A group that fearlessly explores the intersections between rock, jazz, classical and world music, the California Guitar Trio’s output has made a major global impact, having served as the soundtrack for Olympics coverage and programs on CNN, CBS, NBC and ESPN.

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California Guitar Trio

Shalin Liu Performance Center

Tony Award–winning composer Jeanine Tesori’s powerful new opera Grounded premieres at the Metropolitan Opera, wrestling with often-overlooked issues created by 21st-century warmaking: the ethical conflicts created by the use of modern military technology and the psychological and emotional toll supposedly safe remote technology takes on our servicepersons. Canadian mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo stars as the hot-shot fighter pilot whose unplanned pregnancy takes her out of the cockpit and lands her in Las Vegas, operating a Reaper drone halfway around the world. American tenor Ben Bliss costars as the Wyoming rancher Eric in a production by Michael Mayer that brings this story to life in a high-tech staging which presents a variety of perspectives on the action. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium to conduct Tesori’s kaleidoscopic opera, which will be transmitted live from the Met stage to cinemas on October 19.

Grounded

Named the “premiere song-stylist and songwriter of her generation” by The New Yorker, and “The Duchess of Coolsville” by Time magazine, Jones released her Grammy-nominated album Pieces of Treasure in 2023, a reunion with Russ Titelman, who produced her first two records.  Jones’ celebrated memoir Last Chance Texaco was named Book of the Year by MOJO and a Best Book of the Year at Pitchfork and NPR.

Rickie Lee Jones

Two close collaborators from the “On A Winter’s Night” Reunion Tour come to Rockport! Patty Larkin, renowned for her guitar prowess and poignant songwriting, continues to build upon 30-plus years making boundary-pushing folk-urban pop music. She joins Lucy Kaplansky, a Billboard-charting performer of country, folk and pop.

Patty Larkin & Lucy Kaplansky

Offenbach’s fantastical opera kicks off the Metropolitan Opera’s season of Live in HD performance transmissions, starring French tenor Benjamin Bernheim in the title role of the tormented poet. Joining Bernheim is American soprano Erin Morley as Olympia, South African soprano Pretty Yende as Antonia, and French mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine as Giulietta to complete Hoffmann’s trio of lovers. Marco Armiliato conducts Bartlett Sher’s evocative production, which also features American bass-baritone Christian Van Horn as the Four Villains and Russian mezzo-soprano Vasilisa Berzhanskaya in her company debut as Nicklausse.

Les Contes D'hoffman

One of the Midwest’s most prolific and passionate songwriters, May Erlewine has a gift for writing songs of substance that feel both fresh and soulfully familiar. Balancing her heartbreak with an empowered and emboldened spirit, she stresses the importance of environmental advocacy, social justice, creative empowerment and community building as necessary work in our world.

May Erlewine

Come on out for an evening of enchanting Latin music featuring beloved Pan-Latin ensemble Sol y Canto and guests to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!  Described by The Boston Globe as “Boston’s sublime ambassadors of Pan-Latin music,” the award-winning ensemble Sol y Canto, led by Puerto Rican/Argentine singer and percussionist Rosi Amador and New Mexican guitarist, singer and composer Brian Amador, celebrate their 30th anniversary and the release of their new album, “En tu órbita” with a program featuring several special guests who were an important part of the group’s colorful history.  The day of activities and concert will highlight the wonderful variety and heritage of Latin American music.

SOL y CANTO

A veteran in the world of American Classic and Folk Rock, Jon Pousette-Dart was a 1970s radio mainstay, touring prolifically and working with acts such as The Eagles, James Taylor, Journey, Billy Joel and many more. Since first picking up a guitar at 10 years old, the New York native has released 10 albums between his solo career and the Pousette-Dart Band.

Jon Pousette-dart

Chelsea Berry is a singer-songwriter with the edge, power, and finesse of legends. Her presence has been described by listeners as “compelling… she draws the entire house into her world like moths to a flame.” As a vocalist and performer, the beloved North Shore-based troubadour evokes the style of artists such as Sheryl Crow, Eva Cassidy, KD Lang and Melissa Etheridge.

Chelsea Berry

Enjoy a meditative Sunday hour celebrating the time-old relationship between words and music. Join our artists as they share a selection of poems and prose accompanied by a soundscape both improvised and curated. One of our most unique and intimate events. Don’t miss it!  A contemplative hour in the beautiful theater with a backdrop of the harbor. Maeve will host and be joined by a selection of Festival participants. 

Words & Music: The Celtic Spirit

Join us for this year’s nautical adventure as we traverse the Atlantic Ocean from shore to shore. We present the firepower of the Pine Tree Flyers, a quartet from Portland, Maine that has sourced and reignited repertoire from the state of Maine. We welcome back local Sea Shanty star David Coffin as well as the Rasa String Quartet, who will be collaborating with our artist in residence Jeremy Kittel, as well as sharing some sea-themed repertoire from the Western Classical canon. Returning for a second night, US-based Scottish fiddler and singer Hannah Read shares her take on a number of traditional songs of the sea with accompaniment by Maeve Gilchrist and bassist Logan Steele Coale.

