Newton Cultural Alliance

West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: The Testament of Ann Lee
2026-02-01 13:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
ABOUT THE FILM:
From award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come, The Brutalist) comes the extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried stars as the Shaker’s irrepressible leader, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers. The Testament of Ann Lee captures the ecstasy and agony of her quest to build a utopia, featuring more than a dozen traditional Shaker hymns reimagined as rapturous movements with choreography by Celia Rowlson-Hall (Vox Lux) and original songs & score by Academy Award winner Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist).
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS
A post-screening conversation will explore the film’s portrayal of Ann Lee and Shaker spirituality, with particular attention to women’s religious leadership, utopian community-building, and the historical contexts of dissenting Protestant movements in the Atlantic world.
CHRISTOPHER H. EVANS, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of History of Christianity & Methodist Studies, Boston University School of Theology
Christopher Evans teaches and writes on the history of Christianity, American religion, and Methodist history, with additional interests in religion and popular culture. His books include The Social Gospel in American Religion and Histories of American Christianity: An Introduction.
ANN D. BRAUDE, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer on American Religious History; Director, Women’s Studies in Religion Program, Harvard Divinity School
Ann Braude’s scholarship focuses on American religious history with an emphasis on women and minority religious movements. She is the author of Radical Spirits: Spiritualism and Women’s Rights in Nineteenth-century America and is widely known for her work on the centrality of women to American religious history.
MARGARET LAMBERTS BENDROTH, Ph.D.
Historian of American Protestantism; former Executive Director, Congregational Library & Archives (Boston)
Margaret Lamberts Bendroth is a historian of American religion and the author of FUNDAMENTALISM AND GENDER, 1875 TO THE PRESENT and other works on Protestant history. She served for many years as Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives.

Suzuki School of Newton Honors Concert
2026-02-01 14:00 - 15:00 | Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St, Newton, MA, 02459, United States
A select group of students from the Suzuki School of Newton will perform solo pieces on violin, piano, and harp. The program includes pieces by Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Bruch, Corelli, and others. Find out more at newtonfreelibrary.net or suzukinewton.org/events.

New Art Center presents Teen Build Your Art Portfolio class
2026-02-02 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-02-09 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-02-16 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-02-23 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-03-02 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-03-09 17:30 - 19:30 | New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
Teen Build Your Art Portfolio class // All Levels // GR 8-12 // Mondays with Mattea Weinberg
This all-levels class is perfect for teens looking to build strong skills and prepare a competitive portfolio for college art programs. Students will draw from life, experiment with materials, and create meaningful, finished pieces—all with the support and guidance of an experienced instructor. Whether applying to art school or simply wanting to grow as an artist, this class offers the structure and feedback teens need to succeed.

Amherst Early Music Classes
2026-02-06 08:00 - 2026-03-07 17:00
Amherst Early Music Classes
The Secret of Sound with Saskia Coolen
1:00 – 2:30 pm, 7 February 2026
Saskia Coolen Recorder
Everything you always wanted to know about sound but were too afraid to ask!
With the help of a glass of water, a straw, and two different recorders from your own collection, we are going to explore how to improve our sound production.
What is a good sound? As early as 1535, Sylvestro Ganassi tells us the recorder should imitate the human voice. The recorder was considered the instrument closest to the voice and the breath. In this set of exercises, our recorder makes the breath audible while the water makes the breath visible! Open to: all recorder players, all levels. Pitch: A=440, 415
30.00 USD
Quantity
1
Mattheson Trios with Héloïse Degrugillier
3:00 – 4:30 pm, 7 February 2026
Héloïse Degrugillier ** Recorder
Johann Mattheson believed music should speak. Through gesture, affect, and rhetorical figures, we will shape phrasing and dialogue so the music persuades, questions, and sings. The recorder trio becomes a conversation—eloquent, expressive, and alive.
Open to: recorder players, upper intermediate to advanced. Pitch: A=440
30.00 USD
Quantity
1
Be My (Robert) Valentine – Music for Flutes & Recorders with Na’ama Lion
1:00 – 2:30 pm, 8 February 2026
Na’ama Lion Flute
Little known duets arranged by a great master: Hotteterre’s arrangements of (violin?) duets by Robert Valentine for 2 flutes. Some of these duets work well on recorders too! Beautiful music, and also an opportunity to review Hotteterre’s French ornaments, as these duets are less heavily ornamented than Hotteterre’s own music, and provide a great opportunity to ease into the language of French ornaments. Open to: flutes and recorders. Pitch: A=415
30.00 USD
Quantity
1
Music of Van Eyck with Rainer Beckmann
3:00 – 4:30 pm, 8 February 2026
Rainer Beckmann * Recorder
On pleasant summer evenings in mid-17th-century Utrecht, visitors strolling through the Janskerkhof (St. John’s Churchyard) could often enjoy Jacob van Eyck’s remarkable recorder playing. He performed elaborate sets of variations on popular tunes and psalm melodies of his time. Nearly 150 of these solo pieces survive in the two volumes of Der Fluyten Lust-hof (“The Flute’s Garden of Delight”), printed in Amsterdam between 1644 and 1649.
This class focuses on the English tunes included in Der Fluyten Lust-hof. We will explore consort settings of songs and dances by William Lawes, John Dowland, Robert Jones, and others that bear witness to the popularity of these melodies. Selected variations by van Eyck on the same tunes will further offer insight into his art of variation and compositional process. Open to: recorder players (and all instrumentalists/singers reading treble clef), intermediate and up. Pitch: A= 440Hz

