Music Director Cristian Măcelaru and Cabrillo Festival announce 2024 season

Photo credit: (r.r. jones)

SANTA CRUZ, CA—March 19, 2024—The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, America’s longest-running festival of new orchestral music, announces its 63rd season, July 29 – August 11, 2024.

Every summer, Cabrillo Festival offers composers a haven to experiment and realize their visions for the music of today. The Festival fosters a community of artists and audiences as they come together to participate in the creative process. Under the leadership of Grammy Award-winning Music Director and Conductor Cristian Măcelaru, this year's festival, themed "Music as Movement," boasts 14 composers in residence, alongside four world premieres and eight West Coast premieres.

"This season will resoundingly demonstrate living music as movement – as our music, our stories, are never static,” says Măcelaru. “Each piece is a powerful testament to music as movement in many forms. We’ll present music that pushes the boundaries of orchestral sound, music that connects distant times and places, and music that powerfully represents physical, cultural, and social movements – the ever-changing stories that bind us all."

This year’s composers in residence are Karim Al-Zand, Lembit Beecher, Juan Pablo Contreras, Nathaniel Heyder, Pierre Jalbert, Daniel Kellogg, Vivian Fung, Helen Grime, Iván Enrique Rodríguez, Gabriella Smith, Greg Smith, Errollyn Wallen, Nina Young, and Bora Yoon. A work by Clarice Assad is also on the program. This year's guest artists include Gabriel Cabezas on amplified cello, Leila Josefowicz on violin, Miriam Khalil as soprano, Karen Ouzounian on amplified cello, and Philippe Quint on violin.

"The breadth, depth, and originality of our lineup are enabled by a Festival model and community that is equally forward-thinking," Festival Executive Director, D. Riley Nicholson said. "We move the artform forward by working to dismantle the traditional barriers associated with orchestral music – providing unmatched access to the creative process through daily free open rehearsals, insightful composer talks & community events, and professional development programs like the Conductors/Composers Workshop, enabling present and future generations of new music champions. We remove the ‘velvet rope’ and invite everyone to witness the energy, humanity, and creative possibilities of orchestral music.”

Nicholson continued, "This commitment extends to our beloved Free Family Concert, ensuring a space for all ages to experience the joy and wonder of orchestral music."

Festival tickets range from $30-$82 for individual concerts and $295-360 for full subscriptions. Many events are free and open to the public. The public may access information on the Festival website at www.cabrillomusic.org or call (831) 426-6966; and are encouraged to join the mailing list to receive updates. Full Subscriptions may be ordered online, by phone (831-420-5260 x5) or in person at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium Box Office, 307 Church Street beginning April 30; Single Tickets may be purchased beginning June 4. The Box Office is open Tuesday through Friday, 12 to 4pm, and during events.

Learn more at cabrillomusic.org.