SummerFest '26 Renewal Brochure

MAKING HISTORY

Music lives within history—and it also creates its own. As SummerFest marks its 40th year, this season explores both: composers responding to the world around them, and the turning points that reshaped the course of music itself. From works born in moments of upheaval to rediscoveries, landmark commissions, and bold new collaborations, SummerFest celebrates the past—and the new chapters we continue to write.

ALL PERFORMANCES IN THE BAKER-BAUM CONCERT HALL, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

OPENING NIGHT:

The Incomplete History of the World in Ten Pieces

FRIDAY JULY 31 | 7 PM

Join festival artists for a vivid time-travel adventure— from medieval chant to modern revolution.

VON BINGEN O Virtus Sapientiae

MORLEY It was a Lover and His Lass

SYNERGY SERIES

VIVALDI The Four Seasons - Presto from Summer

MOZART Overture from Don Giovanni

BEETHOVEN Cavatina from String Quartet No. 13, Op. 130

LISZT La Campanella

WAGNER Prelude from Tristan und Isolde for String Sextet STRAVINSKY Sacrificial Dance from The Rite of Spring SHOSTAKOVICH Adagio from Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67

BERNSTEIN America from West Side Story for Piano Four-Hands

HEIDRICH Happy Birthday Variations

Inon Barnatan, Sterling Elliott, Karen Gomyo, Randall Goosby, Stefan Jackiw, Jeremy Kurtz-Harris, George Li, Reginald Mobley, Blake Pouliot, Masumi Rostad, Alisa Weilerstein

VIENNA 1900

SATURDAY AUGUST 1 | 7 PM

J. STRAUSS Keizer Waltzer, Op. 434 (arr. Schoenberg)

R. STRAUSS Violin Sonata, Op. 18

BERG Sieben Frühe Lieder (Seven Early Songs)

SCHOENBERG Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)

Inon Barnatan, Sterling Elliott, Karen Gomyo, Randall Goosby, Stefan Jackiw, Yoonah Kim, George Li, Rose Lombardo, Blake Pouliot, Masumi Rostad, Alisa Weilerstein

WHAT IF?

SUNDAY AUGUST 2 | 3 PM

Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater—one of the most enduring sacred works ever written and one written by a 26-year-old, is paired with other masterpieces shaped by youth, urgency, and historical circumstance, inviting us to imagine what could have been.

L. BOULANGER Two Pieces for Violin and Piano

ULLMANN String Quartet No. 3, Op. 46

GERSHWIN Transcriptions from Porgy and Bess (arr. Heifetz)

PERGOLESI Stabat Mater

Inon Barnatan, Timothy Cobb, Sterling Elliott, Karen Gomyo, Randall Goosby, Stefan Jackiw, George Li, Reginald Mobley, Blake Pouliot, Masumi Rostad, Ruben Valenzuela, Alisa Weilerstein

MIDWEEK MASTERWORKS: Reshaping the Past

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 5 | 7 PM

This program explores how composers absorb, reshape, and transform what came before, creating works that honor tradition while forging new paths.

STRAVINSKY Suite Italienne

SCHUBERT Octet in F Major, D. 803

Timothy Cobb, Stefan Dohr, Sterling Elliott, Karen Gomyo, Eleni Katz, Radu Rățoi, Karen Gomyo, Ricardo Morales, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Andrew Wan, Alisa Weilerstein

Randall Goosby

EASTERN VISIONS

FRIDAY AUGUST 7 | 7 PM

MIDWEEK MASTERWORKS: American Legacy

Encounters with Eastern music left a lasting mark on Western composers, from the sounds of gamelan heard by Debussy to modern fascination with Japanese and Indian melodies.

DEBUSSY Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp HARRISON Varied Trio

RAVEL Tzigane

CAGE Selected Sonatas for Prepared Piano

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Selection from Scheherazade (arr. Farrington)

Efe Baltacigil, Inon Barnatan, Stefan Dohr, Sam Hager, Graeme Steele Johnson, Erin Keefe, Tessa Lark, Matthew Lipman, Rose Lombardo, Pedja Mužijević, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Julie Smith Phillips, Blake Pouliot, Steven Schick, Andrew Wan

ROOTS

SATURDAY AUGUST 8 | 7 PM

Feel the pulse of Eastern Europe in music drawn from village dances, folk songs, and centuries-old traditions as the spirit of the countryside ignites the concert stage.

