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More than Mainly Mozart
If you've never been, what are you waiting for?
Mainly Mozart at the Epstein Family Amphiteater
There is just one concert remaining in the 2025 San Diego Mainly Mozart Festival. On Saturday, June 28, the All-Star Festival Orchestra will perform a program that includes Mozart’s “Overture” to Cosi fan Tutte, Beethoven's Triple Concerto, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. The venue is the Epstein Family Amphitheater at UC San Diego.
Video:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
So far, the festival has been a resounding success. Of course, that's usually the case with Mainly Mozart. I can't remember the last time I experienced anything except extreme excellence during the festival.
Upcoming Event
Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival
- Saturday, June 28, 2025, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Epstein Family Amphitheater, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego
- Age Limit: All ages / $25 - $500
For the past several years, I've been involved with the festival in a modest fashion. For the outdoor concerts, I tell the video cameras where to put their focus during the performance. I also drive the musician shuttle to and from the concert venues and the hotel. This participation has given me a chance to sit in on rehearsals and talk shop with the musicians while I have them as a captive audience within the shuttle.
From what I've observed, there's much more than musical excellence involved with the spectacular product the festival produces. The camaraderie amongst the players is real. The respect they have for each other is warranted. Trust me, they're having a good time on and off the stage.
We can see and hear the musical talent, but what we don't often get a chance to witness is the impressive intelligence of the orchestra members, and it is impressive. I'm just the lowly shuttle driver, but the musicians remember conversations we've had during a brief shuttle ride two or three years ago.
It's not that I'm such a stunning conversationalist; it's that these musicians have the mental bandwidth to retain massive amounts of information and recall it. They can talk about anything, and always have an insight that I may not have considered.
This year, I've been pestering people about their opinions of the composer Anton Bruckner. Their responses have been insightful and straightforward. If they're not Bruckner fans, they tell me and explain why Bruckner sucks for their instrument. Apparently, Bruckner had no idea how to write for bassoon. I never would have known. But the trumpeters all like him. That makes sense.
Every year, the Mainly Mozart Festival provides the best of the best musically. However, it's also the best of the best in many other ways. If you’ve never experienced a Mainly Mozart concert and you love classical music, what are you waiting for?
Here's something you might be interested in.
More than Mainly Mozart
If you've never been, what are you waiting for?
More than Mainly Mozart
If you've never been, what are you waiting for?
Mainly Mozart at the Epstein Family Amphiteater
There is just one concert remaining in the 2025 San Diego Mainly Mozart Festival. On Saturday, June 28, the All-Star Festival Orchestra will perform a program that includes Mozart’s “Overture” to Cosi fan Tutte, Beethoven's Triple Concerto, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. The venue is the Epstein Family Amphitheater at UC San Diego.
Video:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
So far, the festival has been a resounding success. Of course, that's usually the case with Mainly Mozart. I can't remember the last time I experienced anything except extreme excellence during the festival.
Upcoming Event
Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival
- Saturday, June 28, 2025, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Epstein Family Amphitheater, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego
- Age Limit: All ages / $25 - $500
For the past several years, I've been involved with the festival in a modest fashion. For the outdoor concerts, I tell the video cameras where to put their focus during the performance. I also drive the musician shuttle to and from the concert venues and the hotel. This participation has given me a chance to sit in on rehearsals and talk shop with the musicians while I have them as a captive audience within the shuttle.
From what I've observed, there's much more than musical excellence involved with the spectacular product the festival produces. The camaraderie amongst the players is real. The respect they have for each other is warranted. Trust me, they're having a good time on and off the stage.
We can see and hear the musical talent, but what we don't often get a chance to witness is the impressive intelligence of the orchestra members, and it is impressive. I'm just the lowly shuttle driver, but the musicians remember conversations we've had during a brief shuttle ride two or three years ago.
It's not that I'm such a stunning conversationalist; it's that these musicians have the mental bandwidth to retain massive amounts of information and recall it. They can talk about anything, and always have an insight that I may not have considered.
This year, I've been pestering people about their opinions of the composer Anton Bruckner. Their responses have been insightful and straightforward. If they're not Bruckner fans, they tell me and explain why Bruckner sucks for their instrument. Apparently, Bruckner had no idea how to write for bassoon. I never would have known. But the trumpeters all like him. That makes sense.
Every year, the Mainly Mozart Festival provides the best of the best musically. However, it's also the best of the best in many other ways. If you’ve never experienced a Mainly Mozart concert and you love classical music, what are you waiting for?