A magical blend of fine music by outstanding performers in one of the most enchanting sites in Northern California. Evenings include orchestra concerts, Big Band, chamber music ensembles, dance, blues, jazz, world, folk, bluegrass and popular contemporary music. Daytime concerts include lecture/recitals at the Piano Series, a performance by participants in the Emerging Artists Program, and small concerts in intimate venues throughout the historic town of Mendocino.

Established in 1986, the Mendocino Music Festival was the dream of Allan Pollack, Susan Waterfall and former principal bassoonist of the San Francisco Symphony, the late Walter Green.

Lineup:

Friday, July 7, 2023

3:00 PM:  Maurizio! The life and times of maurice ravel

Virtual film premier with Susan Waterfall. You’ve heard music by Ravel and probably loved it. You’ve heard random gossip about this secretive composer. Now’s your chance to experience Ravel’s life and music in its historic context. With contemporary art and photographs, and 26 musical excerpts...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $20

Saturday, July 15, 2023

7:30 PM: Cj Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band

CJ Chenier, “The Crown Prince of Zydeco,” was born into an indigenous American culture with a distinctive language and music. The Creole son of Clifton Chenier, he started playing in his father’s band shortly before Clifton died. CJ delivers soulful vocals along with masterful accordion-driven Zydeco and blues. A Grammy-nominated musician and recording artist, CJ ...

Location: Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost:$15 – $55

Sunday, July 16,   2023

6:00 PM: Festival Orchestra 1, With Soloists Jessica Fellowes And Katie Kadarauch

To begin the classical Festival, Maestro Allan Pollack will lead the orchestra in Shostakovich’s Festive Overture in A Major, Op. 96, an appropriately effervescent opening. Mozart’s joyful Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major for violin and viola will feature soloists Fellowes and Kadarauch. The partnership and equality shared by the soloists creates a searingly beautiful sound ...

Location: Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $45

Monday, July 17,   2023 

11:00 AM: Ravel: The Lure of the Exotic, featuring Susan Waterfall

Susan Waterfall will play Pavane pour un infante défunte, Oiseaux tristes, and Un barque sur l'ocean. She will be joined by Julian Pollack on “Mother Goose Suite.” Jenny Matteucci, soprano, accompanied by Daniel Lockert on piano, will present Cinq mélodies populaires grecques. The Piano Trio in A minor will close out the concert, with Sam ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

3:00 PM:  Foxglove, with Gwyneth Moreland

Over the past 20 years, Foxglove has established itself as a Mendocino County favorite. The band’s selection of heartfelt originals and carefully curated covers have featured tight harmonies and tasty string-band instrumentation. Gwyneth Moreland, a Mendocino County native, was a teenager when the band was formed. She was immediately adored by Foxglove fans for her ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

7:30 PM: The Steel Wheels

From their base in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, this acoustic roots music collective has played the most prestigious festivals, listening rooms, and clubs in the world, cementing a reputation as one of the top independent bands. The Steel Wheels give folk, folk rock and Appalachian roots music a modern twist. Their records and performances are ...
Location: Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $45

Tuesday, July 18,   2023  

11:00 AM: Foxglove, with Gwyneth Moreland

Over the past 20 years, Foxglove has established itself as a Mendocino County favorite. The band’s selection of heartfelt originals and carefully curated covers have featured tight harmonies and tasty string-band instrumentation. Gwyneth Moreland, a Mendocino County native, was a teenager when the band was formed. She was immediately adored by Foxglove fans for her ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

3:00 PM: Ravel: The Lure of the Exotic, featuring Susan Waterfall

Susan Waterfall will play Pavane pour un infante défunte, Oiseaux tristes, and Un barque sur l'ocean. She will be joined by Julian Pollack on “Mother Goose Suite.” Jenny Matteucci, soprano, accompanied by Daniel Lockert on piano, will present Cinq mélodies populaires grecques. The Piano Trio in A minor will close out the concert, with Sam ...

Location:  Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

Wednesday, July 19,  2023

11:00 AM: Piano Series: Jeffrey LaDeur, featuring Kindra Scharich

Jeffrey LaDeur is known for his rare blend of insight, spontaneity, and approachable, communicative stage presence. He is the founder and artistic director of the San Francisco International Piano Festival and president of the American Liszt Society, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. Mezzo-soprano Kindra Scharich has been praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for her ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

3:00 PM: Mads tolling, with pianist john r. Burr

An internationally renowned violinist and composer originally from Copenhagen, Denmark, Mads Tolling now calls San Francisco home. As a former nine-year member of both bassist Stanley Clarke’s band and the celebrated Turtle Island Quartet, Mads won two Grammy Awards, and he was nominated for a third Grammy in 2015. He was the 2016 winner of ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

7:30 PM: Blind Boys Of Alabama

The Blind Boys of Alabama have the rare distinction of being recognized around the world as both living legends and modern-day innovators. They are not just gospel singers borrowing from old traditions; the group helped to define those traditions in 20th century and almost single-handedly created a new gospel sound for the 21st. Since the ...

