Experience the globally prestigious Pink Martini in Rockport! Blending jazz, classical and vintage pop with multilingual flair, this “little orchestra” has delivered electrifying performances that transports audiences around the world for more than 30 years.

Pink Martini

Rockport Music-Shalin Liu Performance Center

New Orleans-born Branford Marsalis is an award-winning saxophonist, band leader, featured classical soloist, and a film and Broadway composer. In the process, he has become a multi award-winning artist with three Grammys, a citaton by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master and an avatar of contemporary artistic excellence.

Branford Marsalis Quartet

Enjoy a meditative Sunday hour celebrating the time-old relationship between words and music. Join Festival artists as they share a selection of poetry and prose accompanied by a soundscape both improvised and curated.

Words & Music

The essence of the Atlantic Ocean takes center stage for the Rockport Celtic Festival’s finale, complete with never-before-heard artist collaboration, narration by Ben Shattuck and some very special guests.

Where the Sea Meets the Land

Podcast link: https://youtu.be/4hagYvrYbuM

The Artelize Podcast and Kasper Holten - Pedefining Opera for the modern world

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d36M5Hi6O80

The Artelize Podcast - A legacy of innovation in Opera: Celebrating Marc A. Scorca

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59E40S_EQSY

The Artelize Podcast: A love letter that was never sent

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THv6htilWtI

The Artelize Podcast and Adolfo Corrado: Mediterranean flavors, opera and social media

Bring your voices to a boisterous Chantey Sing with David Coffin. Sing along on the chorus of a hauling, stamping, heaving, capstan, what-have-you chantey. No experience required and lyrics will be provided. Let’s rattle the rafters!!

Chantey Sing with David Coffin

First Congregational Church of Rockport

Grab a drink at the bar, bring your dancing shoes and join host Maeve Gilchrist for an exhilarating evening of fiddle music and dance! Enjoy the traditional session hosted by the Abbie MacQuarrie Band. Be prepared to grab a partner and dance as Abbie teaches some easy-to-learn traditional Ceili-dances. Pure-drop fun!

Festival Club: Ceilidh!

Tonight, we hear music from Ireland, Quebec, Germany and New England with an interweaving thread of Baroque Music and techniques. At a time when Telemann and Bach were composing fugues in continental Europe, the Bardic harping tradition was alive and vibrant in Ireland resulting in a whole repertoire of Irish harp tunes that are now carried via pipes, fiddles and a host of different instruments. We have the stunning sounds of Montreal-based violist Alexis Chartrand, bringing his unique Gut-bow approach to traditional Quebec repertoire. In contrast, the GRAMMY-nominated violinist Christina Day, along with theorbist Michael Leopold, performs one of Heinrich Biber’s Mystery Sonatas. Artistic Director Maeve Gilchrist will also bring in longtime collaborator Kyle Sanna and bassist Logan Coale to premier some new music for harp and electric guitar inspired by a Seamus Heaney translation of a middle English Poem on the mysticism of Hares! Don’t miss this richly imaginative evening of 17th century inspired exploration in a completely contemporary fashion!

Celtic Baroque

In this hour-long presentation, artist-in-residence Liz Knowles and award-winning author Ben Shattuck talk about how Shattuck’s writing, the New England seascape and existence on the fringes of genre and sound have influenced Knowles’ music-making. These types of intimate conversations are a unique opportunity to dive into the creative process, engage in a Q&A and be ready for a surprise guest or two!

Salon Session: The Creative Process

In addition to Le Vent du Nord, the evening features the innovative, Breton-inspired sounds of the trio Triton featuring accordionist Jeremiah McLane, the small-pipes of Tim Cummings and Alex Kehler on nyckelharpa. A completely unique, reed-y sound with repertoire from the Celtic region of Brittany. A completely unique, reed-y sound with repertoire from the Celtic region of Brittany. From the South-West of Ireland, Diarmuid Ó Meachair brings the unique sound of unaccompanied Sean nos singing along with his dynamic box playing. This is pure drop traditional music at it’s best!

Opening Night: Québec to Brittany

An incredibly dynamic trio based between Chicago and Maine and representing the very finest of Irish Music in America. Fiddler Liz Knowles and piper Kieran O’Hare are two of the most sought-after traditional musicians on both sides of the Atlantic and, for a long time now, have paired their formidable instrumental skills with the timeless voice and guitar playing of Dublin-born Pat Brauders. The result is a dynamic, momentous sound paired with laugh-out-loud repartee between three old friends.

