Newburyport Chamber Music Festival
Categories
Music
About Us
Known for its artistic innovation & close-knit connection between musicians & audience, Newburyport Chamber Music Festival blends accomplished musical performances with community engagement—bringing music out of the concert hall and into shared, intimate experiences.
Now in its 25th year, NCMF has presented 35 world premieres, building a reputation for inventive programming, including works for electric string quartet, recorded sounds of the city, & collaborations with instruments such as Celtic fiddle, theremin, sitar, shakuhachi, steel pans, jazz voice, & electric guitar, alongside a varied classical music repertoire.
NCMF has also collaborated with a range of local arts organizations, including the Newburyport Choral Society, Greater Newburyport Children’s Chorus, & EXIT Dance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Festival musicians took to neighborhood streets for “quartet caroling,” bringing live music directly to the community.
Equally central to the NCMF identity is creating accessible spaces for audiences to interact with artists in meaningful ways, beyond the mainstage concerts. Interspersed throughout the festival, community-centered events include open rehearsals, & working sessions with musician discussions in local cafes & shops, Hausmusik sight readings in homes, storytelling & music for children with TitO at Maudslay Park and Salisbury Library, high school master classes, & a distinctive “Nachtmusik” concert at St. Ann’s Chapel, performed in the round in darkness. Most events are free, & all major concerts are pay-as-you-can with a suggested ticket price.