The Colgate 13
2026-02-06 19:30 - 21:30 | The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, WEST NEWTON, MA, 02465, United States
Get ready to be blown away by the incredible harmonies and vocal talents of Colgate 13 A Cappella at The Allen Center!

The Colgate 13 is Colgate University’s premier all-male a cappella ensemble, renowned for its rich harmonies, dynamic performances, and deep musical tradition. The group is the longest running all-male undergraduate collegiate a cappella group in the United States. Founded in 1942, the group has spent more than seven decades delighting audiences with a signature sound that blends classic vocal jazz, contemporary hits, folk, pop, and timeless standards.
Comprised of 13 undergraduate singers selected through a highly competitive audition process, The Colgate 13 is known not only for vocal excellence, but also for its infectious energy, warmth, and connection with audiences of all ages. Their concerts are engaging, family-friendly, and often infused with humor, storytelling, and heartfelt musical moments that make each performance feel personal and memorable.
Beyond campus, The Colgate 13 tours nationally and internationally, performing at schools, libraries, community venues, retirement communities, hospitals, athletic events, private parties, and alumni gatherings. Whether on a grand stage or in an intimate setting, the group brings professionalism, polish, and joy, making them a favorite among hosts and audiences alike.
A Colgate 13 isn’t just a performance, it’s an experience rooted in tradition, camaraderie, and a genuine love of singing together! We can’t wait for you to experience them at The Allen Center.
The Allen Center has limited seating capacity- a seating reservation is required for this event! Follow the Eventbrite link below.

West Newton Cinema presents An Evening with John Sayles
2026-02-07 16:00 - 18:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
West Newton Cinema Reads & Newtonville Books present:
The iconic filmmaker John Sayles reading from and discussing his new novel, The Crucible, along with his classic film, City of Hope, with Here & Now’s Robin Young.
Join director John Sayles as he reads from his new novel, The Crucible, following a screening of his riveting film, City of Hope (1991).
In The Crucible, Henry Ford—the Elon Musk of his day—aims to rule both an automotive empire and the rambunctious city of Detroit. In an epic tale ranging from the Prohibition Era to the Second World War, featuring violent labor disputes, misbegotten jungle expeditions, a tragic race riot, and the gestapo tactics of Ford’s private army, Sayles does what he’s become famous for: shows us, through multiple perspectives, the country in which we live.
In City of Hope, an old apartment complex stands in the way of a major commercial development. Its owner, Joe, feels pressure to torch it, and Joe’s estranged son, Nick, soon becomes a pawn in the game. Following the arrest of two teenagers, idealistic city councilman Wynn finds himself torn between what he thinks is right, and what his Black constituents want.
Sayles and Young will walk us through this incredible cast of characters and the themes that make both The Crucible and City of Hope so crucial to understanding our current moment. Their talk will follow with a signing in the lobby, with books for sale courtesy of Newtonville Books.
John Sayles is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, and novelist. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and once for the National Book Award. He has written eight novels, including, most recently, Jamie MacGillivray and To Save the Man.
Robin Young is a host of Here and Now, the nationally syndicated radio program produced by WBUR. A Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Robin has been a correspondent for ABC, CBS, NBC, and the Discovery Channel. She is a former guest host of The Today Show and one of the first hosts on Boston’s ground-breaking television show, Evening Magazine.

