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The highly acclaimed Newport Music Festival is among America’s most beloved national treasures, and Newport’s longstanding relationship with Yamaha remains one of its core strengths.
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| Canadian pianist Valerie Tryon with Newport Music Festival General Director Dr. Mark P. Malkovich, III |
For Newport’s 36th annual Festival, Yamaha provided all pianos for rehearsal as well as performance, including CFIIIS concert grands, C7 conservatory grands, Disklavier® DC7A Pro, DS6A Pro, S4, GT2, and U1 pianos. “Yamaha Corporation of America has been our major sponsor over the past many years, and the official piano since 1987,” says Dr. Mark P. Malkovich, III, who celebrated his 30th year as General Director at this summer’s festival, held July 9 – 25, 2004. “We speak of Newport’s ‘Family of Artists,’ and Yamaha is our patriarch.”
Malkovich invited 62 artists from 15 countries, including 17 pianists, to perform 63 chamber music concerts at the opulent Newport Mansions – The Breakers, Rosecliff, Marble House and The Elms – and six other locations, including a champagne buffet lunch and “Bay Watch” concert on the Vista Jubilee cruise ship. More than 800 pieces of music were performed, all hand-selected by Malkovich, who used his own Yamaha C7 conservatory grand piano to plan the programs. “I know the relative difficulties of each piece, since I’ve played them myself,” says Malkovich. “Each artist was given a challenge and met it in superlative fashion.”
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| English pianist Hamish Milne and page turner Elmer Booze at Ochre Court |
Since Newport’s inception, 135 artists have made their American debuts at Newport, and this year, three pianists, Francesco Libetta (Italy), Sergey Schepkin (Russia/USA), and Richard Raymond (Canada) were presented in their Newport debuts. Full piano recitals were given by Libetta, Schepkin, Jean-Philippe Collard (France), John Bayless (USA) and Piers Lane (England). Pianists Bernadette Blaha (Canada), Giorgi Chikvadze (Republic of Georgia), Kevin Fitz-Gerald (Canada), Thomas Hrynkiw (USA), Alain Jacquon (France), John Lenehan (England), Hamish Milne (England), Yamaha artist Pedja Muzijevic (USA), Daniel del Pino (Spain), Valerie Tryon (Canada) and Aleksandre Tsomaia (Republic of Georgia) were featured in solo and ensemble chamber music performances.
This year, in homage to Malkovich’s – and Newport’s – dear friend and a longtime Newport performer, the late Victor Borge, the festival established The Victor Borge Composer Series with assistance from Borge’s Foundation, and featured the music of Mozart and Ravel in 17 afternoon concerts.
Reflecting upon his 30 years as music director, Malkovich laughingly admits he first took the reins for “just one year.”
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| Pianist Thomas Hrynkiw accompanies Austrian baritone Peter Edelmann at Marble House |
“Newport needed a director, and music was always my first love,” he says.
Malkovich graduated from Columbia University and holds three doctorates. His parents were first-generation Yugoslavian immigrants, perhaps one reason why his programming often features artists from emerging nations. This year, he presented the 16-member Georgian University Men’s Chorus from Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, in a stirring performance of authentic, sacred, folk and popular songs using native instruments and costumes.
The Newport Music Festival was once again selected for “America’s Elite 1000—the Ultimate List,” the very best American luxury goods, shops, services and special events, and named one of the “Top 50 Outstanding Festivals & Events” in North America by Leisure Group Travel magazine. For information about the 2005 festival, visit www.newportmusic.org.
