A roster of world-class soloists and a program featuring three world premieres will delight audiences at this year’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, July 27- August 10.
Famed conductor Marin Alsop is back, bringing with her festival newcomers, banjo master, Bela Fleck and ensemble Time for Three, who will perform Pulitzer-Prize winner Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto 4-3, a piece that brings bluegrass fusion to classical music as part of the Festival’s Hope concert on Saturday, August 2.
Opening night on August 1 kicks off with the world premiere of Bela Fleck’s The Impostor Concerto for banjo and orchestra at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium.
A series of free rehearsal performances occur daily as a precursor to Opening Night, from July 27 to July 30 at the Civic. Also at the Civic on July 30 is a special free concert featuring new works from three young composers enrolled in the Conductors/Composers Workshop.
Other festival highlights include a film screening of Bela Fleck: How to Write a Banjo Concerto at the Del Mar Theatre on Wednesday, July 30, and the Church Street Fair (August 2-3), a family-friendly event featuring music, dance, arts & crafts and food and wine in downtown Santa Cruz.
A free family concert on August 2nd features Jonathan Sheffer’s The Conference of the Birds, a festival-commissioned piece inspired by a 12th century Persian Tale about a flock of birds on a spiritual journey.
Read more about music director, Marin Alsop, Bela Fleck, and this season’s stellar program in this week’s Good Times.
For ticket information go to cabrillomusic.org.
PHOTO: Time for Three by Sherry Ferrante