Spark Newton presents Jazz Concert with George Russell, Jr. and Friends!
2026-02-07 19:30 - 21:00 | War Memorial Auditorium, 1000 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton, 02459, United States
Please note the venue has changed for this event to Newton City Hall’s war memorial auditorium. Get ready to groove at the George Russell, Jr. and Friends, Free Jazz Concert! This in-person event brings together some amazing jazz talents for a night full of smooth tunes and good vibes. Whether you’re a jazz lover or just looking for a chill evening, come join us and enjoy the rhythms live at The Allen Center. It’s all about music, friends, and a great atmosphere. Beverages available for purchase before and during show. Don’t miss out—see you there!
In the event of a sell out, we will have a waitlist for any unclaimed tickets. Any unclaimed reserved tickets will be released five minutes before showtime.

West Newton presents Behind the Screen: Sinners
2026-02-08 13:00 - 15:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
SINNERS is a genre-defying period horror drama written and directed by Ryan Coogler, set in 1932 Mississippi during the Jim Crow era. The story follows twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan in dual roles, who return to their hometown to open a juke joint for the local Black community, only to find that an ancient, supernatural evil threatens their celebration and their lives. The film blends Southern Gothic, blues music, historical memory, and supernatural horror, creating a richly layered narrative about community, survival, and cultural expression.
POST SCREENING PANEL DISCUSSION
Our panel will explore the film’s fusion of music, history, and horror, considering how SINNERS engages with African-American cultural traditions, the symbolic role of blues music in confronting evil, and the artistic choices that make the film a singular cinematic experience.
JAKE BLOUNT, A.M.
Musician, Scholar, and Music Consultant on SINNERS;
Specialist in Traditional African-American Music and Afrofuturism
Jake Blount is an award-winning musician and scholar whose work bridges performance, research, and advocacy. He specializes in African-American traditional music and Afrofuturist approaches, and his recordings have appeared on best-of lists from NPR, The New Yorker, and Rolling Stone. Blount served as a music consultant on SINNERS and his work often interrogates the cultural and historical roots of American music.
JOEL LARUE SMITH, Ph.D.
Associate Teaching Professor, Tufts, Pianist, Composer, Arranger
Joel LaRue Smith has been the Director of the Tufts Jazz Orchestra (formerly the Big Band) and Jazz Activities at Tufts University since 1996. He is also a pianist and composer known for moving seamlessly between jazz, classical, gospel, and Afro-Cuban repertoire. He has performed globally at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Royal Albert Hall, and has received numerous awards including ASCAP’s distinguished George and Ira Gershwin Award.
BILL LOWE, Ph.D.
Composer, Performer, Educator; Leader of Signifyin’ Natives
Bill Lowe is a distinguished bassist trombonist, tuba player, composer, and educator with decades of experience in creative music. His ensemble Signifyin’ Natives explores African-American musical traditions through improvisation and collaboration, and Lowe has performed and taught extensively throughout the United States and internationally.

Pro Arte presents Salon Series: Czech Please!
2026-02-08 15:00 - 17:00 | The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, WEST NEWTON, MA, 02465, United States
Salon Series: Czech Please!
Sunday, February 8, 3:00 pm
Escape the February doldrums for an afternoon at The Allen Center with Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra. Take a trip to Prague, with Anton Reicha’s Wind Quintet in D, composed in 1818. Reicha, a friend of Beethoven, was one of the first composers to popularize this ensemble. Enjoy this chamber music concert series, which features the bass clarinet in Janacek’s Mladi (Youth), a charming piece filled with Moravian folk melodies and unbridled joy.

