Festival Big Band, featuring Kim Nalley

Cotton Auditorium 500 N Harold Street, Fort Bragg, CA, United States

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "Kim Nalley is a vocal powerhouse with pipes to burn and works the stage like she means it." Put her in front of the seasoned Festival Big Band musicians and you have an evening of red-hot jazz, steamy blues, and sexy swing.

$15 – $35

Festival Chorale: All Creatures Great and Small (Preston Hall)

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Classical composers have always been inspired by animals. Think of orchestral works like Carnival of the Animals by St. Saens or Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev. In the field of vocal music, the great lieder composers found inspiration in bird flight, the galloping of horses, or the tranquility of the gazelle. The Italian madrigal, ...

$20

Event Series Masterclass (4th Mondays, January–April)

Masterclass (4th Mondays, January–April)

Preston Hall 44867 Main St., Mendocino, CA, United States

The Masterclass returns with a once-a-month “open mic” concept. Class participants can bring in music to sing in front of class with a live pianist. Jenny and Daniel will provide feedback and suggestions in musicality, performance techniques, repertoire, and more. Classical, Musical Theater, and Standards are encouraged for this class. Previous masterclass students can bring ...

$20 – $40

Festival Chorale: A Jubilant Song

Preston Hall 44867 Main St., Mendocino, CA, United States

The Mendocino Music Festival Chorale will perform a concert celebrating American composers, including music by Aaron Copland, Norman Dello Joio, Gwyneth Walker, and the lovely Frostiana by Randall Thompson. This concert was originally scheduled for 2020 but was cancelled by the pandemic, so the Festival Chorale is particularly excited (one might even say "jubilant") to ...

$20

Maurizio! The Life and Times of Maurice Ravel

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

In-person film premier with Susan Waterfall. You’ve heard music by Ravel and probably loved it. You’ve heard random gossip about this secretive composer. Now’s your chance to experience Ravel’s life and music in its historic context. With contemporary art and photographs, and 26 musical excerpts...

$20

Celebration Toast and Dinner

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Celebration! Toast to the Tent We hope you can join us as we return to our Tent Concert Hall. It’s time to joyfully celebrate our amazing Festival community and the transformational power of live music in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Enjoy sparkling wine from Scharffenberger Cellars, and delicious hors d’oeuvres provided ...

$25 – $125

CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

CJ Chenier, “The Crown Prince of Zydeco,” was born into an indigenous American culture with a distinctive language and music. The Creole son of Clifton Chenier, he started playing in his father’s band shortly before Clifton died. CJ delivers soulful vocals along with masterful accordion-driven Zydeco and blues. A Grammy-nominated musician and recording artist, CJ ...

$15 – $55

Festival Orchestra 1, with soloists Jessica Fellowes and Katie Kadarauch

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

To begin the classical Festival, Maestro Allan Pollack will lead the orchestra in Shostakovich’s Festive Overture in A Major, Op. 96, an appropriately effervescent opening. Mozart’s joyful Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major for violin and viola will feature soloists Fellowes and Kadarauch. The partnership and equality shared by the soloists creates a searingly beautiful sound ...

$15 – $45

The Steel Wheels

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

From their base in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, this acoustic roots music collective has played the most prestigious festivals, listening rooms, and clubs in the world, cementing a reputation as one of the top independent bands. The Steel Wheels give folk, folk rock and Appalachian roots music a modern twist. Their records and performances are ...

$15 – $45
Event Series Foxglove, with Gwyneth Moreland

Foxglove, with Gwyneth Moreland

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Over the past 20 years, Foxglove has established itself as a Mendocino County favorite. The band’s selection of heartfelt originals and carefully curated covers have featured tight harmonies and tasty string-band instrumentation. Gwyneth Moreland, a Mendocino County native, was a teenager when the band was formed. She was immediately adored by Foxglove fans for her ...

$15 – $30

Ravel: The Lure of the Exotic, featuring Susan Waterfall

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Susan Waterfall will play Pavane pour un infante défunte, Oiseaux tristes, and Un barque sur l'ocean. She will be joined by Julian Pollack on “Mother Goose Suite.” Jenny Matteucci, soprano, accompanied by Daniel Lockert on piano, will present Cinq mélodies populaires grecques. The Piano Trio in A minor will close out the concert, with Sam ...

$15 – $30

Blind Boys of Alabama

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

The Blind Boys of Alabama have the rare distinction of being recognized around the world as both living legends and modern-day innovators. They are not just gospel singers borrowing from old traditions; the group helped to define those traditions in 20th century and almost single-handedly created a new gospel sound for the 21st. Since the ...

