“…a Cabrillo concert is no mere event—it’s an experience.” —Paul Hertelendy, ARTSSF.com

“It doesn’t matter how many times you attend the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, there’s no particularly solid way of knowing just what to expect.” —Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle

“Măcelaru is eager to embrace the forward-thinking West Coast atmosphere that has long distinguished this annual new music event.” —Georgia Rowe, San Jose Mercury News

“The Festival is a chance to hear one of the finest orchestras anywhere, magically materializing on our shores for two blazing weeks of new, challenging music. Expect fireworks for the ears!” —Christina Waters, Good Times Weekly

“Under conductor Marin Alsop, Cabrillo’s music director since 1992, the annual festival continues to showcase the best and brightest new-music works designed to expand the contemporary repertoire.” –Georgia Rowe, San Jose Mercury News, August 2014

“There’s no concert series anywhere where such a high percentage of the music is written by people still breathing — even walking around in front of you, taking in the mellow sights of a Santa Cruz summer.” —Jeff Dunn, San Francisco Classical Voice

“Northern California’s most provocative summertime musical event.”—Allan Ulrich, Financial Times

At the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, new works are always the main course. Under music director Marin Alsop, the annual event offers a total immersion experience, exploring a full range of stylistic concerns and often presenting young composers before they become household names.