West Newton Cinema presents Mary Pickford's Sparrows: Live Music Accompaniment
2026-02-15 14:00 - 16:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Join us for a screening of Mary Pickford’s, SPARROWS (1926) with live musical accompaniment.
ABOUT THE FILM:
Molly, the eldest child at a baby farm hidden deep in a swamp, must rescue the others when their cruel master decides that one of them will be disposed of.
LIVE MUSIC
BRUCE VOGT
Bruce Vogt is a Canadian pianist who has devoted a distinguished career to performing and teaching. He has toured cities and towns of all sizes throughout North America, Europe, and Asia as a soloist and chamber musician. He has mentored generations of young artists in his role as professor of piano at the University of Victoria, and has lectured widely, leading master classes, workshops, and adjudicating for festivals.
Bruce has sustained an interest in exploring the many conversations to be found between music and film, literature and painting. This has evolved into an unusual side hustle: improvising accompaniments for the great films of the silent era. He has developed a robust career in this multimedia sphere bringing sound to many masterpieces — by Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Griffith, Sjöström, Von Sternberg and many others. In movie theaters across Europe, Asia, and North America, he has provided for audiences a greater intimacy with these films, transforming the silence of the medium into another sphere.

West Newton Cinema presents Night Fight
2026-02-19 19:00 - 20:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Night Fight is a hybrid documentary, nonfiction framed with creative, cinematic storytelling directed and edited by Khary Saeed Jones. The film emerges from a harrowing incident in 2017 when Jones was followed by a racist vigilante along back roads in rural Canada. Over time, that encounter cast a long shadow over his life, prompting a deep, introspective journey to understand not just what happened, but how it shaped him.
Rather than a conventional documentary, Night Fight weaves together Jones’s personal reflections, self-portrait video fragments, and interviews with academics, artists, and writers about racial violence, memory, and psychological impact. The narrative oscillates between the literal journey back to the site of the incident and an emotional, internal journey toward meaning and healing.
Described as a candid, nuanced, and deeply personal film, Night Fight confronts systemic and interpersonal racial violence and discrimination. It engages with the challenge of sharing an internal reality that is both singular and emblematic of broader collective experiences.
Join us for a post-film discussion with the filmmaker Khary Jones.
Khary Saeed Jones is an award-winning filmmaker, editor, and Professor of the Practice in Drama, Film, and Performance Studies at Tufts University, where he teaches screen storytelling and mentors students in both documentary and scripted projects. Jones holds an MFA in Film Directing and an MA in English from Columbia University, as well as a BA in English from Morehouse College.
His work as a writer-director explores the tensions between fiction, memory, and lived experience, and has screened at major festivals and cultural venues including Sundance, SXSW, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and ICA Boston.

Lydian String Quartet: An Open Rehearsal
2026-02-19 19:30 - 21:00 | The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, WEST NEWTON, MA, 02465, United States
The Naumburg Award-winning Lydian String Quartet, recently named Ensemble in Residence at The Allen Center, will deliver the third of four interactive open rehearsals taking place throughout the year. Currently rehearsing music from Beethoven String Quartets Opus 59 #3 and Opus 95 (program subject to change), expect the musicians to start and stop, discuss phrase shaping and dynamics, and talk between each other. Enjoy the freedom to move around and get up close to the players for this “behind the scenes” look into their rehearsal process. Presented by Cherry Street Music. Click here to purchase tickets.