TAJČEVIĆ

Seven Balkan Dances

DVOŘÁK Piano Trio No. 4 in E Minor “Dumky”

WEINBERG Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes, Op. 47

BARTOK Divertimento for String Orchestra

Efe Baltacigil, Sterling Elliott, Zoltán Fejérvári, Sam Hager, Kathryn Hatmaker, Erin Keefe, Tessa Lark, Matthew Lipman, Anthony Manzo, Pedja Mužijević, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Blake Pouliot, Wesley Precourt, Radu Rățoi, Andrew Wan, Cherry Yeung

LOST AND FOUND

SUNDAY AUGUST 9 | 3 PM

J.S. BACH Chaconne in D Minor, BWV 1178

J.S. BACH Passacaglia in C Minor, BWV 582

CHOPIN Waltz “Found in New York”

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Piano Quintet in C Minor

MOZART Horn Concerto No. 1 in D Major, K. 412/514

LOEFFLER Octet

Efe Baltacigil, Stefan Dohr, Sterling Elliott, Graeme Steele Johnson, Erin Keefe, Henry Kramer, Matthew Lipman, Anthony Manzo, Julie Smith Phillips, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Blake Pouliot, Radu Rățoi, Osmo Vänskä, Andrew Wan

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12 | 7 PM

This program celebrates music shaped by bold patronage, artistic exchange, and a distinctly American belief in possibility.

PROKOFIEV String Quartet No. 1, Op. 50

POULENC Flute Sonata, FP 164

SHORTER Terra Incognita

COPLAND Appalachian Spring

Rebecca Albers, Efe Baltacigil, Mark Dover, Monica Ellis, Zoltán Fejérvári, Emi Ferguson, Brandon Patrick George, Mekhi Gladden, Ayane Kozasa, Henry Kramer, Tessa Lark, Anthony Manzo, Kevin Newton, Blake Pouliot, Arnaud Sussman, Paul Wiancko

OUT OF THE SHADOWS

FRIDAY AUGUST 14 | 7 PM

In the shadow of the First World War, composers faced a world irrevocably changed. Discover how upheaval reshaped musical language in this unforgettable collection of music.

DEBUSSY En Blanc et Noir for Two Pianos

BRIDGE Lament for Two Violas

POULENC Sextet, FP 100

KORNGOLD Suite for Left Hand and Strings, Op. 23

Rebecca Albers, Inon Barnatan, Mark Dover, Monica Ellis, Zoltán Fejérvári, Brandon Patrick George, Mekhi Gladden, Ayane Kozasa, Henry Kramer, Tessa Lark, Kevin Newton, Arnaud Sussmann, Paul Wiancko

THE COMPLETE BRANDENBURGS: Part I

SATURDAY AUGUST 15 | 7 PM

A festival within the festival. Bach’s exhilarating Brandenburg Concertos take center stage alongside other vibrant works proving the spirit of innovation Bach embodied is still very much alive.

J.S. BACH Brandenburg Concerto No.6 in B-Flat Major, BWV 1051

J.S. BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048

PAUL WIANCKO Vox Petra

J.S. BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050

Rebecca Albers, Doug Balliett, David Belkovski, Emi Ferguson, Coleman Itzkoff, Ela Kodzas, Ayane Kozasa, Daniel McCarthy, Aisslinn Nosky, Edson Scheid, Paul Wiancko

Tessa Lark

THE COMPLETE

BRANDENBURGS: Part II

SUNDAY AUGUST 16 | 3 PM

J.S. BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046

J.S. BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047

SHAWN OKPEBHOLO Selections from Rise

TAYLOR I Wish I Knew How It Feels to be Free (arr. Dover)

