Best of 2001: Best Classical Concert Series Organized By Genre

Mainly Mozart Festival
Neurosciences Institute
619-239-0100

San Diego's two-decade-old Mainly Mozart Festival used to be limited to a couple of weeks in June, with a variety of concerts (orchestral, chamber, and solo) in various venues. For the last five years, however, the organization has offered a winter season as well. Each year's series is limited to a specific type of performing group, and the concerts are spread out over several months. Last year the focus of this "Spotlight Series" was on violin-and-piano recitals, featuring the concertmasters of several important orchestras. This year we heard trios. The five-concert series beginning next January at the Neurosciences Institute will be devoted to quartets: St. Petersburg (January 26), Cuarteto Latinoamericano (February 16), Boston Chamber Music Society Piano Quartet (March 9), Brentano (April 5), and Opus 1 (April 28). These are all distinguished groups, and the quality of performance will surely be high (as it has been in the earlier Spotlight Series). Most seats are sold by subscription (starting at $150 for the series); single tickets are $35. (Many of the individual programs are repeated at other venues in Tijuana, Puerto Nuevo, Eastlake, Del Mar, El Cajon, and Rancho Santa Fe.)