Transatlantic

Join in on the fun with our second annual Rockport Celtic Festival pub-less Pub Sing! Led by our very own local Sea Chantey star David Coffin, this event brings together music lovers from various backgrounds to raise the rafters as the spirit of the Rockport Festival leaves the theater and resonates through the town. This is a FREE event but last year was standing room only so get there early to ensure a space!

‘pub’ Sing With David Coffin

Salon host Maeve Gilchrist visits with some of the Festival’s artists to discuss traditional music, techniques, collaboration and more. Hear American traditional music icons Bruce Molsky and Darol Anger discuss innovation vs tradition and share some stories from the road! Hannah Read talks to us about her mycologist father’s influence on her current Fungi project and the artistic inspiration found in the natural world.

Salon Session With Maeve Gilchrist

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 Boston-based Scottish fiddler Katie McNally, pianist Neil Pearlman and fiddler/accordionist Emily Troll along with some surprise special guests. And be prepared to grab a partner and dance as Katie teaches some easy-to-learn traditional Ceili-dances. Pure-drop fun!

Festival Club: Ceilidh 

In tonight’s wonderfully eclectic program, we hear a selection of music that spans the breadth of Celtic and Celtic-adjacent music from its most traditional form to the most cutting edge! We start the evening with the stunning solo Sean Nós voice of Madelyn Monaghan before shifting gears to the rip-roaring virtuosity of fiddle virtuoso Jeremy Kittel and his incredible trio. We’re also thrilled to present US-based Scottish fiddler Hannah Read’s new project “The Fungi Sessions” in which she presents an ecologically-inspired suite of fiddle and banjo music with accompanying visuals to immerse us all in the world of the underground mycelium networks. Rounding the evening off are American music icons Darol Anger and Bruce Molsky bringing together their respective experience in Old Time, jazz and bluegrass music. Prepare to be transported!

From The Ground Up

This night celebrates polskas, polkas and everything in between as we highlight the strong connections between our Swedish neighbors and their lasting impact on American culture and music. Few musicians alive today hold such influence over the Global acoustic music scene as Swedish folk group Väsen. Joining them are influential American instrumentalist duo Bruce Molsky and Darol Anger and Boston-based Uilleann piper, Joey Abarta.

Opening Night: Westbound From Sweden

Led by acclaimed violinist Jeremy Kittel (formerly of the Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet), Grammy-nominated Kittel & Co. inhabits the space between classical & acoustic roots, Celtic & bluegrass aesthetics and folk & jazz sensibilities. Some of the greatest musicians in the incredible acoustic scene, the members of the trio have collaborated with Béla Fleck, Sarah Jarosz, Chris Thile and Yo-Yo Ma. Together, Jeremy Kittel, mandolin phenom Josh Pinkham and transcendent guitarist Quinn Bachand coalesce into a singular voice that’s thrilled audiences from the Telluride Bluegrass Festival to A Prairie Home Companion. Grammy-nominated Kittel & Co. Get your toes tapping and hit the dance floor on this fun Festival kick off!

Festival Club: Jeremy Kittel Trio

Decorated jazz vocalist Veronica Swift comes to Rockport on the heels of her recent eponymously titled album, a masterful coming-out story. She earned international acclaim at the 2015 Thelonious Monk International Vocal Competition, and her previous albums, Confessions (2019) and This Bitter Earth (2021), sent her to the upper echelon of early 21st century jazz singers. Swift is one of the most versatile, dazzling singers to emerge in her generation.

Veronica Swift

The hills are alive with the sound of … NATURALLY 7!  Yes, the boys are going to the movies to produce some of the greatest movie music ever in their own amazing style. Back by popular demand, a cappella sensation Naturally 7 has catapulted the genre well into the 21st century by reinventing it with their distinct style of “vocal play.”

Naturally 7

The pride of New Orleans’ vibrant and fertile trad jazz scene, Tuba Skinny returns to Rockport for two shows! The beloved Crescent City collective started out over a decade ago as show-stopping French Quarter street buskers and have since turned into one of New Orleans’ greatest musical ambassadors, touring the world with their delicious, spirited takes on Depression-era blues, spirituals, ragtime and traditional jazz. They’re touring in support of their joyful new release, Hot Town.

Tuba Skinny

Canadian folk band Còig’s dynamic duo brings their latest music to Rockport as part of a dozen-year journey that has included tours across North America, Europe and Australia. Còig has received multiple East Coast Music Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards and a JUNO Award nomination.

Rachel Davis & Darren Mcmullen

Legendary artist Graham Nash, as a founding member of both the Hollies and Crosby, Stills and Nash, is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. He has seen rock history unfold at some of its seminal moments – from the launch of the British Invasion to the birth of the Laurel Canyon movement a year later. An extraordinary Grammy Award® winning renaissance artist – and self-described “simple man” – Nash was inducted twice into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, for his work with CSN and his work as a solo artist. 

Graham Nash

In an unforgettable Met performance from 2020, one of America’s greatest operas returns, featuring soprano Angel Blue and bass-baritone Eric Owens alongside a phenomenal ensemble cast. David Robertson conducts.

Porgy And Bess

The Borromeo Quartet, dubbed “simply the best” by The Boston Globe, is joined by pianist David Deveau, Artistic Director emeritus of the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, and current Artistic Director Barry Shiffman on viola to perform works of J.S. Bach, Mozart and Brahms.