West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: All God's Children
2026-02-22 13:00 - 15:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
In an unprecedented attempt to heal centuries of racism and antisemitism, and combat the rising racial and ethnic tension in their Brooklyn communities, the largest reform synagogue and the oldest black Baptist Church attempt to unite their congregations and bring about peace, by becoming family. Shot over five years by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner, ALL GOD’S CHILDREN follows her sister, activist Rabbi Rachel Timoner, and her Congregation Beth Elohim’s partnership with Reverend Dr. Robert Waterman of Antioch Baptist Church as their faith is put to the test, and both congregations struggle not to let their differences drive them apart. Though it’s a fraught partnership, they refuse to walk away, no matter how hard it gets, and ultimately emerge with an inspiring model for how other communities might build bridges across religious, economic and class divides to foster enduring, powerful partnerships.
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS
REVEREND ELIJAH GIPSON-DAVIS
The Rev. Elijah Gipson-Davis, a native of Riverdale, Georgia, was ordained into the Gospel ministry at the New Macedonia Baptist Church. An anointed preacher, talented scholar, and skilled administrator, he currently serves as the Minister of Administration and Assistant to the Pastor at the Myrtle Baptist Church of West Newton, Massachusetts. Rev. Elijah shares academic interests in religion, specifically African American and North American religious history, gender and sexuality, congregational studies, Christian education, and liturgics.
RABBI TIFERET BERENBAUM
Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum received Rabbinic Ordination and a Master’s in Jewish Education from Hebrew College in 2013, after spending a year in Israel as part of her studies. Rav Tiferet served congregations in Milwaukee, WI and Mt. Holly, New Jersey, then returned home to Boston and TBZ in 2019. Always desiring to continue to learn, she is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.
MODERATED BY: JAYMIE SAKS
Jaymie is the Director of Development at 2LifeCommunities and served for more than a decade as executive director of Boston Jewish Film (BJF) and was chief operating officer of the Jewish Women’s Archive.

NewTV Members Network Meet-Up
2026-02-25 18:00 - 20:00 | NewTV, 23 Needham St, Newton, MA, 02461, United States
Join us at our Needham Street studio on Wednesday, February 25 at 6:00PM, for a Members Network Meet-Up! This will be a fun and engaging evening in a relaxed atmosphere. There will be food, technical help sessions, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow members! Non-members are welcome to attend as well!
6:00PM – 6:30PM – Networking and… (wait for it)… FREE PIZZA!
6:30PM – 8:00PM – Introductions, followed by technical help breakout sessions including:
How to Create & Manage Your Own YouTube Channel, with Peter Taber-Simonian
Control Room Basics, with Kathleen Golden
How to Host an Interview, with Jenn Adams
Please RSVP by Friday, February 20, so we can plan accordingly.
If you’re not a member and would like to join us, sign-up for a NewTV membership at https://newtv.org/join
Email membership@newtv.org with any questions!

Suzuki Preschool of Newton Open House
2026-02-26 16:00 - 17:30 | Suzuki School of Newton, 1615 Beacon St, Waban, MA, 02468, United States
Our classrooms will be open and set up with arts and crafts projects you and your children to engage with. There will also be a violin demo by one of our violin group classes from the Music School, so please be sure to stop by and hear our students play!

Newton Baroque presents Bringing it Home with Brescianello
2026-02-27 19:30 - 21:30 | Nathaniel Topliff Allen House, 35 Webster St., Newton, M, 02465, United States
Newton Baroque presents music of the Stuttgart Court.
Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello (ca. 1690 to 1758) grew up in Bologna and spent much of his career at the courts of Munich and Stuttgart. His Concerti a tre are richly imaginative trio sonatas that combine the intimacy of chamber music with the brilliance of concerto-style violin writing. Each work functions like a concerto for two violins, unfolding without the support of a full orchestra.
Like many Italian musicians who were recruited to German courts in the eighteenth century, Brescianello is not widely known today. In his own time, however, he was highly respected, particularly for his violin concertos. These works offer a vivid glimpse into the cosmopolitan musical life of the German courts and showcase a distinctive voice at the crossroads of Italian virtuosity and German refinement.
More information available at https://www.newtonbaroque.org/

West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: Hoosiers with Brad Stevens
2026-03-01 12:30 - 15:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
ABOUT THE FILM:
A coach with a checkered past and a local drunk train a small town high school basketball team to become a top contender for the championship.
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS
BRAD STEVENS
Brad Stevens is the President of Basketball Operations for the NBA’s Boston Celtics, a position he has held since June 2021, where he built the 2024 NBA championship team. A former standout college coach at Butler University—leading them to two consecutive NCAA Championship games in 2010 and 2011—he previously served as the Celtics’ head coach for eight seasons (2013–2021).
DAN SHAUGHNESSY
Dan Shaughnessy is a sports columnist and associate editor at the Boston Globe. He has been named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year 14 times and 12 times has been voted one of America’s top ten sports columnists by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In 2016 Shaughnessy was the recipient of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award for “meritorious contributions to baseball writing,” presented at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Shaughnessy has written thirteen books, including New York Times bestseller “Francona,” “The Curse of the Bambino,” and “Senior Year.” He most recently wrote “Wish It Lasted Forever — Life With The Larry Bird Celtics”, a book about his days covering the 1980s Bird Celtics.

