The Fall 2025 season at Puddingstone has been nothing short of transformative and magnificent. These past few months have seen our community explore new musical styles as well as new platforms of creative expression and sharing it with you, our wonderful and supportive audience, has been the most beautiful experience.
When Calum Graham was first introduced to us we knew that we had to find a space for his artistry in the series. Graham started off the season on August 9th with a performance that offered rich soundscapes and incredible attention to detail in the beautiful setting of Roughpoint Mansion. The night was also highlighted by a dance performance from Katie Moorhead and choreography by Deana Gerde that was synergistic with Graham’s atmospheric music. Musical surprise guest Brenda Bennet added a vocal highlight with her famous and powerful alto voice. Graham’s healing energy propelled our season into the next installment in our fall lineup.
On September 7th we hosted the incomparable Lun Li. Li is a dynamic and extremely talented violinist whose special project “A Long Walk Through The Night” was an exquisite pairing to the aesthetics of Belmont Chapel and the beloved artistry of Alastair Dacey, whose paintings and insight to his creative process was a thrilling look into the mind of a visionary.
On September 28th, Puddingstone began a two part series called “Jazz and Shakespeare.” Inspired by a long standing vision from founder Clemens Teufel, J&S saw the unique pairing of world class jazz music with Shakespearean readings by Jay Bragan and David Chrzanowski. The first concert took place at Provence Sur Mer located in Newport’s historic Washington Square and featured a piano duo concert from New York City’s own Randy Ingram and Aubrey Johnson. Ingram and Johnson treated the crowd to a delightful selection of compositions from their 2022 album together entitled “Play Favorites” while Bragan led everyone through an elegant journey pulled from the story of Shakespeare’s mystical fantasy epic “Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
The Jazz and Shakespeare series continued the following weekend when we hosted the Nick Finzer Quartet. Taking place at Rough Point mansion, the former residence of local historical figure and famous jazz lover Doris Duke, Finzer’s mastery of swing was on full display as he and his incredible band journeyed through an invigorating set of originals and tributes to Finzer’s idol, trombone legend JJ Johnson. For this second installment, Bragan and (other actor name) drew from Shakespearean sonnets and plays like As You Like It to perfectly blend with the mood and ambience of a memorable evening.
Closing out the Fall 2025 salon series was another magical night at Rough Point with “Romantic Entwined.” This program featured pianist Audrey Vardanega and violinist Geneva Lewis. Bookended by another collection of visual artist Alastair Dacey and his beautiful oil paintings, the two musicians played works from Romantic composers such as Brahms, Schubert, and Schuman. With nothing but trust and open ears from the audience, the soothing and passionate sounds created by these incredible instrumentalists combined with the picturesque setting of one of Bellevue Avenues most wondrous properties was unforgettable.
As we head into the Holiday Soiree, our final concert of 2025, we just want to express our most sincere appreciation for everyone who has made these past few months successful. Whether you were an artist, a patron, a sponsor, a volunteer, or just a music loving supporter, you have been integral in making this fall season a reality and we couldn’t have done it without you. We are incredibly excited to reveal our 2026 programming to you shortly and look forward to seeing you at a concert again soon.