J.S. BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV 1049

Doug Balliett, David Belkovski, Claire Brazeau, Mark Dover, Monica Ellis, Emi Ferguson, Brandon Patrick George, Mekhi Gladden, Coleman Itzkoff, Ela Kodžas, Daniel McCarthy, Kevin Newton, Aisslinn Nosky, Brandon Ridenour, Edson Scheid, Sarah Skuster, Kaylet Torrez

MIDWEEK MASTERWORKS:

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 19 | 7 PM

PURCELL Four Songs (arr. Adès)

ADÈS Concerto Conciso

BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34

Thomas Adès, Steven Banks, Inon Barnatan, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Jeremy Denk, Mark Dresser, Njioma Chinyere Grevious, Sidney Hopson, Yura Lee, Teng Li, Aaron McCalla, Simone Porter, Brandon Ridenour, Eric Starr, Jonathan Swensen, John Bruce Yeh

SUMMERFEST 40TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

SATURDAY AUGUST 22 | 5 PM

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Gala Chairs: Lise Wilson and Steve Strauss

OLD COUNTRY, NEW AGE

SUNDAY AUGUST 23 | 3 PM

Windswept lyricism, razor-sharp wit, and sweeping grandeur—this is England in full color. The evening also features Thomas Adès—today’s most celebrated living English composer—bringing the story into the present.

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS On Wenlock Edge

ELGAR Piano Quintet in A Minor, Op. 84

WALTON Façade

Thomas Adès, Steven Banks, Benjamin Beilman, Jay Campbell, Stephanie Childress, Jeremy Denk, James Ehnes, Njioma Chinyere Grevious, Sidney Hopson, Nina Lee, Teng Li, Rose Lombardo, Brandon Ridenour, Timothy Ridout, Jonathan Swensen, Robin Tritschler, Stephen Waarts, John Bruce Yeh

MIDWEEK MASTERWORKS:

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26 | 7 PM

SUMMERFEST AT 40!

FRIDAY AUGUST 21 | 7 PM

LUTOS Ł AWSKI Variations on a Theme by Paganini WILLIAMS Quartet La Jolla

STEVEN BANKS New Work (2026)

TCHAIKOVSKY Souvenir de Florence

Steven Banks, Inon Barnatan, Benjamin Beilman, Jay Campbell, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Jeremy Denk, Jeremy Kurtz-Harris, Teng Li, Cho-Liang Lin, Nina Lee, Yura Lee, Rose Lombardo, Paul Neubauer, Julie Smith Phillips, Simone Porter, Jonathan Swensen, John Bruce Yeh

Songs, chamber music, and the radiant Fantasy for Four Hands draws us into the world of 1820s Vienna, where this music was heard for the very first time.

Works include the following, plus more to be announced.

SCHUBERT An die Musik, D.547

Ganymed, D.544

Die Forelle, D.550

SCHUBERT Fantasy in F Minor, D.940

SCHUBERT Die Sterne, D.939

Du bist die Ruh, D.776

Erlkönig, D.328

SCHUBERT String Quartet in C Minor, D.703

SCHUBERT Rondo in A Major for Violin and Strings, D.438

Ani Aznavoorian, Inon Barnatan, Benjamin Beilman, Jonathan Biss, Owen Dalby, James Ehnes, Njioma Chinyere Grevious, Hsin-Yun Huang, Nina Lee, Robin Tritschler, Jonathan Vinocour, Stephen Waarts

Gomyo

CONVERSATION ACROSS CENTURIES

FRIDAY AUGUST 28 | 7 PM

Shakespeare-inspired song to Beethoven’s haunting “Ghost” Trio, composers engage the voices of the past. The evening culminates in a luminous piece by Vaughan Williams—a rare chance to hear this soaring work performed by a large ensemble.

HAYDN She Never Told her Love

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Orpheus with his Lute

QUILTER O Mistress Mine

RAUTAVAARA Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?

