The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, America’s longest-running festival of new orchestral music, returns for another year of spectacular programming from renowned composers and soloists in Santa Cruz from July 30 to August 13, 2023. Tickets are now on sale at cabrillomusic.org.
Billed as a festival that is all about “music of our time, for our time,” the Cabrillo Festival features an impressive roster of 17 contemporary composers – including 14 who will be in residence – led by Music Director and Conductor Cristian Măcelaru, performing over the two weeks of featured evening concerts. “Cabrillo Festival is such an incredible place where composers are able to be free and to present their music, where the musicians are dedicated to co-creating and designing a vision for tomorrow’s music, and where the audience and the community embrace the whole process,” says Măcelaru. This year’s event will also include a tribute to Cabrillo Festival co-founder Robert Hughes, who passed away in 2022, and a warm and gratitude-filled send-off to Executive Director Ellen Primack, who steps down from her role after 33 seasons.
Along with the featured concerts, guests will also get to enjoy open rehearsals, Meet the Composer sessions and other talks, as well as workshops that focus on the creation, performance, and promotion of new music. With everything from percussion concerti to a world premiere commission with violinist Eunice Kim and composer/bassist Xavier Foley, the Cabrillo Festival truly offers a one-of-a-kind, immersive experience for the contemporary orchestral music lover.
Find out more about the Cabrillo Music Festival at their website, and subscribe to the KALW Music newsletter to stay updated on upcoming announcements.