The Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival, the largest Mozart celebration in North America, will return to San Diego from June 17 to 27, 2026, featuring concertmasters and principal players from the nation's top orchestras. The festival, now in its 38th year, will present six performances under Music Director Michael Francis, with the first five concerts at Baker-Baum Concert Hall in The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center and the finale at UC San Diego's Epstein Family Amphitheater.
This year marks a significant change as for the first time in eight years, a single concertmaster will lead the entire series: David Kim of The Philadelphia Orchestra. The musicians come from prestigious ensembles including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony, among others. The full orchestra roster will be released in May.
The festival's soloist lineup includes acclaimed pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, who will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 on June 17; guitarist Mak Grgić, known for his "impeccable technique," featured in Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez on June 21; pianist Anton Nel in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9, "Jenamy," on June 23; and Grammy Award-winning violinist James Ehnes, who will perform Schumann's Violin Concerto on June 25 and return for the closing night to perform Brahms's Double Concerto with cellist Robert DeMaine on June 27.
The program spans a diverse repertoire, including Mozart's ballet music from Idomeneo, Prokofiev's "Classical" Symphony, Copland's Appalachian Spring, Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. Tickets for festival packages and single concerts are available at https://www.mainlymozart.org/allstar or by calling 619-239-0100. Single tickets at The Conrad range from $68-$155, and at Epstein Family Amphitheater from $25-$250.
Mainly Mozart, founded in 1988, is dedicated to bringing world-class classical music to San Diego. In 2025, the festival was recognized as North America's largest Mozart festival and joined the International Mozarteum Foundation's "Mozart Communities." The organization also supports over 350 young musicians through its youth orchestra and educational programs. For more information, visit www.mainlymozart.org.
