Festival Mozaic

06/19/2026

This installment of 𝑭𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍 𝑽𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 features an entry by Dr. Craig Russell, Professor Emeritus of the Cal Poly University Music Department, where he helped guide many of the musicians who now perform professionally in our community.

Craig has been a good friend to Festival Mozaic over the years, not only as a donor and ticket buyer, but also as a contributor to our free Pre-Concert Lecture series and a specialist in Baroque guitar. In his role as Co-Host of the KCBX in Concert radio program, he highlights upcoming performances on the Central Coast for KCBX listeners throughout the county and has aired Festival Mozaic recordings as part of the show. We hope you enjoy reading about what he's looking forward to at this summer's festival!

"𝐀 𝐉𝐮𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜"
𝑏𝑦 𝐷𝑟. 𝐶𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑔 𝑅𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑙

As always, Festival Mozaic is bringing to the Central Coast some of the most thrilling and expressive chamber works in our musical repertoire. Some of these “classics” are from past centuries, such as: Haydn’s String Quartet, Op. 6, No. 5 (known as “The Lark”); Mozart’s Wind Serenade No. 10 (subtitled the “Gran Partita”); or Brahms’s luscious String Quintet in F major, Op. 88. From the 20th century, the Festival will present “classics” such as: Bloch’s Piano Quintet No. 2 (an amazing piece!); Turina’s Piano Quartet in A-minor (an emotional sonic portrait of Spain); and Stravinsky’s spunky Octet for Winds.

But particularly exciting to me are the “new works”— surely, many of them will become our era’s contributions to the “classics” of Mozart, Haydn, Brahms, and Stravinsky that I mentioned earlier.

From our own time we will hear: Noam Elkies’ 𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑔 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑜 𝑁𝑜. 7 (a work guaranteed to be witty and well-crafted); the California premiere of John Novacek’s “Music for 8” (Novacek being our American reincarnation of Rachmaninoff); Earl Kim’s 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑡 (that proports to be a dramatic war story), and Eric Whitacre’s 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑒𝑖𝑙 (a very recent choral masterpiece inspired by the tragic death of a close friend due to ovarian cancer).

And there will be much, much more! This year—as with the previous years—Scott Yoo’s vision and guidance have brought us a jubilant and passionate celebration of music. Truly, Festival Mozaic can be favorably compared to any major festival on the planet.

The events I've referenced in my remarks are all listed [on the website]. I truly hope to see you there!

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬, 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠!
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For tickets, please visit: festivalmozaic.org

IMAGE DESCRIPTIONS
First: Craig Russell performing at a Festival Mozaic chamber music concert in 2023.
Second: Scott Yoo leading a performance at Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.

06/18/2026

After appearing on the Festival Mozaic & SLO Brew Rock Late Night Series in 2022 and the See Canyon Fruit Ranch in 2023, Americana singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Baiman returns to San Luis Obispo to headline this don't-miss show at SLO Brew Live!

July 10: An Evening with Rachel Baiman - Vocals / Guitar / Banjo / Fiddle

Rachel was raised in Chicago and has been recording and touring internationally with 10 String Symphony, Winnipeg folk band Oh My Darling, and Kacey Musgraves. With her 2017 debut Shame, Rachel emerged as a fearless voice of the American female experience. On her new full-length album Cycles, she has found a grittier musical medium for her signature unabashed and defiant songwriting, employing a majority-female team.

Learn more: https://www.festivalmozaic.org/show-details/an-evening-with-rachel-baiman
*Note: tickets sold through SLO Brew Rock / My805Tix*
https://my805tix.com/e/rachelb/tickets

06/17/2026

We can't wait to gather again at See Canyon Fruit Ranch for a day inspired by aloha and pono on Sunday, July 26. Surrounded by staggering talent and natural beauty, and treated to performances by featured artist Taimane and a local Hula dance company, we'll practice Hawaiian values together. We'll greet each other with genuine warmth, listen deeply to the music shared with us that day, treat the land and all living things with respect, and live in harmony in balance... a perfect afternoon!

