2026 Summer Festival

25 Years of Music, Up Close and Unexpected

‍

Come spend some time with us August 5–15. For 25 years, the Newburyport Chamber Music Festival has been about experiencing music not at a distance, but up close—shared, immediate, and a little different each time. Over ten days, you might find yourself in a church one night, a library or café the next day, or gathered in a private home, just a few feet from the performers. Many events are free, and the three main concerts are pay-as-you-can, with a suggested price of $40, so you can join in whatever way feels right.

We begin simply, with the piano. One performer, one instrument—and yet a whole range of feeling, from quiet and clear to bold and dramatic, with music by Joseph Haydn, Felix Mendelssohn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Franz Liszt. Then things open up. Voices begin to overlap and take shape—some playful, some curious, some quietly inward. Morton Feldman’s Only draws you into a more inward space—quiet, focused, and intensely present. From there, Stripsody brings a burst of comic energy, turning sound itself into expression, while Jon Deak’s The Jury, inspired by a poem by Newburyport poet Rhina P. Espaillat, introduces a cast of distinct characters, each with its own point of view—not always on our side. By the end of the ten days, everything gathers in full voice, with Mendelssohn and Shostakovich octets and a new work by Jon Deak bringing the Festival to a close as we celebrate 25 years.

Along the way, you’re welcome to step inside the process. You can drop in on a rehearsal, hear a piece come to life, and talk with the musicians about what they’re discovering. They’re here for the week, living in the community, and that sense of connection carries into everything we do.

Come for one evening or stay for several. However you join us, we hope you’ll find yourself a little closer to the music—and to the people making it.

‍

Who will be joining us this year?

We welcome our 2026 Festival artists—some returning friends and others new to the Newburyport Chamber Music experience. As always, you’ll meet established musicians alongside younger artists who are quickly making their mark. Over the ten days, you’ll see these artists everywhere—from the first Hausmusik to the final concert—and hopefully come to know them not just as performers, but as friends along the way.  

We are especially pleased to have Lucy Shelton with us for the first time. Fresh from her recent Metropolitan Opera debut, Lucy is a two-time Naumburg Award winner and widely admired for her work in new music. She and composer Jon Deak have been colleagues and friends for many years. This summer she will perform Jon’s The Jury (premiered at the NCMF Festival in 2023) as well as this year’s unveiling of Jon’s new work Just Stopping. Both pieces are set to poems by award-winning and beloved Newburyport poet, Rhina P. Espaillat, our Poet-in-Residence for the Festival.

Pianist Kenny Broberg, medalist at the Tchaikovsky and Van Cliburn international competitions, will open the festival with a solo recital. Turning to the other festival artists, violist David Yang needs little introduction. As Artistic Director, he created the Festival and shapes the programming each year. He brings together musicians not only for their skill but how they connect with audiences. Cellist Christopher Costanza returns as a favorite of Festival audiences—known as much for his elegant playing as his easygoing, engaging presence. Joining them are violinists Isabelle Ai Durrenberger, first violinist of the Aeolus String Quartet, and Maria Ioudenitch, winner of the Ysaÿe and Joachim international violin competitions.  

At the close of the Festival, the acclaimed Miró Quartet joins us for the first time. Together with Maria, Isabelle, David and Chris, they will perform the Mendelssohn and Shostakovich octets—bringing eight musicians together on stage in the culminating concert celebration of our 25 years here in Newburyport.