Community Calendar

Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg are two of the most compelling voices in the World of Mandolin. The two have redefined what the instrument can do and create music that is intricate yet playful, moving effortlessly between classical repertoire, folk traditions, and their own inventive arrangements.

There may be no better place to experience it than Henry Miller Memorial Library. Hidden among the redwoods, this beloved Big Sur venue has built a reputation for unforgettable, close-up performances. Arcade Fire, Father John Misty, Fleet Foxes, Patti Smith, Philip Glass, and more have all stepped into this singular space.

Marshall and Lichtenberg now join this remarkable lineage, adding their own voice to a space defined by creativity and connection.

Celebrate Opening Night with us after this performance on Saturday, July 11! This post-concert party will happen on the Sunset Center Terrace, and is open to all ticket holders. Haydn’s The Seasons is a large-scale oratorio depicting Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Combining chorus, soloists, and orchestra, it tells stories of nature, human labor, and rural life. The orchestra paints vivid scenes—flowing streams, birdsong, thunderstorms, icy winds, and harvest celebrations—while soloists bring human characters to life, from peasants at work to lovers strolling and farmers celebrating. Premiered in Vienna to wide acclaim, The Seasons quickly became one of Haydn’s most celebrated works.

Norwegian composer Nils Henrik Asheim explores the textures, silence, and rhythms of winter in Muohta – Language of Snow. Evoking snow-covered landscapes, his work blends contemplative atmospheres with subtle harmonic shifts. Audiences can expect an immersive, meditative experience where sound mirrors nature’s stillness and the quiet power of the frozen world.

Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg are two of the most compelling voices in the World of Mandolin. The two have redefined what the instrument can do and create music that is intricate yet playful, moving effortlessly between classical repertoire, folk traditions, and their own inventive arrangements.

There may be no better place to experience it than Henry Miller Memorial Library. Hidden among the redwoods, this beloved Big Sur venue has built a reputation for unforgettable, close-up performances. Arcade Fire, Father John Misty, Fleet Foxes, Patti Smith, Philip Glass, and more have all stepped into this singular space.

Marshall and Lichtenberg now join this remarkable lineage, adding their own voice to a space defined by creativity and connection.

This program traces how composers use music to explore our deepest responses to the world — grief and wonder, chaos and order, sorrow and joy.

The journey begins in darkness and disorder: Purcell’s Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary confronts mortality, while Rebel’s Les Élémens erupts from a single “Chaos” chord, giving form to Earth, Air, Fire, and Water — elemental forces whose turbulent beginnings echo the disorder and beauty of human life.

At the program’s center, Kaija Saariaho’s Nuits, Adieu evokes transformation, impermanence, and reflection through whispering voices and shifting harmonies. Sandström’s expansion of Purcell’s Hear My Prayer, O Lord gradually intensifies, layering voices and harmonies to convey human hope and resilience. The program culminates in Bach’s festive Cantata No. 214, a joyful celebration of life, energy, and the enduring human spirit.

This candlelit string quartet concert explores musical depictions of nature, from sunrise and weather to birdsong and the infinite, with works by Dittersdorf, Fanny Mendelssohn, Angélica Negrón, and Haydn.

Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg are two of the most compelling voices in the World of Mandolin. The two have redefined what the instrument can do and create music that is intricate yet playful, moving effortlessly between classical repertoire, folk traditions, and their own inventive arrangements.

There may be no better place to experience it than Henry Miller Memorial Library. Hidden among the redwoods, this beloved Big Sur venue has built a reputation for unforgettable, close-up performances. Arcade Fire, Father John Misty, Fleet Foxes, Patti Smith, Philip Glass, and more have all stepped into this singular space.

Marshall and Lichtenberg now join this remarkable lineage, adding their own voice to a space defined by creativity and connection.

Enjoy a morning of organ music in the historic Carmel Mission Basilica. Performed by Andrew Arthur, the Festival’s Principal Organist and a member of the Artistic Leadership Team, this recital highlights the beauty of Bach’s works as well as works by Heinrich Scheidemann & Georg Böhm.

This program features music by John Dowland, one of the most influential composers of the English Renaissance, marking 400 years since his death. Focusing on his celebrated lute songs, the concert explores themes of love, loss, time, and nature that made Dowland famous throughout Europe.

Step into Paris at the turn of the 18th century, when candlelit salons and royal courts were filled with elegant, expressive music. Works by François Couperin and Jean-Féry Rebel capture the refined beauty, rich harmonies, and vivid character of the French Baroque, offering a glimpse into the sound world of the city alive with new musical ideas.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is a set of four violin concertos paired with short poems that describe the scenes each movement depicts: birds singing, dogs barking, storms breaking, and people celebrating. Vivaldi brings these images to life with musical details such as trills for birds, a repeating viola line for a dog, droning lines for Summer’s heat, and chattering teeth in Winter. The solo violin leads the story in each concerto, acting almost like a narrator. These concertos have captivated listeners for centuries and appear frequently in films, including The Four Seasons (1981) and Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019).

Handel’s Water Music was composed in 1717 for a royal barge trip on the Thames, performed outdoors for King George I as the boats traveled along the river. The suites include a series of dance movements for strings, horns, oboes, and bassoons, designed to carry across the water. Its lively rhythms and bright orchestration have made it one of Handel’s best-known works, and it has appeared in films such as Dead Poets Society (1989).