Since 1981, Rockport Music has been committed to one enduring purpose: enriching lives through great music. Located in the scenic seaport village of Rockport, Massachusetts, Rockport Music presents exceptional musical performances and events year round, including the acclaimed Rockport Chamber Music Festival, now celebrating its 29th season with 20 performances during June and July 2010. Rockport Music also presents classical, jazz, folk and world music – as well as opera and theater simulcasts and film series. Educational enrichment programs reach over 7,500 youth and adults annually and include school outreach programs, family concerts, lectures, open rehearsals, and master classes. 

Rockport Music was founded in 1981 as the Rockport Chamber Music Festival by soprano Lila Deis and pianist/composer David Alpher (artistic directors from 1981-1994) and local businessman Paul Sylva. Under the artistic leadership of renowned pianist and MIT faculty member David Deveau since 1995, Rockport Music has grown steadily in stature and reputation and is now a nationally recognized organization. In July 2008, the Board of Trustees voted to adopt the name Rockport Music to represent the expanding organization. Rockport Music’s commitment to presenting the world’s finest music performed by internationally acclaimed musicians continues to be a defining characteristic. Its programs, noted for their musical breadth, depth, and range, draw near-capacity audiences throughout the year.

The Rockport Chamber Music Festival presents some of today’s foremost classical musicians and ensembles, as well as the rising stars of tomorrow. Its concerts are heard by an estimated audience of over 2 million on broadcasts on WCRB, National Public Radio, and the BBC. Rockport Music has commissioned works from major contemporary composers including Gunther Schuller, John Harbison, Fred Lerdahl, and Charles Wuorinen. Festival performers include pianists Richard Goode, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Wu Han, Anton Kuerti, Garrick Ohlsson, Peter Serkin and Dubravka Tomsic; cellists Andres Diaz and David Finkel; clarinetist Richard Stoltzman; harpist Nancy Allen; and violinists Midori, William Preucil, and Jennifer Frautschi. Ensembles include Anonymous 4, eighth blackbird, Eileen Ivers, and Immigrant Soul; the Brentano, Borromeo, Juilliard, Miami, St. Lawrence, and Ying string quartets; and the Boston, Eroica, and Triple Helix piano trios.

This summer Rockport Music celebrates a major milestone: the inaugural season of its new home, the Shalin Liu Performance Center, a world-class venue designed by lead architects Alan Joslin and Deborah Epstein of Epstein Joslin Architects and acoustician R. Lawrence Kirkegaard. Situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Rockport’s Main Street, the new 330-seat performance center features a state-of-the-art concert hall with a two-story stage window with direct ocean views; a third-floor reception room offers concertgoers an unmatched panorama of the coastline. Named in honor of the generous lead donor to our $20 million building campaign, the center is unique in New England, combining intimacy, extraordinary acoustical quality, and a matchless natural setting, which attract and inspire artists and audiences alike.

Check out the slideshow highlighting key stages of construction of the Shalin Liu Performance Center, and learn more about our beautiful 330-seat concert hall.

http://www.rcmf.org/