Newport Classical

Community Collaboration with Newport Classical

In 2021, Emmanuel deepened its roots in the Newport community through its space collaboration with Newport Classical, formerly known as the Newport Music Festival, a world-renowned classical music performance and education nonprofit.  Newport Classical was exploring relocating from its office condo in Middletown to a location that would accommodate office and meeting space, on site performance, and education, as well as dedicated storage for its summer festival staging and materials.  Emmanuel Rector Della Wager Wells and Newport Classical board president Suzanna Laramee envisioned and led the conversations in the two organizations, and with community leaders and stakeholders, as Emmanuel shifted emphasis from a preschool that could not sustain enrollment through the pandemic to Emmanuel’s project of sharing our space with a musical performance nonprofit to build a center for abundant community life.  There has been resounding support for Emmanuel’s space collaboration with Newport Classical both in the parish and in the broader community.  Newport Classical moved into the parish auditorium space in March 2021, and in September initiated its first year-round programming, presenting its Chamber Series in the Newport Classical Recital Hall at Emmanuel Church, along with Holiday concerts in the nave.

Community Christmas Holiday concert 2022