Music lovers, rejoice: The Newton Piano Summit is back. Beginning in 2016, the Summit brought world-class artists to play free concerts in Newton, broadening access to piano music from every genre and tradition. The 2025 Summit will feature eight free concerts over the weekends of March 15-16 and March 22-23 at Second Church (60 Highland Street, West Newton).
Last year, the Piano Summit took a hiatus to formally organize as a nonprofit, Next Arts. Chris Pitts, the veteran musician and producer who founded the Summit and who has organized the series for many years as a labor of love, is now joined on the Next Arts board by Andrus Madsen, the founder and director of Newton Baroque, and Jeff Davis, a trustee emeritus of the Berklee College of Music.
“This year’s Piano Summit includes exceptional talent who’ve been featured in the Celebrity Series and Global Arts and performed on prestigious stages worldwide,” said Pitts, who noted that hearing artists of this caliber normally comes with steep ticket prices, crowded venues, and parking hassles.
“But thanks to generous donors and grants, we offer eight extraordinary concerts, free of charge, in the acoustically stunning Second Church—home to the most convenient parking in the city.” Newton Community Pride, The Village Bank, and the Newton Cultural Council have each provided grants to support the Piano Summit.
In addition to quality, affordability, and convenience, the Summit offers an extraordinarily broad exposure to the versatility of the piano and the range of its repertoire. This year’s program includes:
- Classical musicians David Schulenberg and Monica Jakuc Leverett
- Gospel performers George Russell Jr. and Dennis Montgomery III
- Jazz artists Camila Cortina Bello and Anastassiya Petrova, and
- Multi-genre pianists Domas Zeromskas and Paul Bloom.
The performers come from as far away as Cuba and Kazakhstan and as close as Needham, reminding us that music knows no borders.
“If you’re searching for a glimpse of humanity’s better angels, it’s right here,” says Pitts. “I hope that by attending these concerts, people will leave feeling inspired, uplifted, and deeply reminded of how vital the arts are to our daily lives.”
Newtonians who wish to donate to support the free performances can contribute on the Next Arts website. The site also offers videos of previous years’ Piano Summits.