Borromeo Quartet

Legendary Scottish singer-songwriter Al Stewart—of “Year of the Cat,” “Nostradamus” and “Time Passages” fame—boasts a remarkably prolific career spanning over 50 years. Alongside the Chicago-based blues band The Empty Pockets, enjoy a night of his greatest hits.

Al Stewart

While she was born in Athens, Georgia, it was Peyroux’s teenage years touring the streets of Europe as a jazz musician that defined her and catalyzed a storied career. She sang vintage jazz and blues songs before finding mainstream success in 2004 when her album Careless Love sold half a million copies.

Madeleine Peyroux

In this 2016 Met performance of Puccini’s extravagant masterpiece, soprano Nina Stemme and tenor Marco Berti star in a larger-than-life staging from legendary director Franco Zeffirelli. Paolo Carignani conducts.

Turandot

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

Legendary Blues guitarist Ronnie Earl, a four-time Guitar Player of the Year at the Blues Music Awards, returns to Rockport hot on the heels of his latest release, the critically acclaimed Mercy Me. He’ll be bringing along his crack blues band, The Broadcasters, with whom he just celebrated their 35th anniversary.

Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters

Rossini’s charming take on the Cinderella story returns to cinemas, starring mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and tenor Juan Diego Flórez in Cesare Lievi’s whimsical production. Fabio Luisi conducts.

La Cenerentola

Internationally-acclaimed pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin, brings a program of works highlighting the dramatic range of  their waltzes (valses) from Granados to Chopin. Since his 2014 Silver Medal win in the Chopin International Competition, he has performed through North America and Europe in recital and soloed with major orchestras. 

CHARLES RICHARD-HAMELIN, piano

An unequivocal musical prodigy, singer-saxophonist-songwriter-composer and band leader Grace Kelly has rocked the jazz world with sold-out concerts, 14 acclaimed albums and a resume that includes performing at the Hollywood Bowl as well as being part of the house band for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” – all before reaching her mid-twenties. As of Oct 2022 she has become the youngest member of the Board of Trustees of Berklee College of Music.

Grace Kelly

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!  The program will feature a rotating cast of members from Cape Ann Big Band, Jambalaya Horns, and The DubTone Orchestra.  Paying homage to the infectious beats and sounds of New Orleans, the Orchestra will cue the “Big Four” and transport audience members back to the streets of the Crescent City for a night of horn-powered Funk and Soul! This year’s program will showcase members of The Jambalaya Horns and feature a number of guest instrumentalists from the New England music scene! Featured vocalists are Jacyn Tremblay and New Orleans’ very own Henri Smith.

Brassfed Nation

Enjoy an incredible performance of young jazz musicians (alongside a professional ensemble), led by saxophonist and Cape Ann Jazz Workshop director Alexa Tarantino. This showcase features student musicians from this summer’s Cape Ann Jazz Workshop highlighting their impressive jazz skills. Learn more

Cape Ann Jazz Workshop Showcase

Our policies have recently changed. Please visit our Ticket Information page for details regarding ticket policies and fees as well as an additional seating map and video tour of the hall.

Family Concert: Alias Brass

For more than a half century, the world has been blessed with the hauntingly beautiful voices of South Africa’s iconic singing group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The Grammy-winning Zulu-based ensemble—known for their distinct isicathamiya style of singing which combines powerfully strident vocals with intricate harmonies and dynamic coordinated dance moves— exploded onto the world scene as guest stars on Paul Simon’s Graceland record, and went on to release over 50 acclaimed records of their own.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Hailed by the Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz,” world-renowned jazz guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli makes a welcome return to Rockport accompanied by his stellar trio for a concert that promises to be a night to remember.

John Pizzarelli

Adding to a spectacular career that has flourished since she finished top 10 on American Idol, Erika Van Pelt brings her sultry, gritty alto voice to Rockport. Van Pelt is joined by Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Bijon Watson for a special tribute to West Coast jazz icons Peggy Lee and Chet Baker, performing a program filled with nostalgic greats such as “Fever,” “Black Coffee” and “My Funny Valentine.”​

Peggy Lee & Chet Baker

M. Ward, a singer-songwriter and guitarist who bridges eras with his music, embodies authenticity and intimacy. His 2023 album “Supernatural Thing” features original songs and guest stars such as First Aid Kit and Shovels & Rope, blending timeless American music traditions with contemporary flair.

M. Ward

Soprano Sonya Yoncheva and tenor Michael Fabiano lead a celebrated cast of young artists in Franco Zeffirelli’s picturesque production of Puccini’s timeless love story. Marco Armiliato conducts.

La Bohème

Two of the today’s most celebrated classical musicians—violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Jeremy Denk—unite to play a program of Mozart, Beethoven and more for Rockport Music’s 2024 Summer Gala. For gala details, visit the GALA page. Concert only tickets on sale in May.

Joshua Bell & Jeremy Denk

Praised for their authentic, soulful and orchestral sound, The String Queens (TSQ) is a dynamic trio creating musical experiences that inspire diverse audiences. With an array of repertoire spanning from the Baroque era to the Jazz Age to today’s Billboard Hot 100 Chart, TSQ take listeners on a rousing musical journey with songs like “Summertime” and “Mary, Did you Know” to Adele’s “Crazy” and Aretha Franklin’s “You Make Me Feel.”

