Chamber Concert Series
The Chamber Concert Series concerts focus on talented individuals and string quartets. Launched in the winter of 2018-19, the Chamber Concert Series features high school string quartets performing alongside professional quartets. The Chamber Concert Series provides an opportunity for talented high school students to perform in front of a live audience in a real concert hall – outside their home town. This experience is a marvelous learning and growth opportunity, a wonderful addition to the student’s resume, brings recognition in their local community, and strengthens and sustains these important high school string orchestra programs.
Motel rooms and meals are provided for the students, their teacher, and the professional musicians.. The Festival also makes a small donation to the high school’s music “booster club” and the professional musicians are given a small stipend.
While there are many excellent classical music performances available along the Oregon central coast, attendance at these concerts requires the purchase of a ticket. This limits access to cultural experiences for many. The Festival provides the Chamber Concert Series to improve the community’s access to cultural experiences.
Newport is recognized throughout the Pacific Northwest as a center for excellence in classical music. The Festival’s Chamber Concert Series provides the Newport area community and the central Oregon coast with greater access to professional classical music experiences by providing this Concert Series free of charge to the public.
The Chamber Concert Series is sponsored by: Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund, Chambers Family Foundation, and Lincoln County Cultural Coalition.
The Lincoln County Cultural Coalition envisions a vibrant cultural life for all citizens. It shall engage citizens from all parts of the county to create and celebrate a dream of lifelong cultural experiences for all.
The Chamber Concert Series is held Sunday afternoons at 2:00 PM in the
Atonement Lutheran Church in Newport – 2315 N Coast Hwy.
All concerts are FREE admission with donations accepted at the door.
2025 Chamber Concert Series
January 12, February 9, March 16 and April 13
To see previous concert info & videos click here
Sunday January 12
Guest Artists: Castor String Quartet students from Oregon State University
Student Musicians: LaFontaine Quartet students from Corvallis
Guest Artists:
Castor String Quartet – Violins: Lucy Lin/Matthew Zheng, Viola: Viola Stark, Cello: Andrea Sullivan
The Castor String Quartet will be performing selected works of Joseph Haydn, Felix Mendelssohn, Giacomo Puccini, Edvard Grieg, and Franz Schubert. The program finale will have the Castor String Quartet joining the La Fontaine String Quartet creating an octet to perform Jean Sibelius’ “Andante Festivo”.
Castor String Quartet is a Corvallis-based group that was established through the music program at Oregon State University. The quartet has performed throughout Oregon at private events, weddings, and recitals, and numerous times for the OSU Foundation President’s Dinner at the Portland Art Museum. Apart from their involvement in chamber music, the members are active participants in the Corvallis-OSU Symphony.
The ensemble features Lucy Lin who started playing violin at age seven and grew up playing in the Corvallis Youth Symphony. She has participated in the Interlochen Advanced String Quartet and Tanglewood Young Artist Orchestra summer camp programs while in high school. Lucy graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from OSU.
A native Oregonian from Salem, Matthew Zheng is studying Bioengineering and Violin Performance at OSU. He has performed as a soloist with the Corvallis-OSU Symphony numerous times and is currently studying with Jessica Lambert.
Viola Stark is originally from Halle, Germany, but grew up in Corvallis and has been involved in music since the age of four (4). She is pursuing a double major with honors in Mechanical Engineering and Music, with a minor in Viola Performance. Viola has been featured as a soloist with the Corvallis-OSU Symphony and currently teaches violin, viola, and cello through the Corvallis Youth Symphony Association (CYSA) elementary string program.
Another Corvallis native, Andrea Sullivan was four when she began studying cello with Ann Grabe. Andrea has appeared as a soloist with the Corvallis- OSU Symphony five (5) times, including two performances at children’s concerts as an elementary school student. She currently studies with Anne Ridlington and is getting both a Bachelor of Science in Audio Engineering and a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance.
Student Musicians:
La Fontaine String Quartet – Violins: Theo Ueng/Emma Nguyen, Viola: Andy Wang, Cello: Mirabelle Chen
The La Fontaine String Quartet will be performing selected works of Joseph Haydn, Joachim Raff, Antonín Dvorak, and Franz Schubert. The program finale will have the Castor String Quartet joining the La Fontaine String Quartet creating an octet to perform Jean Sibelius’ “Andante Festivo”.
Sunday February 9
Guest Artists: String Quintet students from University of Portland
Student Musicians: Piano Trio South Eugene High School
Sunday March 16
Guest Artists: Sequana String Quartet graduate students from University of Oregon
Student Musicians: Quartet Forest Grove High School
Sunday April 13
The final 2025 concert of the 2025 season will feature a special performance with members of the Newport Youth Symphony of the Oregon Coast (NYSOC) along with Newport Symphony Orchestra members.