Revel in the sweep and beauty of celebrated symphonic repertoire in the final concert of the season. Ming Luke leads the Festival Napa Valley Blackburn Music Academy Orchestra in a program featuring music inspired by the world’s most famous pair of star-crossed lovers, including symphonic suites from Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and orchestral music from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story.
How do you bid adieu to the 10 best days of summer? With a private concert by a Broadway star and a heavenly barbecue hosted by one of Napa’s most gracious couples: Robin and Michelle Baggett.
It’s a wrap! Get ready to toast the end of the season at a silent disco party at Napa’s Kitchen Collective. Inspired by the gastronomic societies in the Basque region of Spain, Kitchen Collective is America’s first private social club for cooking enthusiasts. Put on your party hat and get ready to enjoy fine wines, nibble on tasty hors d’oeuvres, and dance the night away.
To experience Far Niente is to experience some of the region’s most precious history. Guests tonight will do just that, with cocktails in the restored Carriage House followed by a sumptuous dinner by estate chef Sarah Walz. The evening culminates with a musical performance among the sigh-inducing vistas on Far Niente’s private Hilltop site.
The festival celebrates Leonard Bernstein’s centennial with music from one of the American master’s signature works: West Side Story, the 1957 musical that gave birth to such beautiful songs as “Maria,” “Tonight,” and “Somewhere.”
Passes range from $69-$99.
Anne and Roger Walther have spent a lifetime giving, and their enthusiasm and energy is paralleled only by their deep commitment to the Napa community. The Walther family invites festival patrons to join them for a private peek at their turbo-charged collection of exotic and classic cars, followed by an afternoon of elegant food and beautiful music set among the stunning beauty of St. Helena’s Sage Canyon vineyards.
The captivating ensemble Russian Renaissance, a Moscow-based quartet that won last year’s $100,000 grand prize at the University of Michigan’s M-Prize chamber music competition, performs traditional Russian folk music filtered through a modern sensibility, playing fiery and lyrical music on balalaika, contrabass balalaika, button accordion and the lute-like domra.
Since 1948, the Trinchero family has been part of the fabric of Napa Valley, playing a central role in the region becoming known as one of the wine capitals of the world. Through their diverse brands – their exquisite Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, their Heritage Collection celebrating the family’s seven decades as one of wine country’s finest, and their portfolio of more than 45 global wine and spirits brands – the Trinchero family has become an enduring symbol of the America Dream.
Bespoke Collection Founder Michael Polenske hosts today’s luncheon at RiverHouse, Bespoke’s popular meet-up spot in chic downtown Napa. Part tasting room, part keenly curated antiques and ephemera, this site for a splendid riverfront luncheon is as unique as the pairings planned.
American composer John Corigliano will be here when the formidable Russian flutist Maxim Rubtsov premieres a new arrangement of Corigliano’s Pied Piper Fantasy with members of the Russian National Orchestra. This beguiling 1993 concerto is based partly on Robert Browning’s classic tale, “The Pied Piper of Hamelin.”
Where will you be when the sun sets on July 26? If you’re among the very lucky, you’ll be sitting beneath ancient oak trees and gazing at the rolling green hills surrounding The Grove at the Silverado Resort — one of the most exclusive respites in all of Napa Valley. Here, two PGA Championship courses (redesigned by pro Johnny Miller) take center stage, but there is so much more to explore — including 10 swimming pools, 3 tennis courts, and a world-class spa.
Arguably the world’s most famous violinist, Joshua Bell returns to Festival Napa Valley to perform the beautiful music he recorded for the Academy Award-winning 1998 film, The Red Violin. Audiences will enjoy a truly immersive experience: watching the gripping film on screen while, for the first time, Bell performs composer John Corigliano’s lush, Oscar-winning score in its entirety with orchestra.
Passes range from $69-$99.
Endless acres of ancient oaks, majestic hills, and a private lake await guests at Calistoga Ranch, hosts of today’s gourmet luncheon. This resort “is the epitome of luxury for West Coast nature” writes Travel + Leisure, which ranked the property one of the World’s Top 50 Hotels. Guests will enjoy delicious fare from celebrated Executive Chef Ross Kilkenny, paired with a curated selection of fine Napa wines.
Napa audiences will have their first chance to hear the sterling young Korean-Canadian clarinetist Yoonah Kim, who made her debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall this year after becoming the first solo clarinetist in 30 years to win the prestigious Concert Artists Guild International Competition. A Juilliard graduate, she’s making a name for herself with orchestras and festivals around the U.S. and Canada.
Greatness takes time—it’s something Frank Family Vineyards certainly understands. It’s part of every moment in barrel for their Napa Valley collection; every minute tending to the vines for their single vineyard reserve Cabernets; every year in the painstaking process of creating their outstanding traditional method sparkling.
Cuban-born jazz trumpeter and composer Arturo Sandoval, a 10-time Grammy Award-winner who plays with an unbeatable mix of fire, finesse, and feeling, wowed festival-goers a few years back. He returns this summer with his blazing sextet for an unforgettable evening of jazz at Castello di Amorosa.
Passes range from $95-$150.