The String Queens

A vocalist with remarkable virtuosity and innate interpretative skills, Jane Monheit puts her own unique touch on beloved jazz standards, classic torch songs and contemporary pop. The two-time Grammy nominee and runner up of the prestigious Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition will be touring in support of her most recent release of American Songbook and jazz standards, 2021’s Come What May.

Jane Monheit

Peter Wolf, former lead singer of the famed J. Geils Band, continues to push his artistic envelope by adding an upcoming memoir to his list of many accomplishments. We are thrilled to present this unique night of acoustic music and stories that have mapped out Peter’s fascinating life. Accompanying Peter are guitar masters, Duke Levine and Kevin Barry. The music may have a more intimate presentation than what you might expect from Peter, but of course the unexpected IS to be expected from this iconic artist.

Peter Wolf

Come out for a rollicking evening of sea chanteys as the booming baritone of David Coffin leads a night of maritime story and song. Be sure to bring your voice!

At the heart of David Coffin’s work is traditional and contemporary folk music. He draws on vocal and instrumental music from North America as well as England, Scotland, Ireland and Brittany, but the songs from the Maritime tradition; sea-chanteys, ballads and the songs of the sailors comprise his main repertoire.

David Coffin

Boston-based singer/songwriter Mark Erelli turns adversity into finely embroidered rock songs that burn with urgency on his 2023 album Lay Your Darkness Down. Following full-bodied rock forebears Tom Petty, George Harrison and Roy Orbison, Erelli’s songwriting explores the unknown glories of this planet and love’s transformational power.

Mark Erelli

Since skyrocketing to fame from the wild underground parties of Brooklyn, the Hot Sardines has been described by The New York Times as “potent and assured” and The Times of London as “simply phenomenal.” The group’s brand of reinvigorated classic jazz has earned the group more than 60 million digital streams across platforms.

Hot Sardines

With an international reputation as one of the most popular brass ensembles today, Canadian Brass has truly earned the distinction of “the world’s most famous brass group.” 

Canadian Brass

Tony Award winning actress, singer and dancer Sutton Foster—most recently seen on the Broadway stage starring in an acclaimed turn as Marian Paroo in the revival of The Music Man, opposite Hugh Jackman—comes to Rockport! Her performance earned her seventh Tony award nomination as well as the coveted 2022 Drama League Distinguished Performance Award.

Sutton Foster

Celebrating five decades of touring, Tom Rush has been thrilling audiences here and abroad with hits like “No Regrets,” “Circle Game,” “Remember Song,” “Urge for Going” and, of course, “Rockport Sunday.” He returns this summer with singer/songwriter Matt Nakoa on the heels of his latest album Gardens Old, Flowers New (2024).

Tom Rush

Following a string of awe-inspiring Live in HD performances, Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen returns to the Metropolitan Opera as Leonore, the faithful wife who risks everything to save her husband from the clutches of tyranny in Beethoven’s Fidelio. Completing the distinguished cast is British tenor David Butt Philip as the political prisoner Florestan, Polish bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny as the villainous Don Pizarro, veteran German bass René Pape as the jailer Rocco, Chinese soprano Ying Fang and German tenor Magnus Dietrich as the young Marzelline and Jaquino, and Danish bass Stephen Milling as the principled Don Fernando. Susanna Mälkki conducts the March 15 performance, which will be transmitted live from the Met stage to cinemas worldwide.

Fidelio

Della Mae is a GRAMMY-nominated all-woman string band founded by lead vocalist/guitarist Celia Woodsmith and 2-time Grand National champion fiddle player Kimber Ludiker. Rounding out the current touring lineup are guitarist Avril Smith, and bassist Vickie Vaughn.

Hailing from across North America, and reared in diverse musical styles, Della Mae is one of the most charismatic and engaging roots bands touring today. They have traveled to over 30 countries spreading peace and understanding through music. Their mission as a band is to showcase top female musicians, and to improve opportunities for women and girls through advocacy, mentorship, programming, and performance.

Della Mae

The Secret Sisters—Laura and Lydia Rogers—grapple with love and loss on new album Saturn Return.  Saturn Return is the Alabama-based duo’s second release for New West Records. Like its predecessor, 2017’s Grammy-nominated You Don’t Own Me Anymore, the record was produced by Brandi Carlile and Phil and Tim Hanseroth.

The elements that made listeners fall in love with the band’s 2010 self-titled debut album—sweet, strong voices, carefully crafted musical arrangements, and soul-baring songwriting—are still present, but there’s also newfound confidence and individuality.

