In this program WCRI host Mike Maino welcomes Violinist Irina Muresanu & Pianist Daniel Del Pino who will be performing at the Newport Music Festival this season.

Romanian violinist Irina Muresanu has won the hearts of audiences and critics alike with her “irresistible” (Boston Globe), exciting, elegant and heartfelt performances of the classic, romantic and modern repertoire. An active chamber musician and recitalist, she is the winner of the Pro Musicis International Award, the Presser Music Award, the Kate Kinley Fellowship Award from the University of Illinois and the Arthur Foote Award from the Harvard Musical Association. For more information on Irina please visit https://www.irinamuresanu.com/

One of the leading Spanish concert pianists in the international scene, Daniel del Pino has performed in all five continents in some of the most prestigious venues, such as Salle Gaveau in Paris, Bulgaria Hall in Sofia, Atheneum G. Enescu in Bucharest, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Auditorio Manuel de Falla in Granada, Auditori in Barcelona, Teatro Arriaga in Bilbao, Taipei’s National Concert Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City. He holds top prizes from international Piano Competitions Nueva Acrópolis, Ciudad de Ferrol, Fundación Guerrero, Her Majesty Princess Lalla Meriem, Jeunesses Musicales du Maroc, and Premio Jaen. For more information on Daniel please visit http://danieldelpino.weebly.com/

For more information on the Newport Music Festival or to purchase tickets please visit newportmusic.org 

In this program WCRI host Mike Maino welcomes Baritone Trevore Neal & Soprano Kara Shay Thomson who will be performing at the Newport Music Festival this season.

Hailed by Opera News for his “warm and rich baritone”, Trevor Neal, is a favorite among audiences across the United States. The 2017/18 season has seen him at Opera San Jose in role debuts of Don Alfonso in Cosi Fan Tutte, Germont in La Traviata, Dutchman in The Flying Dutchman, and Rambaldo in La Rondine. He was previously a Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist at Virginia Opera where he sang the role of Kilian in Weber's Der Freischutz to critical acclaim. For more information on Trevor Neal please visit trevornealbaritone.com . 

Dramatic soprano, Kara Shay Thomson continues to build her expansive stage career by creating characters that push the limits both musically and dramatically and this year is no exception. Ms. Thomson opened the 2018-19 season with her debut of Balkis in Goundod's La Reine de Salba with Opera Odyssey. She follows with Turandot with Sarasota Opera and her debut of Salome with Dayton Opera. For more information on Kara Shay Thomson please visit karashaythomson.com .

For more information on the Newport Music Festival or to purchase tickets please visit newportmusic.org 

In this program WCRI host Mike Maino welcomes violinist Stephanie Chase who will once again be performing at the Newport Music Festival this season. Stephanie Chase is internationally recognized as “one of the violin greats of our era” (Newhouse Newspapers) through solo appearances with more than 170 orchestras that include the New York and Hong Kong Philharmonics and the Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, Baltimore, and London Symphony Orchestras. She has judged for the violin concerto competitions at The Juilliard School; the Concorso Postacchini in Fermo, Italy; Concert Artists Guild String Competition; Hudson Valley String Competition, and Cooper International Violin Competition. Born in Illinois and renowned as a child prodigy starting at age two, Chase’s early violin teachers were her mother and Sally Thomas of The Juilliard School. She made her debut with the Chicago Symphony at eight and at Carnegie Hall at 18. For more on Stephanie, her music and career visit stephaniechase.com. For more information on the Newport Music Festival or to purchase tickets please visit newportmusic.org 

In this program WCRI host Mike Maino and The Newport Music Festivals Executive Director Pamela Pantos continue to preview the Newport Music Festival 2019 Season. In today's show they discuss the Newport Music Festival 2019 Gala on Sunday July 28th @ 6PM featuring Nathan Gunn at Ochre Court. Nathan Gunn is widely acclaimed for his diverse performing career bridging the genres of opera, musical theatre, and recital. Gunn grew up in South Bend, Indiana doing what most Midwestern boys do: playing sports, working hard at school, and spending time with his family. His interest in music became a passion during his junior year of high school when he was introduced to Mozart’s opera, Die Zauberflöte. Consumed by a desire to learn more, Nathan attended the University of Illinois (the third generation in his family to attend the school) to study music. For more information on the Newport Music Festival or to purchase tickets to one of their concerts visit newportmusic.org or call 401-849-0700.

In this program WCRI host Mike Maino and The Newport Music Festivals Executive Director Pamela Pantos continue to preview the Newport Music Festival 2019 Season. In today's show they discuss Bon Matin concert at The Elm's on Monday, July 15 @ 11:00 am. This morning program begins with two exquisite solo harp pieces. Une Châtelaine en sa Tour translates as "A noblewoman in her tower" and is derived from a beautiful poem. The title indicates the mood of the composition, which is beautiful, flowing, tasteful, and refined, qualities that mark all of Fauré's music. His Impromptu Op. 86 was written for the Paris Conservatory competition and has an air of magnificence while utilizing the many colors of the harp. For more information on the Newport Music Festival or to purchase tickets to one of their concerts visit newportmusic.org or call 401-849-0700.

In this program WCRI host Mike Maino and The Newport Music Festivals Executive Director Pamela Pantos continue to preview the Newport Music Festival 2019 Season. In today's show they discuss An Enchanted Evening at Castle Hill at the Castle Hill Inn – The Chalet Terrace Underneath The Sperry Savannah Tent Monday, July 15 @ 6:00 pm Tickets $200/$150. An Enchanted Evening at Castle Hill is designed to delight all the senses. The evening begins as you are handed a glass of champagne while the valet parks your car. Walk the stunning grounds and socialize with friends old and new while enjoying Castle Hill’s delectable passed hors d'oeuvres. The concert begins at 7:00 pm, featuring the best that the Newport Music Festival has to offer, including, Handel’s Water Music, Summer from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Gershwin’s An American in Paris, and songs from Porgy & Bess and South Pacific. During Intermission, enjoy Castle Hill’s specially prepared international cuisine and the spectacular view as the sun sets on the water.  For more information on the Newport Music Festival or to purchase tickets to one of their concerts visit newportmusic.org or call 401-849-0700.

In this program WCRI host Mike Maino and The Newport Music Festivals Executive Director Pamela Pantos continue to preview the Newport Music Festival 2019 Season. In today's show they discuss Beethoven at the Breakers to be performed at The Breakers Tuesday, July 9 @ 8:00 pm. Colloquially known as “Appassionata”, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 23 was written as the artist’s hearing was in a state of rapid decline. It is one of the three famous piano sonatas of his middle period. At one performance of this dynamic piece, Beethoven is said to have had a technician on hand to remove the broken strings that would accumulate during the piece’s explosive finale. For more information on the Newport Music Festival or to purchase tickets to one of their concerts visit newportmusic.org or call 401-849-0700.

In this program WCRI host Mike Maino and The Newport Music Festivals Executive Director Pamela Pantos continue to preview the Newport Music Festival 2019 Season. In today's show they discuss the Summer Winds concert at The Breakers on Tuesday, July 16 @ 8:00 pm. Arnold Bax was a wonderful pianist but loved writing poetry and composing. He spent a great deal of time in Ireland and made deep friendships. In the 1916 Easter Uprising, several of these friends were brutally executed. The Elegiac Trio composed that Spring was written as a memorial. Beautifully tranquil and dreamlike in nature, it is a gorgeous homage to those whom he loved. For more information on the Newport Music Festival or to purchase tickets to one of their concerts visit newportmusic.org or call 401-849-0700.