Newport Classical Continues Chamber Series with Two October Concerts - Violinist Blake Pouliot with Pianist Henry Kramer and Trio Zimbalist
L-R: Blake Pouliot, Henry Kramer, Trio Zimbalist. Photos available in high resolution here.
Newport Classical Continues 2025-2026 Chamber Series
Violinist Blake Pouliot & Pianist Henry Kramer perform Schumann and Dvořák
Friday, October 3, 2025 at 7:30pm
Trio Zimbalist performs Beethoven
Friday, October 17, 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 the two concerts in October. Violinist Blake Pouliot and pianist Henry Kramer perform on Friday, October 3, 2025 at 7:30pm and Trio Zimbalist performs on Friday, October 17, 2025 at 7:30pm.
Celebrated for his “radiant sound and high-powered virtuosity” (Los Angeles Times), violinist Blake Pouliot brings his expressive and assured style to Newport on October 3. Joining Pouliot, and making a welcome return to Newport Classical, is acclaimed pianist Henry Kramer, praised by The New York Times for his “astonishingly confident technique.” Together, they deliver a Romantic program featuring Schumann’s stormy Violin Sonata No. 1, Dvořák’s spirited Zigeunerlieder, and the sweeping drama of Chausson’s Poème, promising an evening of captivating contrasts. The duo made their Carnegie Hall debut together this past May, and Pouliot has also recently made debuts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and more. He first performed as a soloist with orchestra at age eleven, and the Toronto Star describes him as “one of those special talents that comes along once in a lifetime.”
Newport Classical welcomes Trio Zimbalist to Rhode Island in their Newport Classical debut on October 17. Trio Zimbalist has won over audiences and critics alike with what EfSyn (Greece) calls “precision and feverish intensity.” Praised for the “liveliness and vigor” of their playing and performances that are simply “pure enjoyment!” (Athinorama), the trio brings vibrant energy and deep musical expression to every note. They present a program that begins with George Xiaoyuan Fu’s Piano Trio, followed by two iconic works: Smetana’s deeply emotional Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15, a powerful reflection on love and loss, and Beethoven’s Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97, the beloved “Archduke,” full of warmth, grace, and grandeur. The members of the trio – violinist Josef Špaček, cellist Timotheos Gavriilidis-Petrin, and pianist George Xiaoyuan Fu – are all distinguished alumni of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In demand across Europe and the U.S. as soloists, chamber musicians, and recitalists, they form an inimitable ensemble with repertoire spanning Romantic masterworks to today’s most lauded composers. The trio takes its name from famed violin virtuoso Efrem Zimbalist, a towering presence at the Curtis Institute of Music as faculty and director for a combined forty years. Trio Zimbalist carries on the violinist’s storied legacy through its commitment to artistic excellence.
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.
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 November 7, with Taiwanese American pianist Charlotte Hu, celebrated as a "first-class talent" (The Philadelphia Inquirer) with "superstar quality" (Jerusalem Post), embarking on a compelling journey through Chopin's expressive world. Saxophonist Valentin Kovalev, Gold Medal winner at the Jean-Marie Londeix International Saxophone Competition, brings his electrifying technique and soulful depth to his Newport Classical debut on November 21 with a program culminating in Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
The Chamber Series begins 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.