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.

This concert features 19th-century works for fortepiano and mandolino by Beethoven, Hummel, Giuliani, and Carulli. The program highlights the interplay between the two instruments and the elegance of early Romantic chamber music.

The 1920s marked a decade of bold reinvention as composers responded to a rapidly changing world with wit, clarity, and new musical languages. Works by Poulenc, Martinů, and Stravinsky capture the energy of the era—from Parisian surrealism and jazz-inflected dance to the crisp lines of neoclassicism—revealing three distinct voices shaped by the same moment in history.

Baroque music forms the foundation of the Carmel Bach Festival, and this program honors that tradition. J.S. Bach’s Cantata No. 39, Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, and Cantata No. 105, Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht, showcase his mastery of choruses, arias, and recitatives, blending intricate musical craft with profound spiritual and moral themes. Antonio Lotti’s Missa Sapientiae, a Venetian mass setting, pairs elegant polyphonic choruses with lyrical solo lines, exemplifying the devotional clarity and refinement of early 18th-century sacred music. Together, these works highlight the artistry and historical significance of the Baroque era.

Through these performances, we celebrate the composers and musical traditions that have shaped and continue to inspire the Carmel Bach Festival.

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.

Held at Church in the Forest, a striking venue nestled among the cypress and pine trees of Pebble Beach, this concert features two landmark string quartets: Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 10, the “Harp,” and Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 1, a work that balances classical structure with Romantic intensity.

Set within the historic Carmel Mission, this choral concert highlights the work of Rainer Maria Rilke, often called “Nature’s Poet”. The program alternates between Rilke-inspired works and Frank Martin’s Mass for Double Choir. Think of the program as a spiral rather than a straight line: each return to a new Mass movement is reframed by the Rilke-inspired work that precedes it.

Paul Hindemith’s Six Chansons is elegantly set Rilke’s poems, which depict fleeting moments of truth through vivid descriptions of the natural world. Ramona Luengen’s In tiefsten Nächten sets a poem from Rilke’s early collection The Book of Hours, addressing the poet’s early reflections on faith and solitude. Stephen Andrew Taylor’s Only Yes draws on a letter in which Rilke reflects on death, while Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Die erste Elegie transforms one of Rilke’s most admired poems into a powerful work that examines human fragility and the boundary between the earthly and the infinite.

Together, Martin’s Mass and Rilke’s words explore the human experience of transcendence, and how that experience is reflected in the natural 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.

Violin, viola, cello, and oboe come together in this wide-ranging concert featuring works by Boccherini, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Shostakovich, Piston, and Corigliano. Spanning Classical-era works and 20th-century repertoire, the concert highlights a variety of instrumental pairings and chamber textures.

This program brings musical worlds together in one exhilarating evening. Festival favorites Fire & Grace—Edwin Huizinga and William Coulter—are joined by mandolin luminaries Mike Marshall, long celebrated for his Brazilian collaborations, and Caterina Lichtenberg. Experience Bach’s brilliance as it meets bluegrass drive and the rhythmic warmth of Brazil.