The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music presents its 64th season, We the Dreamers, running July 26 through August 9, 2026. Framed by the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this transformative season asks one of the most resonant civic questions of our time: Who is the “we” of America—and who are “we” still becoming? The answers unfold across four world premiere Festival Commissions, eight West Coast premieres, and two U.S. premieres, brought to life by a dynamic global roster of over 20 composers and an extraordinary array of guest artists.  

Highlights include the second-ever performance and West Coast premiere of Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 15 Lincoln, which draws on Lincoln’s urgent reverence for the Constitution and his prescient warnings against internal division, alongside an appearance by Former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove and new works by Clarice Assad, Vivian Fung, Sarah Hennies, and Pedro Emanuel Pereira—together offering a compelling portrait of our contemporary moment through the lens of history, civic reckoning, and global perspective. 

“We the Dreamers is both an invitation and a responsibility”; says Music Director Cristian Măcelaru. “At this historic moment, we are asking how music can help us imagine a more expansive ‘we’—one that listens deeply, embraces complexity, and dares to hope. These works remind us that dreaming is essential to shaping a more just and connected future.” 

This year’s composers in residence are Vivian Fung, Pedro Emanuel Pereira, Leilehua Lanzilotti, James Lee III, Sarah Hennies, Clarice Assad, Jackson A. Waters, Dan Dediu, Eunike Tanzil, Sean Shepherd, Gala Flagello, and Paul Dooley. Also on the program: Hannah Ishizaki, Lisa Bielawa, and Elena Kats-Chernin. Guest artists include baritone Zachary James, clarinetist Carlos Ferreira, pianist Alexandra Dariescu, violinists Philippe Quint and Tessa Lark, and poet Rita Dove. Spanning four programmatic themes—American Culture, Identity & Experience; American History; American Voices; and Music for Here and Now—the season reflects a plurality of lived experiences, aesthetics, and cultural perspectives. As always, composers are present throughout the Festival, engaging directly with musicians and audiences and making the creative process immediate, human, and alive.