Summer is season of music festivals

May 7—ROCKPORT — Summer shows are in the forefront of Rockport Music's plans, with three festivals scheduled in addition to many other concerts and community events.

The 41st Rockport Chamber Music Festival opens June 11, with a mission to celebrate "hope and joy" through music.

Opening night features Schubert's "Death and the Maiden," a chamber orchestra arrangement by Mahler, and Elgar's "Serenade for Strings in E minor, Op. 20," performed by an all-star ensemble. The festival runs through July 10, along with a three-day Festival Annex from Aug. 12 to 14.

In addition to the 19 concerts in the performance hall, the festival also features informal performances, films and late night classical cabarets on the third-floor reception hall of the Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main St.

The 2022 schedule includes world-class artists such as violinists Ray Chen and Stella Chen; the Brentano, Castalian, Viano and Dover quartets; pianists Kirill Gerstein, Piers Lane and Marc-André Hamelin; A Far Cry; the Zukerman Trio and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. This festival also features a return of Artistic Director Emeritus David Deveau, who will perform with long-time collaborator violinist Andrés Cárdenes in the Festival Annex.

Two works co-commissioned by Rockport Music will have world premieres: Lei Liang's "Mother's Songs" performed by pipa player Wu Man and violist Hsin-Yun Huang; and a new work by double bassist Xavier Foley.

Additionally, the Rockport Chamber Music Festival will bring the New England première of "Dido Reimagined," also co-commissioned by Rockport Music, by composer Melinda Wagner and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann to the stage. Performers will be the Brentano Quartet and Dawn Upshaw, according to a festival release.

While June is dominated by chamber music, the summer also brings a number of artists performing jazz, folk and pop among other genres. Featured will be Texas chanteuse Kat Edmonson, rockabilly/Americana sound with Eilen Jewell, bluegrass stars Béla Fleck and Sierra Hull, troubadour Martin Sexton, South Africa's Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and the New Orleans jazz of Tuba Skinny.

August brings back two more popular festivals, starting with the Rockport Jazz Festival, from Aug. 3 to 7, featuring the Alexa Tarantino Quartet, Fred Hersch Trio, The Bad Plus, Tia Fuller, Regina Carter, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap.

Then the third Rockport Celtic Festival takes place Aug. 19 to 21, curated by A Celtic Sojourn's Brian O'Donovan and Maeve Gilchrist on the theme "Exploring Celtic Roots and Branches." The weekend will focus on the genre's broad range with an emphasis on musical influences from Scandinavia, bringing crossover and collaborative work among musicians from varied genres including classical, jazz, and American traditional.

For more information, tickets and links, visit rockportmusic.org.