Whether delicately finger-picking through Bach or radically ripping through Led Zeppelin, Taimane has the ability to morph genres – from classical to rock to flamenco – and stretch her instrument far beyond the familiar melodies of Hawai`i, where she grew up. In addition to performing her own distinctive versions of well-known pieces, Taimane weaves in original compositions that are as far ranging as her musical tastes. With the fierceness of a rocker, and the grace of a dancer, Taimane and her music are wowing ever-larger audiences.

The Diversity Coalition San Luis Obispo County, celebrating 15 years of education and advocacy work, joins us in welcoming our special guests. Inspired by the spirit of a quinceañera - a meaningful transition into a new chapter - join them next Tuesday 6/23 at a fundraiser for our programs at Talley Vineyards in Arroyo Grande.

06/17/2026

We can't wait to introduce SLO to these emerging, talented young artists!

We are so looking forward to the Summer 2026 San Luis Obispo Music & Arts Festival! ​​​​​​​From July 15 - August 1, Festival Mozaic will bring together exceptional artists from all over the world to our engaged community so we can explore music and the arts with curiosity, rigor, and joy... join us! With over 40 events at 20 venues and featuring 100 artists, the we are thrilled to host both rehearsals and performances during these jam-packed 18 days.

The first event at the CPAC is the Young Artists Community Concert on Sunday, July 19... and it's free!

The Young Artist Program is a groundbreaking initiative and collaboration with the esteemed Colorado College Summer Music Festival (CCSMF). Select students from Julliard and beyond will travel to the central coast to perform Prokofiev and Brahms in a String Quartet - free at FIVE different SLO County libraries, and then in a full-length Community Concert on July 19, joined in performance by their mentors Music Director Scott Yoo and Bion Tsang.

This is a wonderful partnership with the County of SLO Public Libraries and the SLO County Library Foundation to offer free Mini-Concerts in Atascadero, Shandon, Los Osos, Nipomo, and San Luis Obispo... and then here at the CPAC!

This event is free but requires a reservation! Save your seat for free or make a $10 donation today:
https://www.festivalmozaic.org/show-details/2026-ya-community-concert

06/16/2026

BOATZART is Back at the Bay! After a packed concert last year, we're delighted to share that the Festival Brass Ensemble returns to the Baywood Park Pier on July 28 featuring classical and popular music for brass. Join us in Los Osos, by land or by sea! Bring a chair or row up - this brass will be a blast!

Community Concerts are free but require a reservation. A $10 donation at checkout helps us keep midday concerts accessible and available to our whole community! The Community Concert series is generously underwritten by Dignity Health Central Coast. Make your reservation today: https://www.festivalmozaic.org/show-details/boatzart-festival-brass

06/15/2026

This edition of 𝑭𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍 𝑽𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 features San Luis Obispo Master Chorale director Thomas Davies. Davies, who was the director of the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival Chorus for many years, has been involved in the planning of this summer's choral concert with renowned conductor Eric Whitacre. Whitacre will lead a performance of his own composition 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑽𝒆𝒊𝒍, for mixed chorus, piano and cello, on July 30 at the Performing Arts Center.

In his role as Chorus Master, Davies selected 16 of the top professional singers from SLO County to sing side-by-side with members of the Los Angeles Master Chorale in this concert. Davies will lead several rehearsals with this group before they join the LA Master Chorale singers during the Summer Festival.
𝐴 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑔𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝐺𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑛, 𝐴𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝐷𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑠 𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑒, 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝐴𝑀𝐶 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡.

"𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑽𝒆𝒊𝒍"
𝑏𝑦 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑠 𝐷𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑠

What a joy and an honor it was to be asked to prepare our terrific local musicians for a concert with Eric Whitacre. Eric is a giant in the choral music world and will fit right in with all the outstanding musicians that Scott Yoo and Festival Mozaic bring to our community each summer. We are thankful to welcome Eric and members of the Los Angeles Master Chorale to our community and add an important choral performance to an already outstanding list of events.