Style takes center stage at this hilltop luncheon at the chic Carneros Resort & Spa. From the breathtaking views of the lush, verdant hills and vineyards, to the winding garden paths on the property’s 27 acres of gorgeous grounds, to the farm-to-table dishes crafted by noted executive chef Aaron Meneghelli, the Carneros Resort & Spa feels at once like it’s honoring the past while remaining thoroughly, mindfully modern.
By the time guests leave Las Alcobas, one of Napa’s newest and most luxurious resorts, they feel like family. Located a stone’s throw from downtown St. Helena, this inspiring property refines the art of hospitality.
Today’s dinner is prepared by famed chef Chris Cosentino, known to the world for winning the mantel of Top Chef Master on the hit television show. Guests will dine on an unforgettable meal paired with exquisite wines from St. Supéry. Heavenly.
This evening is manna for lovers of piano music – a concert in the beautiful courtyard of Castello di Amorosa showcasing the Gold Medalists from three of the world’s most prestigious piano competitions, each playing a concerto with the Festival Napa Valley Blackburn Music Academy Orchestra under the baton of Martin West.
Passes range from $95-$150.
Guests will be treated to a sumptuous luncheon paired with award-winning wines on Cliff Lede’s wide-open flagstone patio, overlooking the breathtaking estate vineyards.
The dynamic multinational cellist Sophia Bacelar, a Cuban-Chinese-American who studied at the Paris Conservatory, made her debut at the Berlin Philharmonie this season and has been booked for performances from New York to Geneva. She is one of the rising stars introduced to the festival audience through the Bouchaine Young Artists Series.
With the stunning surrounding vista of the Palisades mountains, there is no better spot to clink glasses than Solage, a Forbes Five-Star property within the Auberge Resorts collection of luxury destinations. There you will break bread with Joshua Bell, “the rock star of the classical music world.” One of the most celebrated violinists of his era, Bell’s restless curiosity, passion, and multifaceted musical interests are unparalleled in the world of classical music.
This concert for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley is bound to be a blast, with the great Cuban band Grupo Compay Segundo onstage and swinging.
In Napa Valley, the letter B can bring to mind several evocative words: beauty, breathtaking, brix (the symbol of B Cellars). And barbecue – which was where B Cellars’ founders Jim Borsack and Duffy Keys first met on a Fourth of July holiday back in 2002.
Versatile San Francisco soprano Lisa Delan, who premiered Gordon Getty’s Four Dickinson Songs at the 2008 festival, sings Joseph Canteloube’s lovely Chants d’Auvergne – a group of folk songs from the French region of Auvergne, accompanied by conductor Martin West and the Festival Napa Valley Blackburn Music Academy Orchestra. The program also features popular symphonic masterpieces deftly performed by the Festival's all-star Academy musicians.
It’s not every day you get to linger on the picturesque grounds of a legendary, award-winning winery—and this afternoon is just such a rare occasion. Renowned for its historic role in shaping Napa Valley’s reputation as a world-class wine region, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is a singular presence.
Step back in time at today’s Vintners Luncheon at Ackerman Heritage House, a stunning 19th Century Queen Anne Victorian mansion. Lovingly restored by vintner Lauren Ackerman, the grand home opened last year after a five-year renovation, which Food & Wine called “one of the greatest renovation stories in Napa’s history.” Each art piece and antique in the home has a unique story, from the silver flatware and the antique china place settings, to the 1880s era books that chronicle world discoveries and historic times.
The evening kicks off with a festive reception featuring Napa-bounty bites from Marks the Spot and Trefethen’s sensational estate wines. Then comes the music! Trefethen hosts the exclusive engagement of legendary Cuban band Grupo Compay Segundo, who make their way to Napa direct from Havana.
Passes are $249.
If there’s a word that describes why the Trefethen family is on its third thriving generation in the Napa Valley wine world, it’s passion: From the winery’s pioneering founders, Eugene and Catherine; to their son, John, whose winemaking prowess brought reputation-making accolades, and his wife, Janet; to their children, Loren and Hailey, now eagerly entering the family business.
Festival Napa Valley uncorks its 13th season at Meadowood Napa Valley with a dazzling alfresco celebration and a performance by two singing sensations: soprano Nadine Sierra and tenor Jonathan Tetelman.
The festival’s professional and Academy musicians join together for a lively series of 12 admission-free chamber concerts around Napa Valley. Today's concert in the Napa Valley Opera House Courtyard is the final in the series.
Guests will join the Khaledis at their magnificent, Persepolis-inspired estate to kick off the season – a season that pays tribute to the first responders who bravely fought this past year’s Wine Country fires.
The festival’s professional and Academy musicians join together for a lively series of 12 admission-free chamber concerts around Napa Valley. Today's concerts will take place at Rutherford Hill Winery, Napa Valley Opera House, Copia, and the St. Helena Performing Arts Center.
The festival’s professional and Academy musicians join together for a lively series of 12 admission-free chamber concerts around Napa Valley. Today's concerts will take places at Schweiger Vineyards & Winery, Napa Valley Opera House, Copia, and the St. Helena Performing Arts Center.