Newton Presbyterian Church presents Planet in Sound: From Antarctica to Home
2026-03-07 19:00 - 20:00 | Newton Presbyterian Church, 75 Vernon St., Newton, MA, United States
About

Admission is free and we welcome donations!
Planet in Sound: From Antarctica to Home invites you on a musical journey across our planet’s most breathtaking landscapes, from the vast, frozen silence of Antarctica to the warmth and intimacy of human expression. Through music inspired by nature, earth, and belonging, this concert transforms the planet into a living soundscape, reminding us that even the most distant places are deeply connected to our inner world.
Praised by Sing Tao Daily for “bringing the audience into a different sound world with her vibrant tones,” pianist Anran Qian is a versatile and compelling artist whose performances have taken her across Asia, Europe, and North America. Joined by guitarist and composer Dr. Alberta Khoury, an Australian-born musician celebrated for her powerful artistry and praised by The New York Times as “a seven-minute tour de force,” the duo brings together two vivid musical voices united by imagination, depth, and storytelling.
Together, they create a concert experience that is both expansive and intimate: where ice meets earth, sound becomes landscape, and music becomes a bridge between the planet we explore and the home we carry within.

Frequently asked questions

What is the parking situation on site?

Our building has a parking lot available on a first-come, first-served basis, and there is also plenty of free street parking nearby.

Will you be hosting more concerts like this in the future?

Yes, we will be hosting more concerts like this in the future. The ArsNova concert series features a total of four concerts in the 2025-2026 season, and we invite you to subscribe to our mailing list at our concert venue to receive further updates.

How can I donate to support the ArsNova concert series?

We offer several convenient methods for donations to support the ArsNova concert series. You can contribute through donation boxes available at each concert venue, scan our Venmo QR code on site, or opt to offer a donation by check. Your donations will support artists and keep the series running!

About ArsNova Concert Series
Welcome to the ArsNova Concert Series, a celebration of music that bridges the gap between renowned classics and underrepresented gems. Our mission is to create a meaningful connection between talented musicians and our vibrant local audiences. We believe in the power of music to inspire, uplift, and bring communities together, and we invite you to be a part of this enriching experience.
Whether you’re a lifelong classical music enthusiast or a curious newcomer, the ArsNova Concert Series offers something for everyone. Come and experience the magic of live music in an intimate and welcoming setting.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Newton Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Organizer

Newton Presbyterian Church

Bay Colony Brass presents “An Evening of Firsts”
2026-03-07 19:30 - 21:00 | Second Church in Newton, 60 Highland St., West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Music director Philip Sanborn leads Newton’s 20-member BAY COLONY BRASS in “An Evening of Firsts.” The free, family-friendly concert features English composer Gustav Holst’s “First Suite in E-Flat for Military Band” arranged for brass ensemble. The concert also includes Philip Sparke’s “Pantomime” for solo euphonium, Brian Balmages’ “Symphony No.1 for Brass,” and “From Heaven Shall It Come Down Upon Thee Until Thou be Destroyed” for brass ensemble by Boston-based composer Jason Huffman. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Newton Cultural Council, a local council supported by the Mass Cultural Council and the City of Newton.
FREE ADMISSION
Parking is available adjacent to the building at Second Church in Newton. Parking lots are accessible from either Highland Street or Chestnut Street.
Access for those with limited mobility is available immediately uphill from the sanctuary via the side driveway or drive-up entrance through the main doors to the sanctuary.
Learn more about Bay Colony Brass at www.baycolonybrass.org.

From Scotland to America at The Allen Center
2026-03-07 19:30 - 21:30 | The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, WEST NEWTON, MA, 02465, United States
The Allen Center presents a spirited evening of Scottish and American traditional tunes reimagined by Boston’s fiddling finest: Kathleen Parks, Jenna Moynihan, and friends. Part of the Cherry Street Music concert series, expect an evening of high-energy music and camaraderie. Curated by Larry Bethune—the irreplaceable Newton resident, former Berklee VP and authority on Scotland and its musical traditions—this program promises fun, excitement, and extraordinary musicianship! For this performance, The Allen Center will transform into a pub setting with appropriate food and beverage available. Click here for tickets.

