Music on the Hill invites audiences to share chamber music in 2021 – an outdoor concert May 30, a live online film/concert

June 2, and indoor concerts Aug. 29 through Sept. 3, conditions permitting. Programs feature portions of 2020’s postponed festival, in shorter concerts without intermissions.

“Music on the Hill is eager to safely gather this spring and summer,” said John M. Pellegrino, artistic director. “Our musicians missed playing in Rhode Island in 2020. We look forward to saying 'welcome back!' to both our artists and our audiences.”

The festival begins with an outdoor concert on Sunday, May 30, at 3 p.m. The Narragansett Brass Quintet will perform on the lawn at Clouds Hill Victorian House Museum, located at 4157 Post Road in Warwick (rain date: Monday, May 31).

Narragansett Brass Quintet’s one-hour program blends classical and pops, from Gabrieli to “West Side Story,” featuring Joseph Foley and Richard Kelley, trumpet; Kevin Owen, horn; Alexei Doohovskoy, trombone; and Tom Gregory, tuba. This concert is offered in memory of John Pellegrino (1930-2021), founding president of Music on the Hill.

Please bring chairs or a blanket, for distanced seating on the lawn. Attendance is limited and masks are required. No restroom facilities are available. The concert is presented without intermission.

Movie Night, the Miller-Porfiris Duo’s celebration of the silent screen, will take place live on Zoom on Wednesday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m. Anton Miller, violin, and Rita Porfiris, viola, will perform music by Copland, Chopin, Irving Berlin and others, with an hour of silent shorts such as “The Great Train Robbery” and “Tango Tangles.” The Zoom concert will connect artists and audience members from home, safely, comfortably and conveniently.

Indoor concerts are planned Aug. 29 to Sept. 3, with details to be announced soon.

Tickets will be on sale April 5. The cost is $20, and tickets are free for students with ID. For more information, visit musiconthehillri.org.

Since 2008, Music on the Hill has welcomed thousands of chamber music lovers to concerts across Rhode Island, from its hometown of East Greenwich to Providence, Warwick, Cranston, Jamestown, Wickford, Westerly and more. The ensemble includes professional musicians native to Rhode Island with international careers, as well as their friends and colleagues who have come to see Rhode Island as their home away from home, with many returning to the Ocean State each summer.

Music on the Hill’s adventurous programs combine highlights of chamber music repertoire with less familiar gems. Concerts are offered in intimate venues where the audience sits up close to the action. Musicians play in a variety of ensembles in multiple concerts through the festival.

Music on the Hill’s festival is made possible by support from The Carter Family Charitable Trust, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, and The Aaron Roitman Fund for Chamber Music.