The Bay Area classical scene is heating up: Just as the spring calendar winds down, music organizations from Carmel to Napa are launching an array of summer festivals. With performances indoors, outdoors and at the ballpark, music lovers can feast on operas and chamber music, symphonies and sacred works, new music and Baroque rarities. There’s not a dull moment on this year’s summer schedule. Here are some of the offerings.
Ojai At Berkeley
Oh, how we love Ojai. The legendary SoCal new music bash takes up residence at Cal Performances this week for three days of programs focusing on the evolution of music. Under music director Steven Schick, highlights include new works by John Luther Adams, tributes to Pierre Boulez, percussion pieces by Xenakis, Saariaho, Stockhausen and David Lang; music by Alberto Ginastera, Lou Harrison, Olivier Messiaen, Julia Wolfe and others.
Details: June 18-20; UC Berkeley campus; $20-$62 individual events, free for 18 and under, festival passes $170; 510-642-9988, www.calperformances.org.
San Francisco Symphony Beethoven Festival
When Michael Tilson Thomas and his orchestra celebrate Beethoven, you just have to be there. The festival launched last week with semi-staged performances of Beethoven’s “Missa solemnis.” Still to come are the composer’s Fifth and Sixth symphonies, and his only opera, “Fidelio,” starring German soprano Nina Stemme.
Details: Through June 28; Davies Hall, San Francisco; $36-$178; 415-864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org.
San Francisco Opera
The company’s summer season is up and running, with Berlioz’s “The Trojans,” the world premiere of Marco Tutino’s “Two Women” and Mozart’s radiant “The Marriage of Figaro” playing in repertory. Figaro” is scheduled for live broadcast July 3 as part of the company’s annual “Opera at the Ballpark.”
Details: Through July 5; War Memorial Opera House, S.F., $25-$480, “Opera at the Ballpark” at AT&T Park in San Francisco is free, but advance registration required; 415-864-3330, www.sfopera.com
Terry Riley Festival
Venerable Bay Area composer Terry Riley turns 80 this year, and the Kronos Quartet is throwing a three-day party in his honor. With the composer in attendance, events will include four world premieres and Riley masterworks such as “Salome Dances for Peace.” Guests artists include Zakir Hussain, Wu Man, The Living Earth Show and Gyan Riley.
Details: June 26-28; SFJazz Center, 201 Franklin St., S.F.; $25-$65; 866-920-5299, www.sfjazz.org.
Silicon Valley Music Festival
San Jose’s own chamber music festival presents four programs representing composers from Bach to Villa-Lobos. Featured performers include violinist Helen Kim, cellist Arnold Choi and flutist Ray Furuta, the festival’s artistic director.
Details: July 1-4; Glass House, 2 S. Market St., San Jose, events $35, festival pass $110, 408-641-3631, www.svmusicfestival.org.
Merola Opera Summer Festival
Young artists of this year’s Merola Opera Program will show their stuff in summer concerts — a double bill of “The Medium” and “Gianni Schicchi,” a fully staged “Don Pasquale” and the annual Merola Grand Finale.
Details: July 9-Aug. 22; various venues; $25-$65; 415-864-3330, www.merola.org.
Festival Del Sole
Festival Del Sole has found a way to marry two of the things Californians love best — classical music performance and wine. This year’s installment — Del Sole’s 10th — features such starry names as dramatic soprano Deborah Voigt, baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, actor Kevin Spacey, violinist Midori and the Russian National Orchestra. Wine and culinary events complete the schedule.
Details: July 17-26; venues include the Lincoln Theater in Yountville, Weill Hall at Sonoma’s Green Center and Castello di Amorosa winery in Calistoga; concert passes start at $39; Allegro concert passes $139-$449; 888-337-6272, www.festivaldelsole.org.
Music@Menlo
Now in its 13th season, Music@Menlo has become the Bay Area’s top-draw summer chamber music festival. Attracting stellar musicians from around the world, founding artistic directors David Finckel and Wu Han lead listeners on a fascinating and immersive three-week musical journey. Schubert is this year’s focus, with more than 50 events on the calendar.
Details: July 17-Aug. 8; Menlo School at Atherton and additional venues; $46-$85 adults, $20-$35 under 30; 650-331-0202, www.musicatmenlo.org.
West Edge Opera Festival
The ever-enterprising West Edge Opera company spans the centuries this summer, beginning with a much-anticipated production of “Lulu.” Framing Alban Berg’s German Expressionist masterpiece will be Monteverdi’s “Ulysses” (Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria), and Laura Kaminsky’s “As One,” an opera based on the life of transgender filmmaker Kimberly Reed that made its world premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music last year.
Details: July 25-August 9, various Berkeley and Oakland venues; $46-$75; 510-841-1903, www.westedgeopera.org.
Midsummer Mozart Festival
Founder and music director George Cleve conducts two programs this season, with Mozart symphonies, concertos and opera excerpts on the schedule. Guest artists include soprano Christina Major, baritone Eugene Brancoveanu, oboist Laura Griffiths and pianist Seymour Lipkin.
Details: July 16-26; Bing Hall, Stanford, 1-640-724-2426, http://live.stanford.edu, with repeats at San Francisco Conservatory of Music and First Congregational Church in Berkeley; $20-$65; 800-838-3006, www.midsummermozart.org.
Carmel Bach Festival
Titled “Bach, Bohemia and Beyond,” Carmel Bach’s 78th season offers nearly 80 events. Highlights include Bach’s “St. John Passion,” conducted by artistic director Paul Goodwin, a world premiere by Benjamin Wallfisch and appearances by soprano Dominique Labelle and tenor Thomas Cooley. Mozart’s “Magic Flute” and music by Bartok, Dvorak, and Stravinsky round out the schedule.
Details: July 18-Aug. 1; Sunset Center Theater and additional Carmel venues; $10-$115; 831-624-1521, www.bachfestival.org.
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
America’s longest-running festival dedicated to new music for orchestra, Cabrillo marks its 53rd season in Santa Cruz this summer. With music director Marin Alsop on the podium, this year’s lineup includes new and recent works by James MacMillan, Nico Muhly, Philip Glass, Hannah Lash, Mason Bates, and Huang Ruo.
Details: Aug. 2-16; Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and additional venues; $30-$59; 831-426-6966, info at www.cabrillomusic.org, tickets at www.santacruztickets.com.
American Bach Soloists
The early music group under Jeffrey Thomas always presents something intriguing come summer. This year’s festival, titled “Versailles and the Parisian Baroque,” features a rarity — Marin Marais’ 1709 opera “Semele,” drawn from the same source that inspired Handel over three decades later. Bach’s B-minor Mass is also on the schedule, along with recitals, lectures and master classes.
Details: Aug. 7-16; San Francisco Conservatory of Music; $20-$75; 415-621-7900, www.americanbach.org.
Contact Georgia Rowe at growe@pacbell.net.