The Secret Sisters

When Matt Andersen steps on stage, he brings a lifetime of music to every note he plays. His latest album, The Big Bottle of Joy, is all about hard-won celebration; a dozen songs infused with raw blues-rock, rollicking Americana, thoughtful folk, and ecstatic gospel. Andersen’s stage presence is informed by decades of cutting his teeth in dusty clubs, dim-lit bars, and grand theatres all over the world, delivering soulful performances that run the gamut from intimate to wall-shaking. In the studio, he’s always brought the same attention to detail and commitment to craft as he has to his live show, and the result—a multi-faceted and poignant body of work—has led him to amass over 23 million streams on Spotify and 26 million views on YouTube. In addition to headlining major festivals, clubs and theatres throughout North America, Europe and Australia, he has shared the stage and toured with Marcus King, Beth Hart, Marty Stuart, Greg Allman, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Randy Bachman, Jonny Lang, Serena Ryder, and more. Andersen nabbed the 2013 and 2016 European Blues Awards for Best Solo/Acoustic Act, was the first ever Canadian to take home top honors in the solo category at the 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, won the CIMA Road Gold award in 2015, and has won multiple Maple Blues Awards.

Matt Andersen

World-renowned Brazilian jazz singer Luciana Souza transcends traditional boundaries around musical styles, offering solid roots in jazz, reinterpretations of samba, and an enlightened approach to new music. The Grammy-winning vocalist, who has performed and recorded with musical luminaries like Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon and James Taylor among others, will be making her Shalin Liu Performance Center debut.

Luciana Souza

For nearly 20 years Johnny A. has travelled the world, effortlessly bending and blending musical genres to deliver his own unique style of instrumental guitar music. He returns to Rockport for a much-anticipated solo concert that’ll deliver what JAZZIZ calls “music that is both accessible and sophisticated.” Come watch a master at work.

Johnny A.

For over three decades, Brian O’Donovan has been hosting A Celtic Sojourn on WGBH, a program exploring traditional and contemporary music from around the Celtic world. He’s also well known for his live concert series A Christmas Celtic Sojourn, as well as many other presentations around New England.  In partnership with Rockport Music and working in close collaboration with fellow Artistic Director, Edinburgh-born harpist/composer Maeve Gilchrist, Brian is proud to present the third annual Rockport Celtic Festival- Exploring Celtic Roots and Branches. The Festival brings crossover and collaborative work between musicians from different genres including classical, jazz, and American Traditional.

Features the stunning voice of Irish singer Eilis Kennedy from Dingle, Ireland. In 2020, Kennedy, inspired by a series of letters written by Whaling fisherman that she found in the New Bedford Whaling Museum, wrote an album of songs inspired by the sea and the men and women who make their lives around it.

 ‘A wife left behind , a wife on board, an adventurous young man , a brave and wise captain , an ill- fated voyage, a drowning , a rescue, an elegy , and a song of hope in times of despair’

Letters from the Sea

For over three decades, Brian O’Donovan has been hosting A Celtic Sojourn on WGBH, a program exploring traditional and contemporary music from around the Celtic world. He’s also well known for his live concert series A Christmas Celtic Sojourn, as well as many other presentations around New England.  In partnership with Rockport Music and working in close collaboration with fellow Artistic Director, Edinburgh-born harpist/composer Maeve Gilchrist, Brian is proud to present the 4th annual Rockport Celtic Festival- Exploring Celtic Roots and Branches.  The Festival brings crossover and collaborative work between musicians from different genres including classical, jazz, and American Traditional.

This evening features an all-star cast of some of the most innovative string voices across the globe. Featuring Maeve Gilchrist on the Celtic Harp, the groundbreaking guitarist Yasmin Williams and innovative Old-time duo, Tatiana Hargreaves and Allison De Groot- this evening will have the audience reimagining what acoustic string music means as we take our respective time-old traditions and reframe them in a contemporary light. This is simply going to be a party that you’re not going to want to miss!

Global Strings

Cape Breton fiddler Katie McNally, Shetland fiddler Kevin Henderson and guitarist Conor Hearn team up for an exhilarating evening of fiddle music and dance.

Festival Club: Ceilidh!

Bringing together some of the brightest lights in the Cape Breton, Quebec and Newfoundland Music scene, this evening celebrates the melting pot of traditions that make up the unique and diverse musical traditions of Eastern Canada. French settler culture, the Irish fishing industry, Mass migration from Scotland and of course, the indigenous music of the first nations in Canada will feature in this foot stomping evening of music!

Opening Night: Quebec to Newfoundland

For this special Festival edition of ‘Upstairs on Main’, we invite the fantastic duo Rakish with violinist Maura Shawn Scanlin and guitarist Conor Hearn. This duo will bring an evening of Irish and American folk tunes!  Grab a drink at the bar and settle in for this folk-club style concert, hosted by Maeve Gilchrist to kickstart the festival in style!

Festival Club

The Global Journeys series continues! In a delightful fusion of West African traditional music with bluegrass, funk and folk, Malian artist Balla Kouyaté joins up with boundary-defying cellist Mike Block for an evening of effervescent, joyous world music.

Balla Kouyaté Band & Mike Block

Phil Vassar’s reign of signature songs include 10 No. 1 singles and 27 Top 40 hits, including Carlene, Just Another Day in Paradise, Six-Pack Summer, When I Love You, and many more. Fans will be able to catch Phil on the road, in their cars, and at home. The piano-pounding power house will go coast to coast with his intimate, yet energizing Piano Bar tour. A throw back to the days when Phil was getting his start, concert goers will be treated to Vassar’s hits as well as covers from Phil’s icons.

Phil Vassar

A fearless and electrifying jazz vocalist of astonishing power and originality, Cécile McLorin Salvant has vaulted into the very top of the jazz singing pantheon since her 2010 win of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition. The Grammy-winning artist and songwriter has a voice that knows no bounds, deftly incorporating jazz, blues, folk and classical into her intoxicating sound.

