LA JOLLA — The 2026 Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival opened June 17 before a full house at Baker-Baum Concert Hall in La Jolla, launching a 10-day celebration of classical music featuring musicians from many of the nation’s leading orchestras.
Led by music director Michael Francis, the festival’s opening performance featured concertmasters and principal players from 28 orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Dallas Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra.
The program opened with Mozart’s Ballet Music from Idomeneo, followed by Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 (“Classical”). Pianist Anne-Marie McDermott joined the orchestra for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3.
The festival continues through June 27 with performances at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla and the Epstein Family Amphitheater at the University of California San Diego.
According to Mainly Mozart, the festival is the largest gathering of concertmasters and principal players in the United States. The San Diego-based nonprofit was recognized in 2025 as part of the International Mozarteum Foundation’s network of “Mozart Communities.”
Single-concert tickets range from $68 to $155 at the Conrad and from $25 to $250 at the Epstein Family Amphitheater. More information is available at Mainly Mozart’s website.
