Newport Classical Continues Chamber Series with Two November Concerts - Pianist Charlotte Hu and Saxophonist Valentin Kovalev
L-R: Charlotte Hu and Valentin Kovalev. Photos available in high resolution here.
Newport Classical Continues 2025-2026 Chamber Series
Pianist Charlotte Hu Performs Chopin
Friday, November 7, 2025 at 7:30pm
Saxophonist Valentin Kovalev performs Pictures at an Exhibition
Friday, November 21, 2025 7:30pm
Information & Tickets: www.newportclassical.org
Newport, RI – Newport Classical continues its fifth full-season Chamber Series, which features twelve concerts held on select Fridays between September 2025 and June 2026 at the organization’s home venue, the Newport Classical Recital Hall (42 Dearborn St.), with two concerts in November. Pianist Charlotte Hu performs on Friday, November 7, 2025 at 7:30pm and saxophonist Valentin Kovalev performs on Friday, November 21, 2025 at 7:30pm.
On November 7, virtuoso Taiwanese American pianist Charlotte Hu, celebrated as a "first-class talent" (The Philadelphia Inquirer) with "superstar quality" (Jerusalem Post), embarks on a compelling journey through Chopin's expressive world. From the sparkling Polonaise-Fantasie to the sweeping drama of the Piano Sonata No. 3, the heart of the evening features the luminous Nocturnes, all showcasing a different facet of Chopin’s emotional world through Hu’s expressive grace and refined lyricism. Charlotte Hu is a well-known interpreter of Chopin – her debut album, Chopin, was released in 2011 and was named Best Classical Album of the Year by Taiwan's prestigious Golden Melody Award. Hu has said that she hopes that her performances “encourage people to listen deeply and discover anew the work of even the most well-known composers.”
On November 21, saxophonist Valentin Kovalev, a Gold Medal winner at the Jean-Marie Londeix International Saxophone Competition, brings his electrifying technique and soulful depth to his Newport Classical debut. A winner of the Concert Artists Guild competition, Kovalev presents a unique blend of virtuosic brilliance and heartfelt expression in a program that journeys from Romantic warmth to contemporary vibrancy featuring Schumann’s tender Fantasiestücke, Chaminade’s elegant Flute Concertino, Fazil Say’s vivid Suite, Debussy’s shimmering Rhapsody, the spirited energy of Barry Cockcroft’s KuKu, and Mussorgsky's art gallery-inspired masterpiece, Pictures at an Exhibition. Hailing from Siberia, Kovalev is an ebullient and highly eclectic performer whose unique style was developed after studying in Russia, France, and the US. He recently gave a sold-out debut recital at Carnegie Hall as a winner of the Naumburg Foundation 2022 Saxophone Competition.
Newport Classical's Chamber Series takes place at Newport Classical Recital Hall in downtown Newport, known for its striking architecture and excellent acoustics. Audiences are invited to enjoy performances by world-class classical musicians in a relaxed setting, with complimentary wine generously provided by Gold's Wine and Spirits served when the doors open at 7:00pm and again during intermission. Both performers and audience members alike have described these concerts as some of their favorites. “Beautiful concert, high artistry and exciting programming . . . a deeply moving and soulful experience, with a rousing and brilliant virtuosity that kept you on the edge of your seat,” raved one attendee.
As part of Newport Classical's desire to create connections between classical music, the artists who perform it, and the Newport community, all musicians performing on the Chamber Series will also visit a local school or organization to present their talents and meaningfully engage with students and community members of all ages through Newport Classical's Music Enrichment and Engagement Initiative. While in Newport, Charlotte Hu will visit Pell Elementary School and Valentin Kovalev will visit East Bay Community Action Program’s (EBCAP) Head Start preschool.
Up next, Newport Classical presents a free Community Concert, designed especially for families – classical guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan presents his New Lullaby Project (comfy PJs and stuffed animals welcome) on October 12 at Emmanuel Church. The Chamber Series continues on October 17, with Trio Zimbalist in their Newport Classical debut, performing with what EfSyn calls “precision and feverish intensity,” in Beethoven's beloved "Archduke" Trio alongside works by Smetana and George Xiaoyuan Fu.
The Chamber Series continues in 2026 with cellist Jonathan Swensen making his highly anticipated return on January 23 following his memorable 2024 debut as a Festival Artist. Honored with the 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant and joint First Prize at the 2024 Naumburg International Cello Competition, Swensen is described as "a musician of charisma and thrilling physicality" (BBC Music Magazine). The Verona Quartet, celebrated by The New York Times as an "outstanding ensemble... cohesive yet full of temperament," makes their Newport Classical debut on February 20 with a program tracing a vivid stylistic arc from Scarlatti to Beethoven. On March 13, baritone Benjamin Appl, whose voice “belongs to the last of the old great masters of song” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) and whose artistry has been described as “unbearably moving” (The Times), presents Schubert's hauntingly beautiful Die Winterreise with his frequent collaborator, pianist James Baillieu. Ars Poetica, an ensemble of acclaimed instrumentalists and vocalists with a passion for historical music, explores "Dance and Transfiguration" on March 27 with their colorful array of Baroque instruments. Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, praised for his "dark-hued and razor-sharp technique" (The New York Times), makes his Newport Classical debut on April 10 alongside returning pianist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner in works by Debussy, Prokofiev, and Grieg. Rising-star pianist James Zijian Wei, first-prize winner at the 2024 Cleveland International Piano Competition, makes his highly anticipated Newport debut on May 8 with a program featuring Ravel, Liszt, and more. The Chamber Series concludes on June 5 with flutist Amir Hoshang Farsi and pianist Chelsea Wang, both Carnegie Hall Ensemble Connect alumni, presenting a program of sparkling impressionism featuring works by Fauré, Lili Boulanger, and contemporary composers Reena Esmail, Ian Clarke, and Yuko Uebayashi.
The 2026 Newport Classical Music Festival will take place from July 2-19, 2026.
About Newport Classical
Newport Classical is a premier performing arts organization that welcomes people of every age, culture, and background to intimate, immersive musical experiences. The organization presents world-renowned and up-and-coming artistic talents at stunning, storied venues across Newport – an internationally sought-after cultural and recreational destination.
Originally founded in 1969 as Rhode Island Arts Foundation at Newport, Inc., Newport Classical has a rich legacy of musical curiosity having presented the American debuts of hundreds of international artists and is most well-known for hosting three weeks of concerts in the summer in the historic mansions throughout Newport and Aquidneck Island. In the 56 years since, Newport Classical has become the most active year-round presenter of live performing arts on Aquidneck Island, and an essential pillar of Rhode Island’s cultural landscape, welcoming thousands of patrons all year long.
Newport Classical invests in the future of classical music as a diverse, relevant, and ever-evolving art form through its four core programs – the one-of-a-kind Music Festival; the Chamber Series in the Newport Classical Recital Hall; the free, family-friendly Community Concerts Series; and the Music Education and Engagement Initiative that inspires students in local schools to become the arts advocates and music lovers of tomorrow. These programs illustrate the organization’s ongoing commitment to presenting “timeless music for today.”
In 2021, the organization launched a new commissioning initiative – each year, Newport Classical will commission a new work by a Black, Indigenous, person of color, or woman composer as a commitment to the future of classical music. To date, Newport Classical has commissioned and presented the world premiere of works by Stacy Garrop, Shawn Okpebholo, Curtis Stewart, Clarice Assad, and Cris Derksen.