Location: Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $45

Thursday, July 20,  2023 

11:00 AM: Mads tolling, with pianist john r. Burr

An internationally renowned violinist and composer originally from Copenhagen, Denmark, Mads Tolling now calls San Francisco home. As a former nine-year member of both bassist Stanley Clarke’s band and the celebrated Turtle Island Quartet, Mads won two Grammy Awards, and he was nominated for a third Grammy in 2015. He was the 2016 winner of ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

3:00 PM: Piano Series: Jeffrey LaDeur, featuring Kindra Scharich

Jeffrey LaDeur is known for his rare blend of insight, spontaneity, and approachable, communicative stage presence. He is the founder and artistic director of the San Francisco International Piano Festival and president of the American Liszt Society, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. Mezzo-soprano Kindra Scharich has been praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for her ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

7:30 PM: Otis Taylor

Hailing from Boulder, Colorado, blues singer/composer Otis Taylor is a multi-instrumentalist whose talents include vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and harmonic. Capable of exploring any musical mood at any given time, Taylor lets his audience experience the unexpected. While his music, an amalgamation of root styles in their rawest form, discusses heavyweight issues like murder, homelessness, ...

Location: Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $45

Friday, July 21, 2023
 
3:00 PM: Kalil Wilson, With Pianist Billy White

Kalil Wilson’s bright re-imaginings of jazz standards and originals are informed by the rich history of great jazz singing and meld with their heartfelt, eclectic stylings. An Oakland native, they are the offsping of Nigerian bassist/bandleader Babá Ken Okulolo and an American mom with a record collection of vintage jazz, African, R&B, and salsa. Mentored ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

7:30 PM: Festival Orchestra 2, The Barber Of Seville (Concert Version)

Concert Version; Guest Conductor Ryan Murray The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution, is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. Musicologists believe that the music was composed in just under three weeks, although the famous overture was actually recycled from two earlier Rossini operas. Nonetheless, The Barber has proven to be ...

Location: Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $55

Saturday, July 22, 2023
 
3:00 PM: Piano Series: Ralph Van Raat And Heather Pinkham, Duo Pianos

The artists will play John Adams’ Hallelujah Junction for two pianos, named after a small truck stop on US 395 near the California–Nevada border. Pinkham’s Mechanical Transcendence for two pianos tells the story of an android that wishes to become human. Joep Franssens’ Old Songs, New Songs for two pianos will be followed by another ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

7:30 PM: Festival Big Band, Featuring Maiya Sykes

This year the big band musicians are going to find their groove with Maiya Sykes, a former back-up singer whose rendition of “Stay with Me” on The Voice in 2014 catapulted her to lead singer fame. Based in Los Angeles, Sykes is a classically trained musician who graduated from Yale and studied with Betty Carter ...

Location: Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $55

Sunday, July 23, 2023

2:30 PM: Calder Quartet

Hailed as “imaginative, skillful creators” by the New York Times, the Calder Quartet captivates audiences with its explorations of a broad repertoire, always striving to fulfill the composer’s vision in their performances. The group’s distinctive artistry is exemplified by the musical curiosity they bring to everything they perform. This concert will feature Ravel’s String Quartet ...

Location: Cotton Auditorium 500 N Harold Street, Fort Bragg, CA, United States

Cost: $14 – $45

7:30 PM: Calder Quartet

The nine-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist is known for her impeccable voice and imaginative arrangements. She will be performing with LA studio musicians who are also part of the Festival Big Band’s amazing rhythm section: Jerry Watts, bass; Julian Pollack, piano. Sutton is not one for idle experimentation, but rather she brings her style, her calling, ...

location: Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $45

Monday, July 24, 2023
 
11:00 AM: Sam Reider, With Jorge Glem   

Pianist, accordionist, composer, and educator from San Francisco, Reider brings together various streams of American music, from jazz and folk tunes to popular song and contemporary composition. He has appeared as a bandleader and soloist at major festivals and venues around the world, and his performances and original compositions have been featured on NPR, PBS ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

3:00 PM: : Ravel: The Attraction of Modernism, featuring Susan Waterfall

Susan Waterfall will play Sonatine. Sylvie Jensen, soprano, will be joined by Daniel Lockert on piano for Deux melodies hébraïques. A small group of string and woodwind players will perform the chamber piece, Introduction et Allegro. On Chansons Madécasses, Sylvie Jensen, soprano, will be joined by Mindy Rosenfeld, flute; Stephen Harrison, cello; and Daniel Lockert, ...

Location:  Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Ledford House: The Iconic Festival Dinner Party

Enjoy a delightful evening of gourmet food and music at one of the area’s leading restaurants, with premium wines generously supplied by Husch Vineyards. Located seven miles south of Mendocino on the Pacific Coast Highway (CA-1) in Albion, California, its bluff-top location on the Albion headlands allows panoramic views of the Pacific and breathtaking sunsets.