Open the Door for Three

The acclaimed folk-rock trio, which has amassed more than 65 million Spotify streams, returns to touring in support of their highly anticipated fifth studio album, Embers—a mesmerizing collection of acoustic-driven, three-part harmonies.

The Sweet Remains

Justin Hayward, frontman of the Moody Blues and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, returns to Rockport! He and renowned guitarist Mike Dawes will perform the band’s beloved hits, such as “Tuesday Afternoon” and “Nights in White Satin,” as well as deep cuts, solo material, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes.

Justin Hayward

In this electric performance from 2013, baritone Željko Lučić sings the title role in Michael Mayer’s 1960s-era production of Verdi’s great drama, sharing the stage with soprano Diana Damrau and tenor Piotr Beczała. Michele Mariotti conducts.

Rigoletto

Carlos Menezes, Jr.’s BrassFed Nation is a horn-driven groove machine with a unique sound incorporating the styles and traditions of early jazz, New Orleans funk & soul, rhythm & blues, calypso and Jamaican ska! Paying homage to the infectious beat and sound of the New Orleans Brass and Second-Line traditions, this year’s program will transport audience members to the streets of New Orleans for a musical “Gumbo” inspired by the sounds of the Caribbean!

Carlos Menezes, Jr.'s BrassFed Nation

Since their early days performing for Brooklyn’s wild underground parties, the Hot Sardines have skyrocketed to fame with their infectious brand of reinvigorated classic jazz. Described by The New York Times as “potent and assured” and The Times of London as “simply phenomenal,” the group has earned them more than 60 million digital streams across platforms.

Hot Sardines

Donizetti’s tragedy returns to cinemas, starring soprano Nadine Sierra and tenor Javier Camarena in this 2022 performance of Simon Stone’s gripping, modern-day staging. Riccardo Frizza conducts.

Lucia di Lammermoor

Hailed as one of the finest interpreters of the Sinatra sound in the world, Rhode Island native Michael Dutra has been performing his tribute to Frank Sinatra across the nation—from Las Vegas to Miami to Boston—since 2002. Boston Globe columnist Wesley Morris remarked that “his sound is velour to Sinatra’s velvet. You really can’t tell the difference.” Ron Della Chiesa of WPLM Boston Radio and Sinatra Guru adds, “Michael literally channels Sinatra.”

Michael Dutra & the Strictly Sinatra Band

Big Richard brings their electrifying harmonies, fiery virtuosity and bold bluegrass energy to Rockport! Fresh off the release of their acclaimed debut album Girl Dinner, this all-female supergroup delivers a must-see night of high-energy musicianship and irreverent charm.

Big Richard

In this dazzling 2024 Met performance, soprano Nadine Sierra and tenor Benjamin Bernheim are the star-crossed lovers in Gounod’s operatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s immortal love story. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts.

Roméo et Juliette

Born in 1984 in Portland, Oregon, esperanza spalding is an eaabibacliitoti* artist, trained and initiated in the North American (masculine) jazz lineage and tradition. Her work interweaves through various combinations of instrumental music, bass playing, improvisation, singing, composition, poetry, dance, therapeutic research, storytelling, teaching, regenerative agriculture, urban land & artist-sanctuary custodianship, and growing in love as a daughter, sister, cousin, niece, auntie, great-auntie, friend, while collaboratively decolonizing within and through her hometown community.

Events in Rockport, MA

Pink Martini

Rockport Music

Branford Marsalis Quartet...

Rockport Music

Words & Music

Rockport Music

Where the Sea Meets the L...

Rockport Music

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast - A ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast: A l...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

Chantey Sing with David C...

Rockport Music

Festival Club: Ceilidh!

Rockport Music

Celtic Baroque

Rockport Music

Salon Session: The Creati...

Rockport Music

Opening Night: Québec to ...

Rockport Music

Open the Door for Three

Rockport Music

The Sweet Remains

Rockport Music

Justin Hayward

Rockport Music

Rigoletto

Rockport Music

Carlos Menezes, Jr.'s Bra...

Rockport Music

Hot Sardines

Rockport Music

Lucia di Lammermoor

Rockport Music

Michael Dutra & the Stric...

Rockport Music

Big Richard

Rockport Music

Roméo et Juliette

Rockport Music

esperanza spalding

Rockport Music