Composer John Adams has a long and mighty history with the Cabrillo Festival. Adams’ music was first performed here in 1978 by Kronos Quartet, followed by the Festival Orchestra’s 1988 performance of The Chairman Dances, conducted by Dennis Russel Davies. In 1991, Adams served as Music Director for a season, and was regularly programmed in the following years by Music Director Marin Alsop. In 2011, Adams and his wife, the photographer Deborah O’Grady, established a series of annual commissions for the Cabrillo Festival from young composers, funded by their Pacific Harmony Foundation. The first was Zosha di Castri, and since then commissions have been realized from Dylan Mattingly, Gabriella Smith, Sean Friar, and Michael Kropf.

2017 marks John Adams’ 70th birthday year, and we wish to join the entire music world in congratulating him on his prolific career to date, and acknowledging his significant contributions in mentoring and nurturing the musical minds of the future. Thank you, John! We have more in store in the coming season, but for now, please accept our regards and enjoy this little trip down memory lane…