Events at this location

Rachel Barton Pine, violin*

January 17th, 2026, Pre-concert chat with Maestro Adam Flatt at 6:45pm

This unparalleled concert event starts with Spanish Dance No. 1 by de Falla from his opera, La vida breve or “Life is Short”. The opera tells the story of Salud, a gypsy girl who is passionately in love with a wealthy man named Paco. He is engaged to be married to someone else and has kept this secret from her. Once the truth is known, Salud and her uncle crash the wedding party and confront the man and his new bride. Paco rejects Salud and in grand opera fashion, she dies of broken heart and collapses at his feet. We promise, the Spanish Dance No. 1 his a happy rollicking event that will absolutely please your ears.

Moving from the opera to the ballet we next feature Stravinsky’s suite from Pulcinella. Stravinsky had a good brain for musical trends and where the money could be made. Like today, the best dollars in music are earned by retaining writing and publishing rights. Stravinsky would often take the music he was commissioned to write for the ballet and re-edit them into suites. Firebird, The Rite of Spring, Petrushka, and Pulcinella all have stunning orchestral suites that are standards in the orchestral repertoire. This little suite beautifully retains the playfulness of Pulcinella and his friends as they fall in and out of love. It’s a wonderful piece of music you are guaranteed to enjoy.

From the ballet, we return again to the opera and this time, it’s from the 1987 hit, Nixon in China by American composer, John Adams. As is implicit in the title, this piece was inspired by Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to China. While not an obvious choice for an operatic subject, this works extraordinarily well. This piece is a foxtrot from Act III. Madame Mao gate-crashes the presidential banquet performs a seductive dance. Chairman Mao comes down from his portrait and the pair dance a foxtrot back in time. Listen closely and you can hear a gramophone winding down and the piece comes to an end.

The program this evening closes with Alexander Glazunov’s Violin Concerto performed by the truly brilliant Rachel Barton Pine. The New York Times describe her as “striking and charismatic”, and the Washington Post says she “displays a power and confidence that puts her in the top echelon.” The acclaimed American concert violinist thrills international audiences with her dazzling technique, lustrous tone, and emotional honesty. She has performed with the world’s top orchestras including Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, Camerata Salzburg, the Chicago Symphony, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony and many more. The Glazunov concerto highlights the composer’s technically brilliant style and will showcase our guest violinist wonderfully. While the piece has 3 or 4 movements, depending upon which musicologist you talk to, there are no pauses or numbers sections that are typical in concerti. Even so, you’ll be absolutely stunned by the beauty and passion of the piece.

This concert is not to be missed!

For tickets and more information, visit newportsymphony.org

Rachel Barton Pine, violin*

January 17th, 2026, Pre-concert chat with Maestro Adam Flatt at 6:45pm

This unparalleled concert event starts with Spanish Dance No. 1 by de Falla from his opera, La vida breve or “Life is Short”. The opera tells the story of Salud, a gypsy girl who is passionately in love with a wealthy man named Paco. He is engaged to be married to someone else and has kept this secret from her. Once the truth is known, Salud and her uncle crash the wedding party and confront the man and his new bride. Paco rejects Salud and in grand opera fashion, she dies of broken heart and collapses at his feet. We promise, the Spanish Dance No. 1 his a happy rollicking event that will absolutely please your ears.

Moving from the opera to the ballet we next feature Stravinsky’s suite from Pulcinella. Stravinsky had a good brain for musical trends and where the money could be made. Like today, the best dollars in music are earned by retaining writing and publishing rights. Stravinsky would often take the music he was commissioned to write for the ballet and re-edit them into suites. Firebird, The Rite of Spring, Petrushka, and Pulcinella all have stunning orchestral suites that are standards in the orchestral repertoire. This little suite beautifully retains the playfulness of Pulcinella and his friends as they fall in and out of love. It’s a wonderful piece of music you are guaranteed to enjoy.

