Mainly Mozart has announced the dates and program for its 38th All‑Star Orchestra Festival, set to take place June 17–27, 2026 in San Diego, California. This annual event, recognized as the largest Mozart celebration in North America, brings together concertmasters and principal players from the nation's top orchestras for a series of six performances under Music Director Michael Francis.
The first five concerts will be held at Baker‑Baum Concert Hall in The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, while the festival finale on June 27 will take place at UC San Diego's Epstein Family Amphitheater. The All-Star Orchestra comprises musicians from prestigious ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Toronto Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. The full orchestra roster for 2026 will be released in May.
A notable change this year is the appointment of a single concertmaster for the entire series for the first time in eight years. David Kim of The Philadelphia Orchestra will serve in this role for all six concerts, replacing the shared concertmaster duties of recent seasons.
Soloists for the 2026 festival include acclaimed pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, who will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 on June 17. Internationally celebrated guitarist Mak Grgić will be featured in Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez on June 21. Pianist Anton Nel takes center stage in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9, "Jenamy," on June 23. The June 25 program showcases Grammy Award-winning violinist James Ehnes in Schumann's Violin Concerto; he returns on Closing Night for Brahms's Double Concerto alongside Robert DeMaine, Principal Cello of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The festival program includes a diverse repertoire. Opening night features Mozart's Ballet Music from Idomeneo, Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1, and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3. Subsequent concerts include Copland's Appalachian Spring, Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 "Eroica," and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 "Italian." The finale at Epstein Family Amphitheater will feature Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Brahms's Double Concerto.
Tickets for festival packages and single concerts are available at mainlymozart.org/allstar or by calling 619-239-0100. Single ticket prices range from $68-$155 at The Conrad and $25-$250 at Epstein Family Amphitheater.
Mainly Mozart, founded in 1988, has brought orchestral performance and music education to the San Diego community. The All‑Star Orchestra Festival is the nation's largest annual gathering of concertmasters and principal players. In 2025, the festival was recognized as North America's largest Mozart festival and became one of approximately 30 organizations worldwide welcomed into the International Mozarteum Foundation's "Mozart Communities." The organization also supports over 350 young musicians through its youth orchestra and string programs. More information is available at www.mainlymozart.org.