$15 – $45
Event Series Mads Tolling

Mads Tolling, with pianist John R. Burr

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

An internationally renowned violinist and composer originally from Copenhagen, Denmark, Mads Tolling now calls San Francisco home. As a former nine-year member of both bassist Stanley Clarke’s band and the celebrated Turtle Island Quartet, Mads won two Grammy Awards, and he was nominated for a third Grammy in 2015. He was the 2016 winner of ...

$15 – $30

Piano Series: Jeffrey LaDeur, with Kindra Scharich

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Jeffrey LaDeur is known for his rare blend of insight, spontaneity, and approachable, communicative stage presence. He is the founder and artistic director of the San Francisco International Piano Festival and president of the American Liszt Society, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. Mezzo-soprano Kindra Scharich has been praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for her ...

$15 – $30

Otis Taylor

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Hailing from Boulder, Colorado, blues singer/composer Otis Taylor is a multi-instrumentalist whose talents include vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and harmonic. Capable of exploring any musical mood at any given time, Taylor lets his audience experience the unexpected. While his music, an amalgamation of root styles in their rawest form, discusses heavyweight issues like murder, homelessness, ...

$15 – $45

Kalil Amar Wilson

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Kalil Wilson’s bright re-imaginings of jazz standards and originals are informed by the rich history of great jazz singing and meld with their heartfelt, eclectic stylings. An Oakland native, they are the offsping of Nigerian bassist/bandleader Babá Ken Okulolo and an American mom with a record collection of vintage jazz, African, R&B, and salsa. Mentored ...

$15 – $30

Festival Orchestra 2, The Barber of Seville (concert version)

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Concert Version; Guest Conductor Ryan Murray The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution, is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. Musicologists believe that the music was composed in just under three weeks, although the famous overture was actually recycled from two earlier Rossini operas. Nonetheless, The Barber has proven to be ...

$15 – $55

Piano Series: Ralph Van Raat and Heather Pinkham, duo pianos

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

The artists will play John Adams’ Hallelujah Junction for two pianos, named after a small truck stop on US 395 near the California–Nevada border. Pinkham’s Mechanical Transcendence for two pianos tells the story of an android that wishes to become human. Joep Franssens’ Old Songs, New Songs for two pianos will be followed by another ...

$15 – $30

Festival Big Band, featuring Maiya Sykes

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

This year the big band musicians are going to find their groove with Maiya Sykes, a former back-up singer whose rendition of “Stay with Me” on The Voice in 2014 catapulted her to lead singer fame. Based in Los Angeles, Sykes is a classically trained musician who graduated from Yale and studied with Betty Carter ...

$15 – $55

Calder Quartet 2023

Cotton Auditorium 500 N Harold Street, Fort Bragg, CA, United States

Hailed as “imaginative, skillful creators” by the New York Times, the Calder Quartet captivates audiences with its explorations of a broad repertoire, always striving to fulfill the composer’s vision in their performances. The group’s distinctive artistry is exemplified by the musical curiosity they bring to everything they perform. This concert will feature Ravel’s String Quartet ...

$14 – $45

Tierney Sutton

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Julian Pollack, along with bassist Trey Henry and drummer Ray Brinker, will begin the evening with jazz standards beautifully and inventively performed. Tierney Sutton will join the band for the second half in a tribute to the great drummer Ralph Humphrey. A fabulous singer with a gorgeous trio—who could ask for more? Sutton is not ...

$15 – $45

Ledford House: the Iconic Festival Dinner Party 2023

Ledford House Restaurant 3000 CA-1, Albion, CA, United States

Enjoy a delightful evening of gourmet food and music at one of the area’s leading restaurants, with premium wines generously supplied by Husch Vineyards. Located seven miles south of Mendocino on the Pacific Coast Highway (CA-1) in Albion, California, its bluff-top location on the Albion headlands allows panoramic views of the Pacific and breathtaking sunsets.

$100
Event Series Sam Reider

Sam Reider, with Jorge Glem

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Pianist, accordionist, composer, and educator from San Francisco, Reider brings together various streams of American music, from jazz and folk tunes to popular song and contemporary composition. He has appeared as a bandleader and soloist at major festivals and venues around the world, and his performances and original compositions have been featured on NPR, PBS ...

$15 – $30

Ravel: The Attraction of Modernism, featuring Susan Waterfall

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Susan Waterfall will play Sonatine. Silvie Jensen, mezzo-soprano, will be joined by Daniel Lockert on piano for Deux melodies hébraïques. Harpist Anna Maria Mendieta will be joined by a small group of string and woodwind players to perform the chamber piece, Introduction et Allegro. On Chansons Madécasses, Silvie Jensen, mezzo-soprano, will be joined by Mindy ...