Cécile McLorin Salvant

More than a tribute to her father, the unforgettable João Gilberto, the album is a visit to Bebel’s most fundamental musical memories. The choice of songs includes unexpected choices, such as the Waltz Bebel (Como São Lindos os Yogues), one of the rare compositions written by Joao Gilberto that was created for his daughter, to classics such as Ela é Carioca and Desafinado.  João is an essential album for admirers of one of the greatest musical dynasties in Brazilian music. The recordings are neither versions nor reinterpretations, but declarations of love made in Bebel’s unmistakable style, a style that, according to The New York Times,  “exudes a self-possession, unaffected elegance and comfortable sensuality that is almost impossible to find among American pop stars of the same age.”

An Evening with Bebel Gilberto

Come join world champion fiddler Mari Black and her trio on a dynamic journey through the roots and branches of Celtic music: tunes from Ireland, Scotland, Shetland, Canada, and more! You’ll be tapping your toes and jumping up to dance in the aisles as Mari spins together a musical adventure full of driving reels, lilting jigs, stately marches, haunting slow airs, mighty strathspeys, cheeky hornpipes, and the magical stories behind them — all celebrating tradition and exploring possibility in these beloved Celtic music styles.

Mari Black Trio

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!

Founded in 2013, The BrassFed Nation is dedicated to the advancement of horn-driven music through exposure and outreach in both education and local musical culture! The collective features 4 unique ensembles; Cape Ann Big Band, The Jambalaya Horns, DubToneBeat, and The 11-Piece DubTone Orchestra – all striving to inspire and connect musicians of all ages through private studio lessons, performances, workshops, and interactive clinics.

Carlos Menezes, JR's BrassFed Nation

Among the world’s leading violinists over the past 5 decades, Gidon Kremer has established and sustained a worldwide reputation as one of the most original and compelling artists of his generation. He has appeared on almost every major concert stage as recitalist and with the most celebrated orchestras of Europe and North America, and has worked with many of the greatest conductors of the past half century.  After winning a series of prestigious awards, including the Queen Elisabeth Competition and first prize in both the 1969 Paganini and 1970 Tchaikovsky International Competitions, his career erupted.

Gidon Kremer

A classically-trained yet undoubtedly soulful pop vocalist, the Broadway star and viral video sensation makes her Rockport debut!  Known as much for her sparkling musical theater career and featured role in the Postmodern Jukebox YouTube series, as well as her own acclaimed recording career, Morgan James is a bonafide show-stopping talent you won’t want to miss.

Morgan James

Arrival from Sweden, the world’s most popular ABBA tribute show, magnificently replicates the infectious songs and Nordic pop pageantry of Sweden’s greatest musical export. Relive the sound, look and joyful celebration of ABBA, down to the crystalline harmonies and original outrageous costumes.

The 10-12 piece band was founded by Vicky Zetterberg in 1995 in Gothenburg, Sweden and very soon became one of the world’s most popular and most selling ABBA show bands. Since the start in 1995 the band has toured in over 70 countries, done 82 successful USA tours and has appeared in several TV and radio shows all over the world.

Arrival from Sweden

As one of the most celebrated instrumentalists on the planet, Jesse Cook has taken ‘nouveau flamenco’ to places it has never been, creating new fascinating hybrids. He and his band return to Rockport for The Libre Tour to delight audiences with their unique brand of rhythm and rhumba.

Jesse Cook

Come out for a rollicking evening of sea chanteys as the booming baritone of David Coffin leads a night of maritime story and song.  Be sure to bring your voice!

At the heart of David Coffin’s work is traditional and contemporary folk music. He draws on vocal and instrumental music from North America as well as England, Scotland, Ireland and Brittany, but the songs from the Maritime tradition; sea-chanteys, ballads and the songs of the sailors comprise his main repertoire.

Critically acclaimed jazz/gospel singer Alicia Olatuja returns to Rockport this summer, this time joined by her husband, the award-winning bassist/composer Michael Olatuja for a new musical project simply titled Olatuja. The duo will cover vast musical ground including Afrobeat, jazz, soul, gospel and funk for an infectious mélange of soulful style.

Olatuja

Now celebrating five decades of touring, Tom has been thrilling audiences here and abroad with hits like “No Regrets,” “Circle Game,” “Remember Song,” “Urge for Going” and, of course, “Rockport Sunday.”

Tom Rush’s impact on the American music scene has been profound. He helped shape the folk scene in the ’60s, the folk-rock movement of the ‘70s and the renaissance of the ’80s and ’90s. His music has left its stamp on generations of artists—James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty and Garth Brooks, among others, have cited Tom as a major influence— and his early recordings introduced the world to the work of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor.  Subsequently, his Club 47 concerts brought national attention to next-generation artists such as Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin.

The High Kings have blazed a bright and decidedly emerald-hued trail of success for the last fifteen years, becoming one of the most successful traditional Irish bands in the world. The foursome, Finbarr Clancy, Darren Holden, Brian Dunphy and newest member Paul O’ Brien, formed in 2007 and haven’t stopped delighting audiences since. They make their Rockport debut this summer with two shows!

