Newport Classical Music Festival presents Sandbox Percussion & Kristin Lee

Described as “exhilarating” by The New York Times and “utterly mesmerizing” by The Guardian, GRAMMY Award-nominated Sandbox Percussion is committed to highlighting living composers with fearless, boundary-pushing performances. Joining them is Kristin Lee, a violinist of remarkable versatility and impeccable technique, praised in The Strad for her “elegance” and her “vivacity and electric energy.” Together at The Breakers mansion, they present a program featuring a new work by JUNO Award-winning composer Vivian Fung titled “Goddess//Insect,” co-commissioned by Newport Classical. NPR calls Fung “one of today’s most eclectic composers,” and The Philadelphia Inquirer praises her “stunningly original compositional voice.” Exploring the vibrant dialogue between violin and percussion, Lee and Sandbox Percussion bring this dynamic new work to The Breakers, along with music by two other women composers, Gabriella Smith and Joan Tower. 

From July 2-19, 2026, the Newport Classical Music Festival will again turn this “City by the Sea” into a summer destination for music lovers, featuring 30 concerts across 11 unforgettable venues, from cliffside lawns to gilded mansions, including the stunning interiors of The Breakers, The Elms, Castle Hill Inn, Blithewold Mansion, Rosecliff Mansion, Redwood Library and Athenæum, and more. For 57 years, Newport Classical has showcased classical music as a living art form, presenting artists and programs that are diverse and ever-evolving in intimate and iconic venues that make every performance one of a kind.

Highlights of the 2026 Festival include Opening Night with chamber orchestra Delirium Musicum; a celebration of the Golden Age of Opera with Lawrence Brownlee and Erin Morley; solo piano performances by Michelle Cann and Dmitry Shishkin, as well as a two-piano recital with Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy; a new work by Vivian Fung, co-commissioned by Newport Classical, performed by Sandbox Percussion and violinist Kristin Lee; performances by violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing, VOCES8, Apollo’s Fire, Trio Karénine, WindSync, Cerus Saxophone Quartet, Beijing Guitar Duo, Parker Quartet, and more; two evenings with Broadway star Jeremy Jordan, known for his lead role in Newsies and most recently The Great Gatsby.

Admission: $50 - $200