Have a Classic(al) Summer

Nobody would disagree that New England is the place to be in the summer months. And for classical music lovers, there are plenty of events to look forward to. Here’s what’s coming up this summer:

The 42^nd annual Music On The Hill festival presents seven concerts of chamber music from June 1-11 at various locations throughout the state. For more information:  musiconthehillri.com.

The Chorus of Westerly presents its free summer pops concert on June 18 in Wilcox Park at 8pm. This family-friendly concert is always fun. For more information: chorusofwesterly.org.

The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra kicks off its outdoor Summer Pops Series on July 4 at India Point Park, with a rain date of July 5. The program repeats three times: at Narragansett Town Beach, Independence Park in Bristol and Slater Park in Pawtucket. For more information: riphilharmonic.org.

Now in its 48^th season, the Newport Music Festival presents over 50 concerts of chamber music from July 8-24. For more information: newportmusic.org.

The 28^th annual Kingston Chamber Music Festival presents a series of six concerts July 20 – August 1 at the University of Rhode Island. For more information: kingstonchambermusic.org.

To the north, The Boston Landmarks Orchestra presents free outdoor concerts at DCR Hatch Memorial Shell, Wednesday evenings starting on July 13. For more information: landmarksorchestra.org.

Farther north are two festivals worth noting in New Hampshire. The 50^th Monadnock Music Festival runs July 16- August 11. The New Hampshire Music Festival runs July 7 – August 4. For anyone vacationing in New Hampshire, these festivals are a wonderful addition to your itinerary. Information on these festivals can be found at monadnockmusic.org and nhmf.org.

To the south, The Talcott Mountain Music Festival featuring the Hartford Symphony Orchestra performs outdoor concerts on Fridays, July 1 – 29. For more information: hartfordsymphony.org/concerts-tickets/series/talcott-mountain-music-festival.

For die-hard classical music fans, Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Massachusetts remains the epicenter of classical music in New England over the summer months. The season features regular concerts by the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras, as well as various pop and jazz artists. This year’s guest artists include Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne, Chris Botti, Bob Dylan, Garrison Keillor, Chick Corea and James Taylor. For more information: bso.org/Home