Yamaha Celebrates 20th Anniversary as Official Piano of Newport Music Festival
BUENA PARK, Calif. The venerable Newport Music Festival, unsurpassed as the crown jewel of summer destinations for chamber music performances, celebrated its 39th season July 6-22 with 58 concerts featuring 60 artists from 16 countries. This summer marked the 20th anniversary featuring Yamaha as the official piano, during which time 143 pianists from around the world have graced Newport's stages. Yamaha provided two CFIIIS concert and three C7 conservatory grand pianos from Yamaha Artist Services, Inc. (YASI)
and one S4, two C3 conservatory, six upright and eight Clavinova digital pianos from Yamaha Corporation of America for a total of 22 pianos this year. Concerts were held at 13 locations including Belle Mer Island House, Belle Mer Salon, The Breakers, The Elms, The Elms Lawn Tent, The Elms Sunken Garden Tent, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Marble House, Ochre Court Dining Room, Ochre Grand Hall, Rosecliff, Rosecliff Tent and a concert cruise aboard the motor vessel Vista Jubilee.
The 2007 Newport Music Festival was distinguished with one North American debut, the 14-year old Italian pianist Niccolò Cantagallo, and 28 Newport debuts (including the 14 members of Newport Virtuosi). Cantagallo, a second-generation member of Newport's "Family of Artists," shared the stage with his uncle, Luigi Piovano, one of the Festival's favorite cellists, and pianist Kevin Fitz-Gerald.
Each year, general director Dr. Mark P. Malkovich III travels the world and screens queries to find the most talented artists to satisfy the discriminating tastes of Newport audiences who flock to the famed Gilded Age "summer cottages" of Newport, Rhode Island. Asked about this year's "finds," Malkovich quickly mentions Adam Golka, calling him "a sensational 20-year old pianist." The son of Polish musicians who fled Communist Poland and settled in Texas, Golka was born in Houston and started piano studies with his mother.
"Michael Endres may be the greatest living German pianist, and Craig Sheppard, who appeared in his Newport debut, offered an inventive program of Bach's two- and three-part inventions. Everyone was so superb," Malkovich states. "Daniel del Pino from Spain, Grigorios Zamparas from Greece, Yamaha artist Pedja Muźijević, Allain Jacquon and Jean-Phillippe Collard from France, all did an immense amount of work because, unfortunately, Bernadette Blaha (who is married to Kevin Fitz-Gerald) was in an auto accident and had to cancel just three weeks before the Festival. I had to re-schedule 15 concerts and offered them to those five pianists. All accepted joyfully, and learned a tremendous amount of new repertoire." Other pianists on this year's roster included Eduardus Halim (US), Stéphane Lemelin (Canada), John Lenehan (England) and Ren Zhang (China).
Collard made his American debut in Newport 30 years ago and was recently awarded the French Legion of Honor medal. "He returned as a great master and brought his three sons with him," says Malkovich. "They are all in their 20s and 30s now, and have all worked on the Festival staff for many seasons. When Jean-Phillippe's first son came to Newport, he was five years old and would sit at the foot of the piano while his father played.
"Newport has spawned many such relationships," Malkovich continues. "Violinists Livia Sohn and Geoff Nuttall met here and returned this year with their son, Jack. I call Newport a 'Family of Artists' because I love the idea of family and because it does feel like a family. The artists all live together in a big dormitory, have breakfast together every morning, and engage in rehearsals and performances throughout the day."
The Newport Music Festival was one of Patricia Schultz' must-visit recommendations in her new book, "1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. and Canada Before You Die." For more info, visit www.newportmusic.org.
For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714)522-9011; or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.
 French pianist Jean-Phillipe Collard made his American debut in Newport 30 years ago and was recently awarded the French Legion of Honor medal. |
Each year, general director Dr. Mark P. Malkovich III travels the world and screens queries to find the most talented artists to satisfy the discriminating tastes of Newport audiences who flock to the famed Gilded Age "summer cottages" of Newport, Rhode Island. Asked about this year's "finds," Malkovich quickly mentions Adam Golka, calling him "a sensational 20-year old pianist." The son of Polish musicians who fled Communist Poland and settled in Texas, Golka was born in Houston and started piano studies with his mother.
"Michael Endres may be the greatest living German pianist, and Craig Sheppard, who appeared in his Newport debut, offered an inventive program of Bach's two- and three-part inventions. Everyone was so superb," Malkovich states. "Daniel del Pino from Spain, Grigorios Zamparas from Greece, Yamaha artist Pedja Muźijević, Allain Jacquon and Jean-Phillippe Collard from France, all did an immense amount of work because, unfortunately, Bernadette Blaha (who is married to Kevin Fitz-Gerald) was in an auto accident and had to cancel just three weeks before the Festival. I had to re-schedule 15 concerts and offered them to those five pianists. All accepted joyfully, and learned a tremendous amount of new repertoire." Other pianists on this year's roster included Eduardus Halim (US), Stéphane Lemelin (Canada), John Lenehan (England) and Ren Zhang (China).
Collard made his American debut in Newport 30 years ago and was recently awarded the French Legion of Honor medal. "He returned as a great master and brought his three sons with him," says Malkovich. "They are all in their 20s and 30s now, and have all worked on the Festival staff for many seasons. When Jean-Phillippe's first son came to Newport, he was five years old and would sit at the foot of the piano while his father played.
"Newport has spawned many such relationships," Malkovich continues. "Violinists Livia Sohn and Geoff Nuttall met here and returned this year with their son, Jack. I call Newport a 'Family of Artists' because I love the idea of family and because it does feel like a family. The artists all live together in a big dormitory, have breakfast together every morning, and engage in rehearsals and performances throughout the day."
The Newport Music Festival was one of Patricia Schultz' must-visit recommendations in her new book, "1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. and Canada Before You Die." For more info, visit www.newportmusic.org.
For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714)522-9011; or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.