Yuki Yoshimi at The Allen Center
2026-03-08 15:00 - 17:00 | The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, WEST NEWTON, MA, 02465, United States
As part of the Cherry Street Music concert series, 25-year-old piano sensation Yuki Yoshimi takes the stage at The Allen Center for an unforgettable evening of Mozart, Bartók, and Schumann. Yoshimi captured international attention when he became the youngest-ever winner of the 86th Music Competition of Japan at just 17. Since then, he has earned top prizes in major competitions including a Silver Medal at the Manhattan International Music Competition and semifinalist appearances at the Queen Elisabeth, Naumburg, and Gina Bachauer International Piano Competitions. He has performed with leading orchestras across Japan and Europe including the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie. A student of acclaimed New England Conservatory professor Alexander Korsantia, Yoshimi brings both dazzling virtuosity and profound musical insight to every performance. Don’t miss this extraordinary young artist as he performs on The Allen Center’s magnificent Steinway concert grand piano, generously on loan from M. Steinert & Sons—an evening of brilliance, passion, and breathtaking artistry awaits! Click here for tickets.

Commonwealth Chorale presents Comfort, Awe, and Hope
2026-03-08 16:00 - 18:00 | Second Church in Newton, 60 Highland St., West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Our March program brings Mozart’s Requiem in a new critically acclaimed edition by Howard Arman, paired with two stirring psalm settings by Brazilian composer Nunes Garcia—highlighting themes of mercy, judgment, and eternal rest. We will be joined by a professional orchestra.
Soloists: Maria Whitcomb, soprano, Laura Beth Couch, mezzo-soprano, Mathew McGinnis, tenor, and William Farrell, baritone.
Conducted by Artistic Director Dr. Michael Driscoll.
General Admission: $40; Students: $10
Purchase tickets online at https://commonwealthchorale.com/tickets or at the door.

Commonwealth Chorale Auditions
2026-03-10 17:30 - 18:45 | First Baptist Church in Newton, 848 Beacon St, Newton, MA, 02459, United States
Commonwealth Chorale seeks singers of all voice types who have strong vocal and sight-reading skills. We are especially looking for altos, tenors and basses. The 2025-2026 season marks Commonwealth Chorale’s 50th Anniversary and has been filled with special performances.
In May, we conclude our celebration with Martín Palmeri’s tango-influenced Misa a Buenos Aires (“Misatango”). The program will also feature tango works with tango orchestra and tango dancers! We conclude with Argentinian Alberto Ginastera’s Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah, written while Ginastera was living in the USA after being targeted by the Perón regime for supporting civil liberties.
Auditions will be held by appointment on March 10th and 17th from 5:30 to 6:45. Auditions are held at our rehearsal location at First Baptist Church, 848 Beacon Street in Newton Center, a few minutes’ walk from the Newton Center stop on the “D” Green Line. There is also free parking behind the church and on adjacent streets.
We have scholarships to reduce costs for singers 30 and under! See website for details: https://commonwealthchorale.com
To apply for an audition, click here: https://commonwealthchorale.com/join-us

New Art Center presents Art and Healing: Art Therapists on Creating Connections
2026-03-12 18:30 - 19:30 | New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
An illuminating talk with practicing studio artists and art therapists, Erin Palazzolo Loparo, M.S.-ATR and Tova Speter, M.A., LMHC, as they explore the intersection of personal creative practice and community-based healing.
This event is free and open to the public, light refreshments will be served.
View the work of Erin Loparo, Tova Speter, and other artists on view March 20th –May 1st in the Art and Healing exhibition at the Mosesian Center for the Arts.

West Newton Cinema presents Ty Burr's Movie Club: The Holdovers
2026-03-12 18:30 - 21:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, THE HOLDOVERS follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
TY BURR’S MOVIE CLUB is hosted by the nationally recognized film critic Ty Burr.
Each month Ty presents and discusses one of his favorite films with the audience. His selections span the spectrum from classics that have stood the test of time to contemporary films that merit a second viewing.
