The Rockport Chamber Music Festival

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Classical New England celebrates the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, one of New England's premiere summer music festivals.  

Hear the 2012 Rockport Chamber Music Festival episode of New England Summer Festivals

Hear the 2011 Rockport Chamber Music Festival episode of New England Summer Festivals

The 2012 Rockport Chamber Music Festival began on June 7 with a gala concert featuring pianist Leon Fleisher. The following night, Spanish gambist Jordi Savall and his ensemble Hesperion XXI come to the Shalin Liu Performance Center for a program entitled "A Dialogue of Souls."

The season also features three of the most exciting string quartets on the stage today, with the Parker Quartet, the Calder Quartet, with clarinetist John Bruce Yeh, and the Jupiter Quartet, in collaboration with pianist and festival Artistic Director David Deveau.

Music of our time plays a vital role in the season, with a performance by Boston Musica Viva, a world premiere of music written by Chick Corea and performed by clarinetist Richard Stoltzman and marimbist Mika Yoshida, and a concert by pianist Bruce Brubaker that features music by Philip Glass and John Cage.

In additiona to Savall, early music performances include a return of the British ensemble Red Priest, "Rheingold's Curse," a concert by Benjamin Bagby and Sequentia, and the complete works for solo violin by J.S. Bach with Jennifer Koh.

Complete information can be found by visiting the Rockport Chamber Music Festival.

Cape Ann is approximately 45 minutes by car from downtown Boston, and the MBTA offers commuter rail service to Rockport as well.  There are many options for dining and lodging. 
 

In 1981 two friends, soprano Lila Deis and pianist/composer David Alpher were travelling through Rockport. Inspired by the town's beauty and history as an artists colony, their casual lunchtime conversation led to a meeting with local businessman Paul Sylva, who had dreamed of just such a project for years.  The Rockport Chamber Music Festival was born, with the first performances taking place over two weekends in 1982 at the Rockport Art Association.

In 1995, pianist David Deveau was named Artistic Director, and his guidance has seen the festival expand in both season and ambition over the years. In 2008 that led to the creation of Rockport Music, and plans were laid for a new performing space. Finally, in 2010, the first concerts were given in the Shalin Liu Performance Center.

Now, Rockport Music has expanded its schedule to include the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, presentation of classical, jazz, and world music concerts throughout the year, live video presentations of the Metropolitan Opera and London's National Theatre, and more.




The Rockport Chamber Music Festival and the Shalin Liu Performance Center was featured on WCVB's Chronicle:





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