Conducted by Cristian Măcelaru

Clarice Assad: Kontrol (Philippe Quint, Violin) (Festival Commission & world premiere)

Jackson A. Waters: Defending Greenwood (West Coast premiere)

Hannah Ishizaki: Spin (West Coast premiere)

Dan Dediu: Concerto for Orchestra (U.S premiere)

A genre-expanding program examining power, agency, and the forces that shape contemporary life. 

Clarice Assad‘s Kontrol (Festival Commission, world premiere), featuring violinist Philippe Quint, is a genre-defying work for narrator, projections, violin, and orchestra that interrogates the role of technology in human autonomy. 

Defending Greenwood (Movement III: June 1, 1921) (West Coast premiere) by Jackson A. Waters—winner of the 2026 Cabrillo Emerging Black Composers Prize—bears witness to the Tulsa Race Massacre, countering historical erasure through musical testimony and remembrance. 

Merging the Viennese waltz with electronic dance music, Hannah Ishizaki’s Spin (West Coast premiere), evokes motion, disorientation, and suspended time. As elegant triple-meter gestures collide with pulsing, club-like rhythms, the piece blurs past and present, creating a dizzying soundscape that feels both nostalgic and uncannily immediate. 

Dan Dediu‘s Concerto for Orchestra (U.S. premiere) closes the program with a virtuosic and celebratory showcase of the ensemble, dedicated to Cristian Măcelaru in recognition of their long-standing artistic collaboration.

A Look at the Music Behind the Music

The pieces you’ll hear this summer haven’t been heard here before. Until their premieres, explore these playlists to discover the composers’ musical influences, artistic voices, and the creative worlds from which new works emerge.

You are Welcome at the Cabrillo Festival

Whether you’re a longtime Festival supporter or this is your first orchestra concert, we invite you to experience the music in a way that feels comfortable and inspiring. Enjoy local beer or wine and bring it to your seat, visit our photo booth, and wear whatever makes you feel like you—from Birkenstocks to heels.

More Than a Concert

The Cabrillo Festival is a place to gather, discover, and connect. Throughout the week, free open rehearsals, Meet the Composers, and artist talks offer a unique opportunity to experience the music taking shape before it reaches the stage and engage with the community that brings the music to life. Check out the whole season for more!