Newport Classical continues its ongoing Chamber Series, bringing A-list classical artists to downtown Newport year round to perform at the organization’s welcoming home venue, the Newport Classical Recital Hall. The Chamber Series offers thrilling and intimate performances for a growing community of music lovers, and evenings include a glass of wine and mingling at intermission. On Friday, April 21, at 7:30pm, Newport Classical presents the Mesa-Yakushev Duo, two world-class soloists combining forces in a powerhouse duo with international flair.

Russian pianist Ilya Yakushev is known for his musical pyrotechnics, and Cuban-American cellist Thomas Mesa is celebrated as one of the most charismatic and engaging soloists of his generation. The two musicians have joined together to form a duo of equal footing, showcasing core works from the classical canon alongside pieces by the next generation of great composers.

The first half of the program begins in turn-of-the-century France with one of Massenet’s most famous pieces, Meditation from Thaïs, known for beautifully showcasing the cello’s tone, followed by a charming set of three works by Nadia Boulanger. Next, Andrea Casarrubios and Kevin Day explore unique techniques and capabilities of the cello in two contemporary compositions – Silbo and Cello Sonata No. 1. Rachmaninoff’s rapturously virtuosic Sonata for Cello and Piano closes out this exhilarating program.

Cellist Thomas Mesa is the winner of the First Prize in the 2016 Sphinx Competition. His performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl were seen by over 30,000 people. Of his performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported, “A listener with closed eyes would have been hard-pressed to distinguish his shapely, expressive performance from that of an artist two or three times his age." Pianist Ilya Yakushev has performed all over the world, and won the World Piano Competition in 2005. His playing has been hailed as “little short of heroic” by The New York Times.

As part of Newport Classical’s desire to create connections between classical music, the artists who perform it, and the Newport community, Mesa and Yakushev will visit a Newport-area public school to perform for and speak with students, through Newport Classical’s Music Engagement Initiative.

WHEN: Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Newport Classical Recital Hall, Emmanuel Church, 42 Dearborn St., Newport

PRICING: $45 per ticket

MORE INFO: To learn more and purchase tickets, click here.