DALE Come Away, Death

BEETHOVEN Piano Trio No. 5, Op. 70, No. 1 “Ghost”

HALVORSEN Sarabande con variazione on a Theme by Handel

VAUGHAN-WILLIAMS Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Ani Aznavoorian, Inon Barnatan, Benjamin Beilman, Jonathan Biss, Owen Dalby, James Ehnes, Njioma Chinyere Grevious, Sam Hager, Kathryn Hatmaker, Hsin-Yun Huang, Nina Lee, Anthony Manzo, Simone Porter, Wesley Precourt, Timothy Ridout, Jonathan Swensen, Jeff Thayer, Robin Tritschler, Jonathan Vinocour, Stephen Waarts, Cherry Yeung

FINALE: Rule of Three

SATURDAY AUGUST 29 | 7 PM

This exuberant finale pairs chamber works and concertos built around trios in a joyful, virtuosic celebration to close the festival.

DAVID SERKIN LUDWIG Rule of Three MOZART Piano Concerto No. 7 for Three Pianos, K. 242

DVOŘÁK Terzetto

OLLI MUSTONEN Triple Concerto for Three Violins and Chamber Orchestra

Ani Aznavoorian, Inon Barnatan, Jonathan Biss, Claire Brazeau, Owen Dalby, James Ehnes, Njioma Chinyere Grevious, Kathryn Hatmaker, Sidney Hopson, Hsin-Yun Huang, Nina Lee, Anthony Manzo, Simone Porter, Wesley Precourt, Timothy Ridout, Sarah Skuster, Jonathan Swensen, Jonathan Vinocour, Stephen Waarts, Cherry Yeung

ADD-ON CONCERTS

JAZZ @ The JAI with Sullivan Fortner Trio

THURSDAY AUGUST 13

5:3O PM & 8 PM

Returning to SummerFest after last season’s electrifying collaboration with Cécile McLorin Salvant, Sullivan Fortner— one of today’s most celebrated jazz pianists and a recent recipient of the Gilmore Jazz Pianist Award—brings his incredible trio to the JAI.

TAKEOVER @ The JAI with

Paul Wiancko

SUNDAY AUGUST 16 | 7 PM

Cellist-composer Paul Wiancko—a member of the legendary Kronos Quartet—curates a takeover that puts creativity front and center. Part salon, part sonic lab, this intimate set with festival artists brings you up close to the energy of a musician actively making history now.

Inon Barnatan, Emi Ferguson, Coleman Itzkoff, Ayane Kozasa, Tessa Lark, Paul Wiancko

SPECIAL EVENT BRAD MEHLDAU

Ride

into the

Sun –

The

Music of Elliott Smith

featuring Chris Thile, Blake Mills, Matt Chamberlain & John Davis

THURSDAY AUGUST 27 | 7 PM

BALBOA THEATRE

868 Fourth Ave, San Diego 92101

World renowned pianist, Brad Mehldau, expands the language between genres with an homage to the late indie folk artist, Elliott Smith, whose music inspired a generation of songwriters, joined by Chris Thile (mandolin / vocal), Blake Mills (guitar / vocal), Matt Chamberlain (drums), and John Davis (bass). This lauded band is backed by the 17-piece USC Thornton Chamber Virtuosi on Mehldau’s rich cinematic arrangements. SYNERGY SERIES