The High Kings

The GRAMMY Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer has been hailed as “the world’s reigning male chorus” (The New Yorker), and is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for its wide-ranging repertoire and dazzling virtuosity. Founded in 1978, Chanticleer quickly took its place as one of the most prolific recording and touring ensembles in the world, selling over one million recordings and performing thousands of live concerts to audiences around the world.

Chanticleer

The multiple Grammy-winning country-folk songwriter from Massachusetts has written massive hits for superstars like Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw and Little Big Town among many others, but she’s a dynamite performer in her own right. McKenna comes to Rockport armed with songs from her most recent record, The Balladeer.

Lori McKenna

Not simply a tribute, The Weight Band is more of a continuation of the beloved music of The Band. Featuring former members of The Band, The Weight takes a deep dive into the beloved music first created by the great quintet of Levon Helm, Robbie Roberston, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson.

The Weight Band

Born and raised in Texas, the two-time GRAMMY Award-winner moved to Nashville in the early 1970s, coming to prominence first as a writer before establishing himself as a critically acclaimed solo artist in his own right. Some of his most beloved tunes include “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight,” “Stars on the Water,” “Shame on the Moon, and “I Couldn’t Leave You If I Tried” among many others.

Rodney Crowell

Since 1988, the New England Brass Band has enchanted audiences with its genre-hopping repertoire, including classical masterworks, cinematic soundtracks, jazz standards, marches, and popular songs. From John Williams to John Philip Sousa and everything in between, there’s sure to be something for everyone!

Based in the Boston area, the NEBB is a large brass and percussion ensemble, adhering to the instrumentation of the British Brass Band tradition. Under the direction of founding Music Director William Rollins, the NEBB was established in 1988 with performances throughout New England, including concerts at Boston University’s Tsai Performance Center and Crane’s Castle Estate in Ipswich, Massachusetts as well as participation in the Northeast Brass Band championships at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

New England Brass Band

Featuring jazz vocalist Martina DaSilva, this concert reimagines the unforgettable pairing of the iconic Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim and saxophone legend Stan Getz. With a 6-piece band and Latin percussion, this festive night of Brazilian bossa nova music revives the music of two groundbreaking records, Getz/Gilberto and Jazz Samba, featuring beloved standards like “The Girl from Ipanema,” “Corcovado,” “Desafinado” and others.

Celebrating Jobim & Getz

A stunningly talented vocalist out of New Orleans and winner of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, Quiana Lynell fuses her gospel roots with jazz chops and bluesy swagger. She’s returning in Rockport touring behind her acclaimed debut record A Little Love.

Quiana Lynell

This unforgettable closing concert brings some of Schubert’s greatest works with cellist Colin Carr and pianist Kyungwha Chu opening with Schubert’s expressive Arpeggione sonata. The concert culminates with an all-star ensemble performing his glorious Octet in F major, which Schubert modeled after Beethoven’s famed Septet.

An Evening of Schubert

Recipient of the prestigious 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 2017 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists, violinist Paul Huang “possesses a big, luscious tone, spot-on intonation and a technique that makes the most punishing string phrases feel as natural as breathing” (Washington Post). He joins with pianist Roman Rabinovich, praised for his “uncommon sensitivity and feeling” (New York Times), and winner of the 2008 Rubinstein International Piano Competition for a program of Mendelssohn, Saint-Saens and more.

Paul Huang & Roman Rabinovich

This cabaret shares the music of cinematic greats like Ennio Morricone (Cinema Paradiso, Once Upon a Time in America), John Williams (Schindler’s List) and Heinz Provost (Intermezzo).

Cabaret: Music from the Movies

Grammy Award winning ensemble Third Coast Percussion has been praised for “commandingly elegant” (New York Times) performances, the “rare power” (Washington Post) of their recordings, and “an inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune). The members of Third Coast are also accomplished teachers and currently serve as ensemble-in-residence at Denison University.

Third Coast Percussion

Called a “world-wide phenomenon” by Boston’s WBUR and named by The New Yorker as one of the “Imagination-Grabbing, Trailblazing Artists of 2014,” the Grammy-nominated A Far Cry stands at the forefront of an exciting new generation in classical music. The beloved Boston-based ensemble returns to Rockport with a dynamic program that includes Golijov, Dvorák and a new commission for Juantio Becenti.

A Far Cry

After wowing audiences as part of Béla Fleck’s band last year, mandolinist Jacob Jolliff returns to Rockport this summer with his own band in tow. A former member of two massively popular progressive bluegrass bands, Joy Kills Sorrow and the Yonder Mountain String Band, Jolliff remains one of the country’s premier contemporary mandolinists.

Jacob Jolliff Band

Proclaimed “a phenomenon” by the Los Angeles Times, Stewart Goodyear is an accomplished pianist and composer. His spectacular performance in last year’s Festival of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue brought audiences to their feet. This year, he brings Beethoven’s timeless “Moonlight” Sonata along with one of Goodyear’s own compositions.

Stewart Goodyear

Fresh off their win at the 2022 Banff International Quartet Competition, the Isidore Quartet have established their place as one of the most dynamic string quartets performing today. Along with the esteemed pianist Shai Wosner, they perform Brahms’s dramatic Piano Quintet in F minor.

