41st Season of Festival Mozaic Celebrates Pop Culture's Influence on Classical Music

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Festival Mozaic (formerly the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival) has announced its 2011 summer season, which marks the festival's 41st year of presenting intimate musical experiences on California's picturesque Central Coast. The annual summer festival will take place July 14-24 in more than ten locations across San Luis Obispo County.

To create an immersive musical experience, the festival chooses a theme each summer. This year's focus is on the influence popular culture has had on classical music through the ages.

"This summer, we're bridging the gap between popular culture and the music played in concert halls," said Music Director and virtuoso violinist Scott Yoo. "Pop culture has always influenced the great composers, through fairy tales, literary works, the jazz age, film and even rock and roll."

The 2011 festival presents works by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Ravel, Debussy, Corigliano, Copland, Poulenc and Grieg. Two world premieres will be featured: a quintet by Patrick Zimmerli and a cello sonata by John Novacek.

The festival draws players from the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Baltimore Symphony and other orchestras across the country. The festival has a rich history of presenting emerging artists early in their careers, including Richard Goode, Hilary Hahn, Sir Neville Marinner, the Kronos Quartet, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and the American premiere performances of Maxim and Dmitri Shostakovich with Mstislav Rostropovich, following their defection from the Soviet Union in 1981.  

The 2011 guest artists in residency include violinist Caroline Campbell and internationally-recognized pianists Orion Weiss, Anna Polonsky and John Novacek. The festival also welcomes composer and saxophonist Patrick Zimmerli and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi. Performing in the Fringe Series, which highlights classically-trained artists working in other genres, are Tango No. 9, a modern tango ensemble, and the Modern Mandolin Quartet, who specialize in bluegrass, Americana, and other mandolin music. New this year, the festival chamber players will perform on a Fringe concert called "Classical Musicians Doing Decidedly Non-Classical Things," which will feature jazz, tango, bluegrass, and rock and roll.

Each summer, more than 7,000 attendees enjoy Festival Mozaic concerts in spectacular San Luis Obispo County venues such as the historic Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Chapel Hill in Paso Robles wine country, and in scenic wineries, parks and gardens. Festival visitors also enjoy the Central Coast's renowned wineries, restaurants, hiking, biking, boating and seaside activities.

Subscription packages go on sale to the public on April 1, 2011, and individual tickets go on sale May 1. Tickets may be ordered online at www.festivalmozaic.com or by phone (805) 781-3009 / (877) 881-8899.

About Festival Mozaic

Festival Mozaic (founded in 1971 as the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival) is a celebration of five centuries of music that takes place year-round in varied venues across San Luis Obispo County. The festival presents an orchestra gathered from professionals across the world, chamber music concerts, guest artists and ensembles, and concerts of classical crossover artists. The festival is a not-for-profit organization supported by AT&T, and the City of San Luis Obispo and many generous music lovers across San Luis Obispo County and beyond. For more information, please visit www.FestivalMozaic.com.

SOURCE Festival Mozaic