Under the direction of Maestro Michael Francis, who returns for his 11th year as Music Director, the 2025 edition of this renowned festival will feature six unique performances spread across two venues: The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla and the UC San Diego Epstein Family Amphitheater. The Mainly Mozart Festival continues to build on its legacy since launching in 1988, bringing together the best orchestral talent from across the United States and Canada. Its commitment to community, world-class musicianship, and educational outreach has made it a cornerstone of San Diego’s summer arts calendar.
Opening night will feature a particularly rare and historic moment in the classical music world, with the performance of a newly discovered composition by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The 250-year-old string trio in C Major - nicknamed "Ganz kleine Nachtmusik" or "A Very Little Night Music" - was unearthed in a German library in 2024 and is believed to have been composed when Mozart was between 10 and 13 years old. The piece will be performed by an ensemble of concertmasters including David Kim of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Nurit Bar-Josef of the National Symphony, and Jeff Thayer of the San Diego Symphony.
In keeping with the festival’s mission to go "mainly" Mozart, this year’s programming spans a range of composers, from Baroque to Romantic and beyond. Performances will include works by Strauss, Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns, Vivaldi, Piazzolla, and even contemporary violinist and composer Noah Bendix-Balgley, who will perform his own Klezmer Concerto.
Joyce Yang, a celebrated pianist, joins the festival as a soloist in multiple performances, including Saint-Saëns’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto alongside Bendix-Balgley and cellist Robert DeMaine. Other standout soloists include clarinetist Boris Allakhverdyan and bassoonist Whitney Crockett, who will perform Richard Strauss’s Duet Concertino.
In addition to the music, Mainly Mozart has named its first-ever Artist-in-Residence, Joel Anderson. Diagnosed with autism at age three, Anderson is a Fallbrook-based artist whose Mozart-themed work will be showcased and sold during the festival in collaboration with The Art of Autism. Anderson's art has been displayed across the globe, and his pieces will also be featured on festival merchandise and programs.
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center will host four concerts, each prefaced by a Mozart-themed talk or mini-performance in The JAI at 6pm, included with admission. Meanwhile, the Epstein Family Amphitheater will host two concerts under the stars, where guests are invited to bring their own picnic spreads and non-alcoholic beverages. The venue will also feature performances by the Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra before and during intermissions.
In addition to the music, Mainly Mozart has named its first-ever Artist-in-Residence, Joel Anderson. Diagnosed with autism at age three, Anderson is a Fallbrook-based artist whose Mozart-themed work will be showcased and sold during the festival in collaboration with The Art of Autism. Anderson's art has been displayed across the globe, and his pieces will also be featured on festival merchandise and programs.
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center will host four concerts, each prefaced by a Mozart-themed talk or mini-performance in The JAI at 6pm, included with admission. Meanwhile, the Epstein Family Amphitheater will host two concerts under the stars, where guests are invited to bring their own picnic spreads and non-alcoholic beverages. The venue will also feature performances by the Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra before and during intermissions.
Concert tickets are available online and range from $25 to $149 for individual events, with a variety of multi-concert packages available. Platinum packages offer reserved seating for groups of two or four, while general admission and lawn seating are available at more accessible price points. Attendees are encouraged to secure their seats early, as the festival is expected to sell out.
For more information about this year’s festival, including tickets and full programs, visit mainlymozart.org.
For more information about this year’s festival, including tickets and full programs, visit mainlymozart.org.
