NEWBUYPORT — Newburyport Chamber Music Festival Artistic Director David Yang is cycling 471 miles from Philadelphia to Newburyport in support of the festival’s 25th anniversary season and its future.
Yang set out from Philadelphia on May 21 with his partner, Mona Fixdal. Over seven days, they are riding through multiple states before arriving in Newburyport today. The ride has already raised more than $15,000 for NCMF, with supporters contributing from near and far.
“This festival has been my home away from home for 25 years,” Yang said. “What better way to celebrate than to travel the distance to Newburyport and invite the community to be part of the journey?”
The final stretch of the ride begins today at 9 a.m. from the Aloft Hotel in Framingham, and cyclists are welcome to join along the route.
The public is invited to welcome Yang and NCMF cyclists as they roll into Newburyport. An informal community reception will take place at 3 p.m. at Sea Level Oyster Bar, where supporters, chamber music lovers and community members will gather to cheer the riders, celebrate the ride, and look ahead to NCMF’s 25th anniversary season.
Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon will also be there to offer a few words of welcome. People will get a first look at the 2026 festival calendar, with one to take home.
Known for its artistic innovation and close-knit connection between musicians and audience, NCMF blends accomplished performances with community engagement – bringing music out of the concert hall and into shared, intimate experiences.
Since its founding, NCMF has presented 35 world premieres and built a reputation for inventive programming, including works for electric string quartet, recorded sounds of the city, and collaborations with instruments such as Celtic fiddle, theremin, sitar, shakuhachi, steel pans, jazz voice and electric guitar, alongside a varied classical music repertoire.
The festival has also collaborated with a range of local arts organizations, including the Newburyport Choral Society, Greater Newburyport Children’s Chorus, and Theater in the Open. During the pandemic, festival musicians took to neighborhood streets for “quartet caroling,” bringing live music directly to the community.
Interspersed throughout the festival, community-centered events will include open rehearsals, musician panel discussions, Hausmusik sight readings and a distinctive “Nachtmusik” concert at St. Ann’s Chapel, performed in the round in darkness. Many events are free, and all major concerts are pay-as-you-can with a suggested ticket price.