Newport Classical Presents Two Community Concerts this Spring - PROJECT Trio on April 26 and Toomai String Quartet on May 24
Toomai String Quintet (top) and PROJECT Trio (bottom)
Newport Classical Presents Two Free Community Concerts this Spring
Free, Casual, and Welcoming to All
Presented by BankNewport
PROJECT Trio
Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 2:30pm
Newport Classical Recital Hall | 42 Dearborn St. | Newport, RI
Toomai String Quintet
Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 2:30pm
293 JT Connell Hwy. | Newport, RI
Information & Registration:
newportclassical.org/community-concerts
Newport, RI – Newport Classical announces two free concerts as part of its Community Concerts Series presented by BankNewport taking place in April and May 2026. PROJECT Trio, praised for “musicianship, joy, and surprise” by Downbeat Magazine, performs on Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 2:30pm at Newport Classical Recital Hall (42 Dearborn St.) On Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 2:30pm, Toomai String Quintet performs at 293 JT Connell Hwy.
Audiences can look forward to enjoying these casual, engaging, and welcoming concerts designed especially for families right in their neighborhoods. Newport Classical's Community Concerts Series is free and open to the community; advanced registration is requested but not required for all performances.
On April 26, audiences will experience a high-energy, genre-blending afternoon with PROJECT Trio. Known for their electrifying stage presence, the trio fuses classical, jazz, hip-hop, and world music for audiences of all ages. This free concert features a program ranging from Mozart and Bach to Bernstein and Beatles classics, alongside original works by PROJECT Trio themselves. Praised by Gramophone for “ranging from Baroque to nu-Metal and taking in pretty much every stylism in between,” the group brings their infectious energy and playful creativity to Newport, transforming our stage into a playground of rhythm, melody, and surprise.
On May 24, Experience a free, family-friendly outdoor concert with the award-winning Toomai String Quintet at Newport Craft! Celebrated for their inventive arrangements and passion for Latin American repertoire, Toomai highlights creative approaches to music through the lens of Cuban and Brazilian traditions. A group of world-class musicians and passionate educators, Toomai combines these elements to create highly interactive programs for audiences of all ages. Set against the scenic Newport Craft Lawn with views of the Pell Bridge, this concert invites listeners of all ages to immerse themselves in the vivid sounds and stories of Latin American music. Bring your blankets and chairs and enjoy a drink from Newport Craft’s outdoor bar!
These concerts are generously presented as part of the BankNewport Community Concerts Series with additional support from the Newport County Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation and a Legislative Grant of the RI House of Representatives sponsored by Rep Cortvriend & Speaker Shekarchi..
Up next as part of Newport Classical’s Chamber Series, 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.
For Newport Classical’s complete concert calendar, visit www.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.