Newport Classical Concludes 2025-2026 Chamber Series with Concerts in May and June
L-R: Zijian Wei, Amir Hoshang Farsi, Mika Sasaki. Photos available in high resolution here.
Newport Classical Concludes 2025-2026 Chamber Series
Friday, May 8, 2026 at 7:30pm: James Zijian Wei performs Ravel and Liszt
Friday, June 5, 2026 at 7:30pm: Amir Hoshang Farsi and Mika Sasaki
Newport Classical Recital Hall | 42 Dearborn Street | Newport, RI
Information & Tickets: www.newportclassical.org
Newport, RI – Newport Classical concludes 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.). On Friday, May 8, 2026 at 7:30pm, pianist James Zijian Wei makes his Newport debut, and on Friday, June 5, 2026 at 7:30pm, flutist Amir Hoshang Farsi and pianist Mika Sasaki close this season’s Chamber Series with a colorful and virtuosic program.
Pianist James Zijian Wei comes to Newport on May 8 following a sweeping first-prize win at the 2024 Cleveland International Piano Competition. A standout among China’s rising generation of pianists, Wei has earned international acclaim on major stages and has been recognized with top prizes at the Lang Lang Cup, the China Grand Canal Festival, and the Beijing International Chopin Competition. In Newport, Wei presents a program of Barber, Ravel, Liszt, and more showcasing the magnetic energy of a major artist on the rise.
Newport Classical Executive Director Oliver Inteeworn writes of the program:
“James Zijian Wei’s concert program has a wonderful dramatic arc. He opens with Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No. 5 in F-sharp Major, Op. 53, a work of volcanic intensity. Scriabin wrote this piece after relocating from Paris to Lausanne, a place he found more peaceful, and where he felt at ease. You can almost hear his sense of liberation and joy in the work, which took him only six days to write. From there, Wei turns to Samuel Barber’s Excursions, Op. 20, four short, distinctly American character pieces that draw on folk idioms including blues, boogie-woogie, fiddle, and even a cowboy ballad. Next, Wei performs Lü Wencheng’s Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake, rooted in the tradition of Cantonese music and evoking the beauty of moonlight on water.The second half of the concert opens with Ravel’s famous work, La Valse, a dizzyingly virtuosic showcase that is very demanding for the soloist. The final piece on Wei’s program is Liszt’s Fantasie über Themen aus Mozarts Figaro und Don Giovanni, S. 697, which brilliantly weaves together melodies from Mozart’s two great operas.”
Flutist Amir Hoshang Farsi and pianist Mika Sasaki join forces on June 5 to close this season’s Chamber Series with brilliance and flair. Hailed as “virtuosic and birdlike” (I Care If You Listen), Farsi brings his lyrical tone and adventurous spirit to a rich and colorful program featuring works by Gabriel Fauré, Lili Boulanger, Ian Clarke, Reena Esmail, and Yuko Uébayashi. Sasaki, praised as a “superb interpreter” (Fanfare) and for her “virtuosity… and sparkling sound” (Times Argus) has performed at leading venues across North America, Europe, and Asia, and is celebrated for her remarkably expressive range. Together, these two rising stars present a program of sparkling Impressionism. This concert is made possible through the generous support of Ron and Maureen Early.
Inteeworn writes of Farsi and Sasaki’s program:
“The duo’s program opens with two short works by French composer Lili Boulanger, who in spite of only living to the age of 24 left us with a catalog of treasured works. Farsi and Sasaki will perform her sunlit D’un matin de printemps (Of a Spring Morning) and her subdued Nocturne. Next, they perform Fauré’s Sonata in A Major, Op. 13, of which fellow composer Saint-Saëns wrote, ‘This sonata has everything that will seduce the gourmet: novel forms, exquisite modulations, uncommon tone colours, the use of the most unexpected rhythms…hovering above all this is a magic which envelops the work…’ The second half of the concert features three vivid new works. Ian Clarke describes his piece Orange Dawn as ‘inspired by the vision of a dawn scene in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa.’ Reena Esmail’s Zinfandel blends Western classical and Hindustani musical traditions. She writes that she imagined ‘a glimmer of light reflecting and refracting off the surface of the dark, rich wine’ while composing it. Yuko Uébayashi’s Sonata for Flute and Piano brings the concert full circle, reflecting both French Impressionist music and the influence of Japanese film music, related to the composer’s experiences in her native Kyoto and in Paris, where she has made her home for many years.”
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, the 2026 Newport Classical Music Festival will take place from July 2-19, 2026. Highlights of the 2026 Festival include Opening Night with chamber orchestra Delirium Musicum; a celebration of the Golden Age of Opera with Lawrence Brownlee and Erin Morley; solo piano performances by Michelle Cann and Dmitry Shishkin, as well as a two-piano recital with Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy; a new work by Vivian Fung, co-commissioned by Newport Classical, performed by Sandbox Percussion and violinist Kristin Lee; performances by violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing, VOCES8, Apollo’s Fire, Trio Karénine, WindSync, Cerus Saxophone Quartet, Beijing Guitar Duo, Parker Quartet, and more; two evenings with Broadway star Jeremy Jordan, known for his lead role in Newsies and most recently The Great Gatsby; and Closing Night with the GRAMMY® Award-winning Harlem Quartet, joined by Newport Classical’s Resident Festival Artists. Additional highlights include the beloved Sunrise Concerts at 5:15am; a concert inspired by nature at Norman Bird Sanctuary; a free Fourth of July concert at King Park; and this year’s young professional Newport ClassicalResidentFestival Artists in eight performances. For details, visit newportclassical.org/concerts.
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.