From the ballet, we return again to the opera and this time, it’s from the 1987 hit, Nixon in China by American composer, John Adams. As is implicit in the title, this piece was inspired by Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to China. While not an obvious choice for an operatic subject, this works extraordinarily well. This piece is a foxtrot from Act III. Madame Mao gate-crashes the presidential banquet performs a seductive dance. Chairman Mao comes down from his portrait and the pair dance a foxtrot back in time. Listen closely and you can hear a gramophone winding down and the piece comes to an end.

The program this evening closes with Alexander Glazunov’s Violin Concerto performed by the truly brilliant Rachel Barton Pine. The New York Times describe her as “striking and charismatic”, and the Washington Post says she “displays a power and confidence that puts her in the top echelon.” The acclaimed American concert violinist thrills international audiences with her dazzling technique, lustrous tone, and emotional honesty. She has performed with the world’s top orchestras including Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, Camerata Salzburg, the Chicago Symphony, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony and many more. The Glazunov concerto highlights the composer’s technically brilliant style and will showcase our guest violinist wonderfully. While the piece has 3 or 4 movements, depending upon which musicologist you talk to, there are no pauses or numbers sections that are typical in concerti. Even so, you’ll be absolutely stunned by the beauty and passion of the piece.

This concert is not to be missed!

For tickets and more information, visit newportsymphony.org

Adam Flatt, conductor

Frank Oden, performance poet

March 21st, 2026, Pre-concert chat with Maestro Adam Flatt at 6:45pm

A concert like none other, Maestro Adam Flatt welcomes performance poet Frank Oden to share the stage with the Newport Symphony Orchestra!

Mr. Oden will connect the works together with the wondrous performances of some incredible music inspired by the immortal William Shakespeare. The concert will weave together the dramas, the comedy, the tragedy, and heartfelt honesty.

Join the shenanigans of Sir John Falstaff as he tries to seduce “The Merry Wives of Windsor” for financial gain. Follow the gossipy intrigue of Claudio and Hero and Beatrice and Benedick. Can you hear the vile Don John almost ruining the whole thing?

Join the orchestra on a trip to Scotland and dance to ballet music that eases the burden of the bloody king. Next, we’re off to Greece to hear the sad story that inspired Shakespeare’s, Ovid’s “Pyramus and Thisbe”, two youths madly in love trading whispers through a crack in the wall before their sad fate is met. We close with Bernstein’s take on those star crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, in his landmark “West Side Story”. The Symphonic Dances will have you dancing in your seats, you won’t want the fun to end!

All of this connected and shared with the dramatic expertise of our guest, Frank Oden.

For tickets and more information, visit newportsymphony.org

Adam Flatt, conductor

Frank Oden, performance poet

March 21st, 2026, Pre-concert chat with Maestro Adam Flatt at 6:45pm

A concert like none other, Maestro Adam Flatt welcomes performance poet Frank Oden to share the stage with the Newport Symphony Orchestra!

Mr. Oden will connect the works together with the wondrous performances of some incredible music inspired by the immortal William Shakespeare. The concert will weave together the dramas, the comedy, the tragedy, and heartfelt honesty.

Join the shenanigans of Sir John Falstaff as he tries to seduce “The Merry Wives of Windsor” for financial gain. Follow the gossipy intrigue of Claudio and Hero and Beatrice and Benedick. Can you hear the vile Don John almost ruining the whole thing?

Join the orchestra on a trip to Scotland and dance to ballet music that eases the burden of the bloody king. Next, we’re off to Greece to hear the sad story that inspired Shakespeare’s, Ovid’s “Pyramus and Thisbe”, two youths madly in love trading whispers through a crack in the wall before their sad fate is met. We close with Bernstein’s take on those star crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, in his landmark “West Side Story”. The Symphonic Dances will have you dancing in your seats, you won’t want the fun to end!

All of this connected and shared with the dramatic expertise of our guest, Frank Oden.

For tickets and more information, visit newportsymphony.org