San Francisco Opera, June 2 – July 5
“Summer Seduction” is a fitting name for the San Francisco Opera’s summer season, as the three operas in the series can be counted on to thrill aficionados and delight newcomers. Puccini’s Tosca (now playing) re-creates Armando Agnini’s production that opened the War Memorial Opera House in 1932, and is familiar to many opera lovers from the Opera House’s reopening season in 1997. Also on the bill are George and Ira Gershwin’s American classic Porgy and Bess, now pretty much sold out (check the box office for ticket returns), and a rollicking production of La traviata, set in the Roaring ’20s and featuring soprano Anna Netrebko as Violetta.
June 2 – July 5, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, $20-$290, (415) 864-3330, www.sfopera.com.
International Russian Music Piano Competition, June 5-14
If you want to hear up-and-coming pianists, head to San Jose for the International Russian Music Piano Competition. Performers range from astonishing 6-year-olds to seasoned veterans at age 30. The early rounds are free, the finals are exciting, and the location, Le Petit Trianon Theatre, boasts outstanding acoustics.
June 2 – July 5-14, Le Petit Trianon Theatre, San Jose, $10-$35, (408) 927-7686, www.russianmusiccompetition.com.
Ojai Music Festival, June 11-14
After six decades, the Ojai Music Festival has cemented itself as a place for innovative musical ideas and personalities. This season is no different. Artists include the recorder quartet QNG, known for mixing contemporary and early music, and sound sculptor/composer/inventor Trimpin. The centerpiece of the festival is the premiere of Steven Mackey’s Slide, a multidisciplinary work co-commissioned by the festival. Concerts are held outdoors in the Libbey Bowl, under a canopy of live oaks in the idyllic valley where the classic movie Lost Horizon was filmed.
June 11-14, Libbey Bowl, Ojai, $15-$65, (805) 646-2094, www.ojaifestival.org.
Stern Grove Music Festival, June 21 – Aug. 23
Across town, the 72nd season of the outdoor, and admission-free, Stern Grove Festival features world-class performers every Sunday afternoon. The San Francisco Symphony stars on July 5, so you can end your Fourth of July weekend celebrations by listening to an opening performance by Inouye Jazz, followed by excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Piano Concerto No. 1; Gershwin’s An American in Paris; and the suite from Bernstein’s film score for On the Waterfront. The San Francisco Opera closes the series with an afternoon of Italian opera, featuring tenor Marco Berti. Come early with a picnic lunch to score the best spots to sit, and don’t forget a low beach chair or ground cover.
June 21 – Aug. 23, Sigmund Stern Grove, San Francisco, www.sterngrove.org.
San Francisco Symphony, July 2-24
Catch the classics this summer with the San Francisco Symphony; they’re playing everything from Vivaldi and Beethoven to Bugs Bunny on Broadway. Appropriately, for a season that starts on Fourth of July weekend, the series begins and ends with tributes to American music. On July 2, James Gaffigan leads the Symphony in a performance of American masterpieces, from West Side Story to An American in Paris and Rhapsody in Blue. The Grand Finale on July 24 features vintage American works, highlighted by James Earl Jones narrating Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait and a special performance by the UC Berkeley Marching Band.
July 2-24, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, (415) 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org.
Mendocino Music Festival, July 11-25
Housed in a 16,000-square-foot tent overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Mendocino Music Festival is, as its slogan proclaims, “Music on the Edge of the World.” The lineup features everything from opera to world beat. This year, Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony and Puccini’s La Bohème head the classical programming. Or check out Alexander Markov (July 13), an electric violin virtuoso whose music mixes classical and rock elements. Take note of the program titled They Left a Light. Festival cofounder Susan Waterfall’s narrated, multimedia piece explores some of the miraculous music written and performed in the Nazi prison camps.
July 11–25, various northern california venues, $10-$48, (707) 937-2044, www.mendocinomusic.com.
Midsummer Mozart Festival, July 16-26
This all-Mozart festival celebrates its 35th anniversary season this year, and Musical Director George Cleve has two dynamic programs to tempt Mozart lovers. Program I features performances from duo pianists Yong Jean Park and Yong Sun Park, as well as local flutist Maria Tamburrino. Program II, with pianist Seymour Lipkin and hornist David Sprung, starts softly with Symphony No. 29, and ends with a bang with the “Jupiter” Symphony, No. 41. Performances of each program are given throughout the Bay Area, and as a bonus, you can catch the noontime concert at Old St. Mary’s Cathedral, in San Francisco, on June 30 at 12:30 p.m..July 16-26, throughout the Bay Area, $10-$60, (415) 627-9141, www.midsummermozart.org.