$15 – $30

California Bluegrass Reunion

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Every year since 2012, banjo master Bill Evans brought together a stellar collection of banjo players from all over the world and joined them with an all-star California-based band to present his California Banjo Extravaganza. In 2021, Bill changed the format to a gathering of well-loved bluegrass musicians with strong California connections. These musicians have ...

$15 – $45

Festival Orchestra 3

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Allan Pollack will open this concert by conducting his own “Scenes from the Pandemic,” inspired by sounds he heard while sheltering in place on his farm. Stephen Prutsman will play Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16, the atmospheric tone poem for piano and orchestra. Before the magic has evaporated from that performance, Dvořàk’s ...

$15 – $45
Event Series Dan Crary

Crary, Evans and Barnick

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

A flatpicking bluegrass guitar legend with an international reputation for innovation, taste and brilliance, Dan Crary is one of the founding fathers of the flatpicking and “newgrass” movements in Americana and Bluegrass music. He is joined by Bill Evans, one of the most celebrated virtuosos in the history of the banjo, and their soulful-singing partner ...

$15 – $30
Event Series Piano Series: Rachel Breen

Piano Series: Rachel Breen

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Currently based in Germany, American pianist Rachel Breen’s performances have been described as “truly show-stopping” (Gramophone UK), having “a beautiful piano sound and original detail.” She has enjoyed an active and successful competition career and has performed and taught masterclasses world-wide. Breen will put her own stamp on Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Nicolai Medtner’s Sonata Op. ...

$15 – $30

Olatuja

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

This new project finds Alicia and Michael Olatuja reuniting in music. OLATUJA blends Afro-Beat, Jazz, Funk, and Soul. Praised by the New York Times as “a singer with a strong and luscious tone and an amiably regal presence on stage,” Alicia Olatuja has been captivating audiences with her exquisite vocals and artistic versatility. She first ...

$15 – $45

Emerging Artists Recital

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

The annual concert by the wonderfully talented young string players from the Festival’s Emerging Artists Program is anticipated by all who love hearing accomplished musicians interpret chamber music classics. CHOOSE SEATS AND BUY

$15 – $30

Ranky Tanky

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

A musical ensemble based in Charleston, South Carolina, Ranky Tanky specializes in jazz-influenced arrangements of traditional Gullah music, a culture that originated among descendants of enslaved Africans along the coast of South Carolina and nearby islands. Apart from lead vocalist Quiana Parler, four of the group's members—Quentin Baxter, Kevin Hamilton, Clay Ross, and Charlton Singleton—previously ...

$15 – $55

Festival Orchestra and Chorus

Tent Concert Hall 45035 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

The final concert will open with Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, with the Festival Chorus, and soloists Silvie Jensen, mezzo-soprano; Angela Moser, soprano, and Anders Froehlich, baritone. Fauré wrote of the 1888 work, "Everything I managed to entertain by way of religious illusion I put into my Requiem, which moreover is dominated from beginning to end by ...

$15 – $55

The Festival Chorale: Christmas Through the Ages

Mendocino Presbyterian Church Sanctuary 44831 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

The Festival Chorale will present its first concert under the direction of Matthew Evans, including music by Praetorious, J.S. Bach, and Vaughan Williams, followed by a selection of carols, both familiar and unusual. After the concert we’ll celebrate the season and each other next door in Preston Hall, with hot cider and homemade Christmas cookies. ...

$25

The Festival Chorale: Together, This Spring

Mendocino Presbyterian Church Sanctuary 44831 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

The Mendocino Music Festival Chorale will perform a concert celebrating Spring and togetherness. Special treats will be texts read by Susan Maeder; the beloved Biebl Ave Maria; and the Fauré Cantique de Jean Racine, with harpist Anna Maria Mendieta. Other music includes pieces by Florence Price, Randall Thompson, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Matthew Evans, Director; ...

$25

Event Series Masterclass (6 times, 6/4–7/9)

Masterclass (6 times, 6/4–7/9)

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Six Tuesdays, 10 AM-11:30 AM Pacific, June 4–July 9. Come join a small group of seasoned singers who want to hone their skills and become better at their craft. If you sing in a local chorus, at church, at events, or even privately, this class will help you find better vocal technique and artistry, and will help you refine your voice and performance skills.

$60

Susan Waterfall presents: Fauré in His World

Preston Hall 44867 Main Street, Mendocino, CA, United States

Susan Waterfall's latest film explores the cultural milieu and creative life of Gabriel Fauré (1845 –1924.) It includes art and photographs from his era and excerpts from all his major works. A Q&A will follow the screening.

$20