Location: Ledford House Restaurant 3000 CA-1, Albion, CA, United States

Cost: $100

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

11:00 AM: Sam Reider, With Jorge Glem

Pianist, accordionist, composer, and educator from San Francisco, Reider brings together various streams of American music, from jazz and folk tunes to popular song and contemporary composition. He has appeared as a bandleader and soloist at major festivals and venues around the world, and his performances and original compositions have been featured on NPR, PBS ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

3:00 PM: Ravel: The Attraction of Modernism, featuring Susan Waterfall

Susan Waterfall will play Sonatine. Sylvie Jensen, soprano, will be joined by Daniel Lockert on piano for Deux melodies hébraïques. A small group of string and woodwind players will perform the chamber piece, Introduction et Allegro. On Chansons Madécasses, Sylvie Jensen, soprano, will be joined by Mindy Rosenfeld, flute; Stephen Harrison, cello; and Daniel Lockert, ...

Location:  Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

7:30 PM: California Bluegrass Reunion

Every year since 2012, banjo master Bill Evans brought together a stellar collection of banjo players from all over the world and joined them with an all-star California-based band to present his California Banjo Extravaganza. In 2021, Bill changed the format to a gathering of well-loved bluegrass musicians with strong California connections. These musicians have ...

Location:  Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $45

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

11:00 AM: Piano Series: Rachel Breen

Currently based in Germany, American pianist Rachel Breen’s performances have been described as “truly show-stopping” (Gramophone UK), having “a beautiful piano sound and original detail.” She has enjoyed an active and successful competition career and has performed and taught masterclasses world-wide. Breen will put her own stamp on Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Nicolai Medtner’s Sonata Op. ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

3:00 PM: Crary, Evans And Barnick

A flatpicking bluegrass guitar legend with an international reputation for innovation, taste and brilliance, Dan Crary is one of the founding fathers of the flatpicking and “newgrass” movements in Americana and Bluegrass music. He is joined by Bill Evans, one of the most celebrated virtuosos in the history of the banjo, and their soulful-singing partner ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

7:30 PM: Festival Orchestra 3

Allan Pollack will open this concert by conducting his own “Scenes from the Pandemic,” inspired by sounds he heard while sheltering in place on his farm. Stephen Prutsman will play Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16, the atmospheric tone poem for piano and orchestra. Before the magic has evaporated from that performance, Dvo?àk’s ...

Location: Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $45

Thursday, July 27, 2023

11:00 AM: Crary, Evans And Barnick

A flatpicking bluegrass guitar legend with an international reputation for innovation, taste and brilliance, Dan Crary is one of the founding fathers of the flatpicking and “newgrass” movements in Americana and Bluegrass music. He is joined by Bill Evans, one of the most celebrated virtuosos in the history of the banjo, and their soulful-singing partner ...

Location:  Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

3:00 PM: Piano Series: Rachel Breen

Currently based in Germany, American pianist Rachel Breen’s performances have been described as “truly show-stopping” (Gramophone UK), having “a beautiful piano sound and original detail.” She has enjoyed an active and successful competition career and has performed and taught masterclasses world-wide. Breen will put her own stamp on Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Nicolai Medtner’s Sonata Op. ...

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

7:30 PM: Alicia Olatuja

Praised by the New York Times as “a singer with a strong and luscious tone and an amiably regal presence on stage,” Alicia Olatuja has been captivating audiences with her exquisite vocals and artistic versatility. Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Olatuja was exposed to a wide range of musical styles, including gospel, soul, jazz ...

Location: Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $45

Friday, July 28, 2023

4:00 PM: Emerging Artists Recital

The annual concert by the wonderfully talented young string players from the Festival’s Emerging Artists Program is anticipated by all who love hearing accomplished musicians interpret chamber music classics. CHOOSE SEATS AND BUY

Location: Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $30

7:30 PM: Ranky Tanky

A musical ensemble based in Charleston, South Carolina, Ranky Tanky specializes in jazz-influenced arrangements of traditional Gullah music, a culture that originated among descendants of enslaved Africans along the coast of South Carolina and nearby islands. Apart from lead vocalist Quiana Parler, four of the group's members—Quentin Baxter, Kevin Hamilton, Clay Ross, and Charlton Singleton—previously ...

Location: Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $55

Saturday, July 29, 2023

7:30 PM: Festival Orchestra And Chorus

The final concert will open with Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, with the Festival Chorus, and soloists Sylvie Jensen, soprano; Angela Moser, soprano, and Anders Froehlich, baritone. Fauré wrote of the 1888 work, "Everything I managed to entertain by way of religious illusion I put into my Requiem, which moreover is dominated from beginning to end by ...

Location: Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Cost: $15 – $55

Date: July 15-29, 2023

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