FESTIVAL FOUNDING SPONSORS: BRENDA BAKER AND STEVE BAUM

SUMMERFEST 2026 ARTIST ROSTER

VIOLIN

Benjamin Beilman

Owen Dalby

James Ehnes

Karen Gomyo*

Randall Goosby*

Njioma Chinyere Grevious

Kathryn Hatmaker

Stefan Jackiw

Erin Keefe

Ela Kodžas*

Tessa Lark

Yura Lee

Cho-Liang Lin

Aisslinn Nosky

Simone Porter

Blake Pouliot

Wesley Precourt*

Edson Scheid*

Arnaud Sussmann

Jeffrey Thayer

Stephen Waarts

Andrew Wan

Cherry Yeung

VIOLA

Rebecca Albers

Hsin-Yun Huang

Ayane Kozasa*

Teng Li

Matthew Lipman

Daniel McCarthy*

Paul Neubauer

Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt

Timothy Ridout*

Masumi Rostad

Jonathan Vinocour

CELLO

Ani Aznavoorian*

Efe Baltacigil

Jay Campbell

Sterling Elliott

Coleman Itzkoff

Nina Lee

Jonathan Swensen

Alisa Weilerstein

Paul Wiancko

BASS

Doug Balliett

Timothy Cobb

Mark Dresser

Samuel Hager

Jeremy Kurtz-Harris

Anthony Manzo

PIANO

Thomas Adès

Inon Barnatan

Jonathan Biss

Jeremy Denk

Zoltán Fejérvári

Sullivan Fortner

Henry Kramer

George Li

Pedja Mužijević *

HARPSICHORD

David Belkovski*

ORGAN

Ruben Valenzuela

FLUTE

Emi Ferguson

Brandon Patrick George*

CLARINET

Mark Dover

Graeme Steele Johnson*

Yoonah Kim*

Ricardo Morales

Osmo Vänskä

John Bruce Yeh

OBOE

Claire Brazeau

Mekhi Gladden*

Sarah Skuster*

BASSOON

Monica Ellis

Eleni Katz

TRUMPET

Brandon Ridenour

TROMBONE

Eric Starr

TUBA

Aaron McCalla*

HORN

Stefan Dohr

Kevin Newton*

Kaylet Torrez

SAXOPHONE

Steven Banks*

PERCUSSION

Sidney Hopson

Steven Schick

VOICE

Jennifer Johnson Cano

Reginald Mobley*

Robin Tritschler

HARP

Julie Smith Phillips

ACCORDION

Radu Rățoi * ‡

CONDUCTOR

Thomas Adès

Inon Barnatan

Stephanie Childress*

COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE

Paul Wiancko

ENSEMBLES

Imani Winds

Sullivan Fortner Trio

Brad Mehldau

Ride into the Sun

The Music of Elliott Smith

Chris Thile , Blake Mills

Matt Chamberlain & John Davis

FARFY FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP ENSEMBLES

Announcement coming soon

FILMMAKER-IN-RESIDENCE

Tristan Cook * SummerFest debut ‡ Young Concert Artists (YCA) Artist-in-Residence

SUMMERFEST 2026

JULY 31–AUGUST 29

SummerFest Concerts sell out every year! Order a package to lock in the bests seats at the best price.

SummerFest Premier Package

The best seating locations in The Baker-Baum Concert Hall are now the premium GOLD LEVEL . All Premier Subscribers will enjoy ONE ADDITIONAL CONCERT this summer.

Premier Perks:

· See all 17 concerts in The Baker-Baum Concert Hall including the coveted Opening Night and Finale

· Keep your same seats year after year

· Save 10% on tickets

· Receive an invitation to an exclusive, closed dress rehearsal

GOLD Level: $1,675

A Level: $1,584

B Level: $1,387

SummerFest Flex Package

Secure the best seats in a package before single tickets go on sale. Choose any six or more concerts in either The Baker-Baum Concert Hall or The JAI.

Flex Perks:

· Flexibility—choose the six concerts you want most!

· Save 10% on tickets

· Receive an invitation to an exclusive, closed dress rehearsal

Flex packages are available in all price levels. Your price will vary based on your concert and seating zone. Tickets for Ride into the Sun at the Balboa Theare are not eligible for inclusion in the Flex package, but tickets may be added on after 6 other concerts have been selected. Order online or by calling the Box Office. Flex packages are not renewable.

It’s easy to order!

Online: You can renew your current subscription or order a new one at TheConrad.org.

Phone / Window: For personal assistance with your subscription, call 858.459.3728 or come to the Box Office Window at 7600 Fay Avenue, Monday to Friday from 10 AM–6 PM.

Mail: Returning Premier Package subscribers paying by check can return the enclosed renewal invoice.

SYNERGY INITIATIVE

The Synergy Initiative is a series co-produced by Inon Barnatan and Clara Wu Tsai which invites top creators of music, dance, spoken word, and visual arts to collaborate across their different art forms to produce performances that inspire audiences in unexpected and powerful ways.

MIDWEEK CHEERS!

Wednesdays Following Midweek

Join your fellow concertgoers for a celebratory toast in the Wu Tsai QRT.yrd following each Wednesday concert. Enjoy a complimentary glass of sparkling wine at these intermission-less concerts.

SUMMERFEST 2026

JULY 31–AUGUST 29 | Calendar of Events