This work, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑒𝑖𝑙, is an important new work in the choral catalog. Composed only a few years ago in 2019, the piece was a combined effort between Eric and his longtime friend and poet Charles Anthony Silvestri. Charles' wife Julie passed away in 2005 after a long battle with ovarian cancer, just a few days before her 36th birthday, leaving behind Charles and two small children. Obviously the loss was devastating to the family. Almost a decade later, Charles started reflecting on this loss in his poetry. Upon sharing one of these poems with his friend Eric, who quickly found the music beneath the words, the collaborative process of creating this seminal piece of music began. The piece primarily includes poetry by Charles, but also some original poetry written by Eric, and some by Julie herself.

Linked [below] is a video of Eric Whitacre introducing 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑒𝑖𝑙. I encourage you all to watch this five-minute video so you can familiarize yourself with the emotional depth and thematic content of this piece before you join us on July 30. The work is about one hour long and divided into 12 movements, which will be performed without an intermission. This concert will be a beautiful and emotional journey for the performers and audience alike.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬, 𝐓𝐨𝐦!
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For tickets to 𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑽𝒆𝒊𝒍, please visit https://www.festivalmozaic.org/show-details/eric-whitacre

IMAGE DESCRIPTIONS
First: Thomas Davies conducting at the Performing Arts Center SLO.
Second: Eric Whitacre conducting the LA Master Chorale in the premiere of 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑒𝑖𝑙 at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles.

06/14/2026

Festival Mozaic's staff email and voicemail system is currently experiencing an outage. We are actively working on the issue. Please call the office at (805) 781-3009 during normal business hours (M-F, 9am-4pm) for immediate assistance. We will reply to emails and voicemails as soon as possible.

06/13/2026

After 20 extraordinary years, BODYTRAFFIC will take its final bow at the close of this landmark season - marking your chance to experience one of the company’s final performances. What began as a bold dream has grown into an internationally acclaimed contemporary dance company known for its vibrant artistry and powerful connection with audiences.

Co-Presented with Cal Poly Arts, we hope you join us Thursday, July 16 at 7:30pm at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo: festivalmozaic.org/show-details/bodytraffic

Founded in 2007 and led by Artistic Director Tina Finkelman Berkett, the Los Angeles–based company has earned praise for its distinctive style, celebrated for its “invention, attitude, and urban edge” (The Boston Globe). With stunning performers, technical brilliance, and a commitment to bold, innovative repertoire, BODYTRAFFIC delivers work that is as sophisticated as it is exhilarating.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to witness the energy, joy, and artistry that have defined BODYTRAFFIC for two decades, as the company takes the stage for one of its final performances - get tickets today!

06/11/2026

During the first portion of the Summer 2026 San Luis Obispo Music & Arts Festival, we are proud to present the Festival Mozaic “Young Artist String Quartet.” This is the second year of our Young Artist Program, a groundbreaking initiative in collaboration with the esteemed Colorado College Summer Music Festival, July 15-19.

The Young Artists will perform 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 *𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞* 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢-𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬 at local libraries and the program will culminate in a 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍-𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕 in SLO, in which the Young Artists will be joined in performance by their mentors, Scott Yoo and Bion Tsang.

Grateful to have the support and partnership with the County of SLO Public Libraries and the SLO County Library Foundation, we are thrilled to welcome Dexter Doris, Dylan Hamme, Aliza Creel, and Gabriella McClellan to San Luis Obispo County!

Share with friends and make your reservation today: festivalmozaic.org/young-artists

06/10/2026

Psyched on stickers! We’re not even going to try to hide the fact that we’re low-key obsessed with new merch this summer… and why would we?! Where are you putting your new sticker? 🤩

The Summer 2026 San Luis Obispo Music & Arts Festival only runs July 15 - August 1 and tickets are on sale now! 🎟️ Don’t wait to save your seats: FestivalMozaic.org