveted Avery Fisher Grant) make their Rockport debut with a powerhouse program that includes pieces by Mendelssohn, Fauré, Brahms and Ravel among others.

Friday, June 23 : 11 AM

Film: Reclamation

A moving film about how a chamber music program in a prison has impacted the incarcerated. The film is presented by Looking at the Stars. Free, reservations are encouraged.

Friday, June 23 : 7:30 PM

Bach & Arvo Pärt

Livia Sohn, violin | Kerson Leong, violin | Ryan Roberts, oboe

Rockport Chamber Orchestra: Balourdet Quartet | Clare Semes, violin | Barry Shiffman, viola | Charles Clements, double bass | Jeffrey Beecher, double bass |  Max Levinson, piano

Two winners of the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition—Livia Sohn and Kerson Leong—along with NY Philharmonic oboist/English Hornist Ryan Roberts and a spectacular chamber orchestra, perform a dynamic program of J.S. Bach and Arvo Pärt. Referenced as the “Bach of our Century” with his minimalist yet incredibly accessible compositional style, Pärt’s music.

Sunday, June 25 : 5 PM

Marc-André Hamelin, Piano & Balourdet Quartet

Angela Bae, violin | Justin DeFilippis, violin | Benjamin Zannoni, viola | Russell Houston, cello

Legendary pianist Marc-André Hamelin teams up with the sensational Balourdet Quartet, for a program of Mendelssohn, Al-Zand and Franck’s popular PIano Quintet.

The Balourdet Quartet received Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Gold Medal at the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and is currently in residence at the New England Conservatory.

Thursday, June 29 : 7:30 PM

SANTIAGO CAÑÓN VALENCIA, cello Jeanie Chung, piano

A 2022 BBC Next Generation Artist and Winner of the Silver Medal and “Audience Favorite” at the 2019 Tchaikovsky International Competition, Cañón-Valencia performs a lush program of Bach, Ravel, Ginastera and one of his own compositions. The Strad magazine proclaims his playing as, “technically flawless, he’s totally under the skin of the composers’ idioms.”

Friday, June 30 : 11 AM

Film: Los Hermanos/The Brothers

This film centers on two Afro-Cuban brothers, separated by geopolitics but united by music. Both established in their careers—one is a jazz pianist and one is a violinist with the Grammy-winning Harlem Quartet.

Their moving relationship and musical reunion will engage all audiences. Free, reservations are encouraged.

Friday, June 30 : 7:30 PM

Brahms & Schumann

Stefan Jackiw, violin | Yoonah Kim, clarinet | Max Levinson, piano

One of America’s foremost violinists, Stefan Jackiw joins with clarinetist Yoonah Kim and pianist Max Levinson for a truly virtuosic, lush program of Brahms and Schumann. Jackiw has been hailed for “talent that’s off the scale” (The Washington Post) and Kim is known for her “inexhaustible virtuosity” (New York Times).

Together, they bring a dynamic evening of chamber masterworks from Brahms and both Clara and Robert Schumann.

Saturday, July 1 : 7:30 PM

Isidore Quartet & Shai Wosner, Piano

Phoenix Avalon & Adrian Steele, violins | Devin Moore, viola | Joshua McClendon, cello

Fresh off their win at the 2022 Banff International Quartet Competition, the Isidore Quartet have established their place as one of the most dynamic string quartets performing today.

Along with the esteemed pianist Shai Wosner, they perform Brahms’s dramatic Piano Quintet in F minor.

Sunday, July 2 : 5 PM

Stewart Goodyear, Piano

Proclaimed “a phenomenon” by the Los Angeles Times, Stewart Goodyear is an accomplished pianist and composer. His spectacular performance in last year’s Festival of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue brought audiences to their feet.

This year, he brings several of Beethoven’s timeless sonatas, including the “Tempest,” “Appassionata” and “Moonlight” Sonatas along with some of Goodyear’s own compositions.

Thursday, July 6 : 11 AM

Family Concert: Think Outside The Drum

Think Outside the Drum is a fun, interactive, educational presentation for all ages that introduces 3 of the building blocks of music—rhythm, melody, and timbre.  Free, reservations are encouraged.

Thursday, July 6 : 7:30 PM

A Far Cry

Named by The New Yorker as one of the “Imagination-Grabbing, Trailblazing Artists of 2014,” the Grammy-nominated A Far Cry brings a rich and diverse program of works by Dvorák, Golijov, Montgomery, as well as a new commission by Juantio Becenti.

Friday, July 7 : 7:30 PM

Third Coast Percussion

David Skidmore | Robert Dillon | Peter Martin | Sean Connors

Grammy Award winning ensemble Third Coast Percussion has been praised for “commandingly elegant” (New York Times) performances, the “rare power” (Washington Post) of their recordings, and “an inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune).

The members of Third Coast are also accomplished teachers and currently serve as ensemble-in-residence at Denison University.

Friday, July 7 : 9:45 PM

Cabaret: Music From The Movies

Todd Palmer, clarinet | Danbi Um, violin | Barry Shiffman, violin/viola

This cabaret shares the music of cinematic greats like Ennio Morricone (Cinema Paradiso, Once Upon a Time in America), John Williams (Schindler’s List) and Heinz Provost (Intermezzo).

Saturday, July 8 : 7:30 PM

PAUL HUANG, violin & ROMAN RABINOVICH, piano

Recipient of the prestigious 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 2017 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists, violinist Paul Huang “possesses a big, luscious tone, spot-on intonation and a technique that makes the most punishing string phrases feel as natural as breathing,” (Washington Post). 

He joins with pianist Roman Rabinovich, praised for his “uncommon sensitivity and feeling” (New York Times), and winner of the 2008 Rubinstein International Piano Competition for a program of Mendelssohn, Saint-Saens and more.

Sunday, July 9 : 5 PM

Closing Night: Evening Of Schubert  

Paul Huang, violin | Danbi Um, violin |Barry Shiffman, viola | Colin Carr, cello | Todd Palmer, clarinet | Bee Ungar, bassoon | David Cooper, horn | Jeremy McCoy, bass | Kyungwha Chu, piano

This unforgettable closing concert brings some of Schubert’s greatest works with cellist Colin Carr and pianist Kyungwha Chu opening with Schubert’s expressive Arpeggione sonata.

The concert culminates with an all-star ensemble performing his glorious Octet in F major, which Schubert modeled after Beethoven’s famed Septet.

Tuesday, July 25 : 7:30 PM

Chanticleer

Tim Keeler, director

The GRAMMY® Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer has been hailed as the world’s reigning male chorus (The New Yorker), and is known around the world as an orchestra of voices for its wide-ranging repertoire and dazzling virtuosity.

Founded in 1978, Chanticleer quickly took its place as one of the most prolific recording and touring ensembles in the world, selling over one million recordings and performing thousands of live concerts to audiences around the world.

Saturday, August 12 : 7:30 PM

Gidon Kremer, Violin

Yulianna Avdeeva, piano | Madara P?tersone, violin

Among the world’s leading violinists over the past 5 decades, Gidon Kremer has established and sustained a worldwide reputation as one of the most original and compelling artists of his generation.

He has appeared on almost every major concert stage as recitalist and with the most celebrated orchestras of Europe and North America, and has worked with many of the greatest conductors of the past half century.

Buy Tickets

Date:

June 9-July 9, 2023
July 25 | August 12

Location:

Shalin Liu Performance Center,
37 Main Street,
Rockport, MA 01966.

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