Festival Mozaic, July 16-26
Down on the central coast, the historic San Luis Obispo Mission and Hearst Castle are only two of the venues for the Festival Mozaic in July. The theme of the 2009 festival is how location influenced the work of various composers, whether it be Mozart’s Vienna or Grieg’s Norway. Options for festivalgoers include concerts by the 80-member professional orchestra, chamber ensembles, and the Fringe series, which showcases innovative classical crossover artists. New this year is the Notable Encounters series — shorter, “cocktail-hour” concerts where musicians add commentary to the music.July 16-26, Hearst Castle, San Luis Obispo, $22-$52, (805) 781-3009, www.festivalmozaic.com.
Festival del Sole, July 17-25
Napa’s Festival del Sole may be a relative newcomer to the summer festival scene, but it has already made a name for itself with world-class concerts alongside world-class cuisine. Add in wine tastings and art exhibitions, and it’s a feast for all the senses. Opening night features violinist Sarah Chang and pianists Andrew von Oeyen and 14-year-old Conrad Tao. Soprano Renée Fleming makes her Festival del Sole debut on July 23; a dinner in her honor follows the concert, with proceeds benefiting several Napa Valley performing arts organizations.
June 17-25, various venues, Napa Valley, $35-$200, (888) 337-6272, http://www.fdsnapa.org.
Carmel Bach Festival, July 17 – Aug. 1
For almost three quarters of a century, the Carmel Bach Festival has celebrated the music of J.S. Bach. As always, events run the gamut from full orchestral and choral works to chamber music, recitals, master classes, and informal talks, as well as social and family events. Highlights include an interactive concert exploring the life, music, and loves of Joseph Haydn, along with three cantatas from the (somewhat unseasonal) Bach Christmas Oratorio. Visitors enjoy not only great music, but also beautiful concert venues, which include the historic Carmel Mission Basilica and the Church in the Forest at Pebble Beach. A special concert will be played in memory of the beloved Conductor Sandor Salgo at the Stanford University Memorial Church in Palo Alto.
July 17 – Aug. 1, Sunset Center, Carmel, $10-$127, (831) 624-2046, www.bachfestival.org.
Music at Menlo
It’s a celebration of everything Mendelssohn down on the Peninsula. Music@Menlo Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han are showcasing the composer’s greatest chamber works, including the string quartet cycle, his two piano trios, and his immortal Octet. It’s a full-immersion experience, with a schedule of concerts, symposia, master classes, lectures, and other activities. The programs, five in all, illuminate Mendelssohn’s artistry from a multitude of perspectives, even exploring the relationship of his works to the music of today. As always, there’s an impressive lineup, this time of no fewer than 35 guest artists, including the Pacifica Quartet and the St. Lawrence String Quartet.
July 17 – Aug. 8, various south bay venues, $10-$70, (650) 331-0202, http://www.musicatmenlo.org.
The Outsound New Music Summit, July 19-25
Sure, it’s a bit off the beaten track (even though events are presented at the San Francisco Community Music Center on Capp Street), but it’s definitely worth exploring the 8th Annual Outsound New Music Summit. Over four nights this festival showcases innovative and pioneering new music, microtonal composition, and experimental electronics. The lineup includes a world premiere new collaboration between Waterphone inventor Richard Waters and filmmaker/musician David Mihalak’s ensemble Ghost in the House. Also, the Natto Quartet returns with its mix of ancient Japanese instruments and electronics. Take advantage of the Touch the Gear event on Sunday, July 19, and find out how all that stuff onstage actually works.
July 19-25, San Francisco Community Music Center, $6-$12, www.outsound.org.
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Aug. 2-16
This year, the Cabrillo Festival goes global. The 47th season of this highly praised festival features works by contemporary composers from Argentina, Australia, Finland, Israel, Mexico, Scotland, the UK, and the US, and includes one world premiere (David Heath’s Rise From the Dark) and five U.S. premieres, led by Maestra Marin Alsop. Rock fans and techno teens may enjoy the Aug. 9 benefit concert titled "Sugar Magnolia," a Santa Cruz–appropriate tribute to the Grateful Dead. The program features Lee Johnson’s popular Dead Symphony, based on the band’s hits, and includes a symphonic jam session. Australian composer Matthew Hindson contributes his techno-based Rave-Elation (Schindowski Mix).
Aug. 2-16, Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, $30-$128, (831) 426-6966, www.cabrillomusic.org.
Music in the Vineyards, Aug. 5-23
Chamber music, whether classic or new, has never sounded better than in the intimate settings provided by Music in the Vineyards. Performances are held at wineries throughout the Napa Valley, and feature world-class talent along with world-class wines for tasting during intermission. The Family Concert held at Meadowood on Aug. 9 is fun for all ages, and a great introduction to classical music for the younger set.
Aug. 5-23, Napa Valley, $50, (707) 258-5559, www.napavalleymusic.org.