The Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival, recognized as the largest Mozart celebration in North America, will return to San Diego for its 38th season from June 17 to 27, 2026. The festival brings together concertmasters and principal players from leading orchestras across the United States and Canada, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, and The Philadelphia Orchestra, for a series of six performances under Music Director Michael Francis. This year's festival marks a significant structural change, as David Kim of The Philadelphia Orchestra will serve as the single concertmaster for all six concerts, a role that has been shared among multiple musicians in recent seasons.
Nancy Laturno, Founding CEO of Mainly Mozart, stated that the festival reaffirms San Diego's position as a destination for world-class classical music, offering audiences both familiar works and unexpected repertoire. The 2026 season features an impressive roster of soloists, including pianist Anne-Marie McDermott performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 on June 17, guitarist Mak Grgić featured in Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez on June 21, and pianist Anton Nel performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9 on June 23. The festival will showcase Grammy Award-winning violinist James Ehnes in Schumann's Violin Concerto on June 25, with Ehnes returning for the closing night performance of Brahms's Double Concerto alongside cellist Robert DeMaine of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Five concerts will be presented at Baker-Baum Concert Hall in The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, with the festival finale on June 27 at UC San Diego's Epstein Family Amphitheater. The programming includes Mozart's Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter," Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony, and Prokofiev's "Classical" Symphony, alongside works by Copland, Pärt, Strauss, and contemporary composers. Ticket packages and single tickets are available through the organization's website at https://www.mainlymozart.org/allstar, with prices ranging from $68-$155 for concerts at The Conrad and $25-$250 for the amphitheater performance.
The festival's significance extends beyond the performances, as Mainly Mozart was recently welcomed into the prestigious International Mozarteum Foundation's "Mozart Communities," one of only two U.S. organizations to receive this recognition. This acknowledgment highlights the festival's growing international stature and its role in preserving and promoting Mozart's legacy while expanding classical music accessibility. The structural change with a single concertmaster for all performances represents a shift toward greater artistic consistency, potentially enhancing the ensemble's cohesion and musical interpretation throughout the festival. The diverse programming that balances canonical works with contemporary compositions demonstrates the festival's commitment to both tradition and innovation in classical music.
This development matters because it represents a maturation of North America's largest Mozart celebration, combining institutional recognition with artistic evolution. The festival's continued success contributes to San Diego's cultural economy and reputation as a serious classical music destination, while the International Mozarteum Foundation recognition validates its quality and importance within global Mozart scholarship and performance. The implications include potential increased international attention, enhanced artistic collaborations, and strengthened educational outreach as the festival leverages its new status within the Mozart Communities network to expand its impact beyond seasonal performances.
