Newport Classical’s 57th summer music festival will bring 30 concerts to 11 venues across Newport from July 2-19, 2026, the organization announced Tuesday.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on April 8 at 10 a.m. at newportclassical.org/music-festival.
The festival opens July 2 at The Breakers with Delirium Musicum, a self-conducted chamber orchestra described as “ferocious and rhythmically mesmerizing” by the San Francisco Classical Voice, performing works ranging from Baroque-era masterworks to music by Jessie Montgomery and Philip Glass. Other headline events include two solo evenings with Broadway star Jeremy Jordan — a two-time Tony Award nominee known for Newsies and most recently The Great Gatsby — on July 14 and 15 at The Breakers; and Opera Night: Golden Age on July 18, featuring tenor Lawrence Brownlee and soprano Erin Morley performing bel canto masterpieces by Rossini, Bellini, Verdi and Bizet.
Newport Classical co-commissioned a new work by JUNO Award-winning composer Vivian Fung, titled Goddess//Insect, which will receive its regional premiere July 9 at The Breakers, performed by violinist Kristin Lee and GRAMMY-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion.
“For 57 years, the Newport Classical Music Festival has transformed July in Newport into something truly magical,” said Executive Director Oliver Inteeworn. “This summer, we’re proud to present 30 concerts that illuminate the enduring power of classical music, forging powerful connections between performers and audiences.”
Other highlights include pianist Michelle Cann making her Newport debut at Castle Hill Inn on July 7; the GRAMMY Award-winning Apollo’s Fire baroque orchestra at The Breakers on July 10; vocal ensemble VOCES8 on July 11; the Beijing Guitar Duo making their Newport debut at the Redwood Library and Athenæum on July 12; and Trio Karénine, returning after a sold-out 2024 debut, on July 12 at The Breakers. The festival closes July 19 with the GRAMMY Award-winning Harlem Quartet at The Breakers.
Free events include a Fourth of July Patriotic Pops concert at King Park featuring Fenway Brass & Percussion preceding the fireworks. The popular Sunrise Concerts — ticketed events held at 5:15 a.m. on July 10 and 17 on the terrace at Rosecliff mansion — return as well, offering attendees an early morning musical experience with complimentary coffee and pastries.
Now in its fifth year, Newport Classical’s Festival Artists Residency Program returns with five emerging professional musicians — Nathan Amaral, Joshua Brown, Joseph Skerik, Leland Ko and Janice Carissa — who will perform in eight concerts throughout the festival.
As previously reported, Newport Classical also has programming planned ahead of the summer festival, including an April 10 Chamber Series concert at the Newport Classical Recital Hall featuring violinist Yevgeny Kutik.
The full 2026 festival schedule is available at newportclassical.org/music-festival.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct three errors from the original version. The Sunrise Concerts are ticketed, not free as originally stated. The Vivian Fung work Goddess//Insect will receive its regional premiere, not its world premiere. And a reference describing the 2026 festival as Newport Classical’s “largest lineup yet” has been removed; while 30 concerts is the most since the organization’s name changed to Newport Classical in 2021, it is not the largest in the organization’s history, which dates to 1969. We regret the errors.