Come And Enjoy The Wealth Of Great Music In Newport RI


By Ericka Marsh


The great thing about Rhode Island is that there are plenty of excellent musical events to attend. There are large public fairs and small locales where you can go to listen to the pros filling the air with great sounds. Every genre imaginable is presented year round. With a few tips you can enjoy the jazz and folk that have made the state a definite destination.

Most everyone has at least heard of the Newport Jazz Festival. This is a must attend for anyone interested in music in Newport RI. It has the reputation for presenting jazz greats from around the world. It usually has a three day run, and one hundred musical acts are almost certainly guaranteed to perform. It started out the summer of 1954. Top jazz artists came to sing their hearts and play their instruments. Billie Holiday, Gene Krupa, Oscar Peterson, George Shearing and Ella Fitzgerald were among the group of established and new musicians. All tickets to the Newport Casino were sold. The event made news around the globe.

Fort Adams State Park, a beautiful venue perched at the mouth of the harbor, fills with jazz performers by the hundreds. It is a cool place, with sea breeze and top rate music wafting over the crowds. There are plenty of vendors with souvenirs, crafts, food and drink available. The only warning is to buy tickets well in advance to ensure that there will be some left. There are tickets sold for the opening night cocktail party and concert held at the traditional Newport Casino. Due to the large attendance, the International Tennis Hall of Fame is used there, rain or shine, for these additional options.

The non profit Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. Presents a gala every year to benefit these jazz activities. The organization offers an intimate evening with superior performers presenting the best jazz offers. This is a special event, so interested parties should direct inquiries directly to the foundation.

Also held at Fort Adams, and of keen interest to folk music fans is the Newport Folk Festival. It all began in the year 1959. This event has included a history book of famous performers throughout the decades since its founding. Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger are just two of the notable musicians who have all made indelible marks on the flavor of this musical and social gathering. The list of popular favorites increased annually, adding worthy new trends along the way.

For classicists and chamber music enthusiasts, there is nothing quite like the Newport Music Festival held in the Preservation Society Mansions. Additional intimate venues and stages in surrounding neighborhoods have become the debut spots for more than one thousand classical performers presenting an American debut. Rhode Island has played a distinctive role in supporting the introduction of greats such as baritone Robert Merrill and pianist Claudio Arrau. There has been a classical music presence in the area since 1920, or so.

A wonderful family event sponsored annually by the Arts and Cultural Alliance is called Bridgefest. Its goal is to make the best of emerging musicians accessible to entire families. To make this possible, venues from all around the city are booked with concerts. For four days, adults and children are welcomed to local parks, beaches, mansions, wineries and restaurants to hear what is new locally.

Come to Rhode Island for music fun. It is alive with great summer sounds.




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