“Our hearts are full of joy, anticipation, and optimism to return to making incredible music together again in Santa Cruz, and to finally reuniting with Festival audiences.” —Cristi Măcelaru, Music Director/ Conductor
WELCOME BACK TO LIVE!
Cabrillo Festival celebrates its 60th anniversary with a return to a live, in-person season with a program of timely, topical, and thought-provoking new works. Join us in Santa Cruz July 24 – August 7 for two weeks of concerts, talks, rehearsals and more!
Led by Grammy Award-winning Music Director and Conductor Cristian Măcelaru, the Cabrillo Festival is all about “music of our time, for our time.” The 60th anniversary season includes works by twelve American composers, a stunning roster of soloists, three world premiere commissions, and seven West Coast premieres.
This year’s nine composers in residence are Stacy Garrop, John Harbison, Jake Heggie, Scott Ordway, Paola Prestini, Kevin Puts, Iván Enrique Rodríguez, Andrea Reinkemeyer, and Sarah Kirkland Snider. Works by composers Gabriela Lena Frank, Jessie Montgomery and Christopher Rouse will also be featured. Guest artists include Roomful of Teeth (vocal band); Lara Downes (piano); Valerie Joi (narrator); Katherine Needleman (oboe); Mark DeChiazza (filmmaker); Sasha Cooke (mezzo-soprano); Benjamin Beilman (violin); and Thaïs Chernyavski (youth violin).
As well as the evening concerts, the Festival will continue its tradition of hosting Open Rehearsals, Meet the Composers, and multiple concerts spotlighting the work of emerging composers and artists. The 2022 season will offer some online content and will follow Covid-19 public health and safety guidelines, including requiring proof of full vaccination for all audiences, staff, and artists. Masking will be required indoors at all times. Read our full Covid Policy here.