Isidore Quartet & Shai Wosner

This film centers on two Afro-Cuban brothers, separated by geopolitics but united by music. Their moving relationship and musical reunion will engage all audiences. Both established in their careers—one is a jazz pianist and one is a violinist with the Grammy-winning Harlem Quartet.

Virtuoso Afro-Cuban-born brothers—violinist Ilmar and pianist Aldo—live on opposite sides of a geopolitical chasm a half-century wide. Tracking their parallel lives in New York and Havana, their poignant reunion, and their momentous first performances together, Los Hermanos/The Brothers offers a nuanced, often startling view of estranged nations through the lens of music and family.

Film: Los Hermanos/The Brothers

One of America’s foremost violinists, Stefan Jackiw joins with clarinetist Yoonah Kim and pianist Max Levinson for a truly virtuosic, lush program of Brahms and Schumann. Jackiw has been hailed for “talent that’s off the scale” (The Washington Post) and Kim is known for her “inexhaustible virtuosity” (New York Times). Together, they bring a dynamic evening of chamber masterworks from Brahms and both Clara and Robert Schumann.

Brahms & Schumann

A 2022 BBC Next Generation Artist and Winner of the Silver Medal and “Audience Favorite” at the 2019 Tchaikovsky International Competition, Cañón-Valencia performs a lush program of Bach, Ravel, Ginastera and one of his own compositions. The Strad magazine proclaims his playing as, “technically flawless, he’s totally under the skin of the composers’ idioms.”

Santiago Cañón-Valencia

Legendary pianist Marc-André Hamelin teams up with the sensational Balourdet Quartet, for a program of Mendelssohn, Al-Zand and Franck’s popular PIano Quintet. The Balourdet Quartet received Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Gold Medal at the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and is currently in residence at the New England Conservatory.

Marc-André Hamelin & Balourdet Quartet

A Night at the Opera brings the finest opera stars to our stage, including the renowned tenor Paul Groves and mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, known for her multiple Wagnerian roles on the Met stage and around the world. She is also known for creating the role of the Shaman in Tan Dun’s The First Emperor at the Met Opera. The concert also features the Rockport debut of soprano Sydney Baedke noted by Opera Canada as a “rising star to watch.” Enjoy all your favorite arias!

A Night at the Opera

A moving film, presented by the organization Looking at the Stars, about how a chamber music program in a prison impacted the incarcerated.

The film features parolee James Ruston speaking eloquently and philosophically about his experience in the judicial system and his epiphany as a prisoner exposed to world-class musical presentations produced by Looking at the Stars within the prison system.  His very personal narrative, interspersed with full performances of best-in-class classical music presentations is a moving testament to the power of such music to deliver hope and dignity to those who might need it most and expect it least. The entire production was shot on location in Toronto, Ontario. 

Film: Reclamation

Two winners of the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition—Livia Sohn and Kerson Leong—along with NY Philharmonic oboist/English Hornist Ryan Roberts and a spectacular chamber orchestra, perform a dynamic program of J.S. Bach and Arvo Pärt. Referenced as the “Bach of our Century” with his minimalist yet incredibly accessible compositional style, Pärt’s music—described as “transcendental and otherworldly”—is the most performed of a living classical composer since 2011.

Bach & Arvo Pärt

Extraordinary Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen stars as the passionate title diva in David McVicar’s thrilling production, transmitted live from the Metropolitan Opera stage to cinemas on November 23. British-Italian tenor Freddie De Tommaso makes his eagerly anticipated company debut as Tosca’s revolutionary lover, Cavaradossi, and powerhouse American baritone Quinn Kelsey is the sadistic chief of police Scarpia. Maestro Xian Zhang conducts the electrifying score, which features some of Puccini’s most memorable melodies.

TOSCA

American soprano Angel Blue headlines as the Ethiopian princess torn between love and country in a new production of Verdi’s Aida by Michael Mayer that brings audiences inside the towering pyramids and gilded tombs of ancient Egypt with intricate projections and dazzling animations. Romanian-Hungarian mezzo-soprano Judit Kutasi also stars as Aida’s rival, Amneris, alongside Polish tenor Piotr Beczała as the soldier Radamès—completing opera’s greatest love triangle. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium to conduct the January 25 performance, which will be transmitted live from the Metropolitan Opera stage to cinemas worldwide.

AIDA

On April 26, Mozart’s timeless comedy returns to cinemas worldwide with a live transmission from the Metropolitan Opera. Conductor Joana Mallwitz, in her Met debut, takes the podium to conduct a stellar ensemble cast including American bass-baritone Michael Sumuel as the clever valet Figaro, Ukrainian soprano Olga Kulchynska as the wily maid Susanna, Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins as the skirt-chasing Count, Italian soprano Federica Lombardi as his anguished wife, and French mezzo-soprano Marianne Crebassa as the adolescent page Cherubino.

Rockport Music

Nov 23, 2024

TOSCA

Jan 25, 2025

AIDA

Apr 26, 2025

Le Nozze Di Figaro

May 17, 2025

Salome

May 31, 2025

Il Barbiere Di Siviglia

Nov 2, 2024

California Guitar Trio

Oct 19, 2024

Grounded

Rockport Music