2025 GUIDE TO FESTIVALS

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Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival
Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
  • Opening concerts: North Carolina premiere of Paul Coletti's Viola Quintet with the Viano Quartet, the Whitehead Family Young Pianist concert with Zitong Wang debut, "Strings Attached," Sharon Isbin with the Pacifica Quartet.
  • Elisabeth Remy Johnson presents "The Enchanted Harp."
  • Festival favorites: Julie Coucheron, Elizabeth Pridgen, Chee-Yun, Jesse McCandless, the Vega Quartet.
  • Rita Dove presents her poetry with Njioma Grevious, violin and William Ransom, piano.
  • Grammy winner Zuill Bailey leads the final Gala concert, "CelloBration," with 8 cellos and soprano Bethany Mamola.
LOCATION
Highlands and Cashiers, North Carolina
WEBSITE
DATES
July 5 - August 10, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
William Ransom
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$40 to $200
Additional ticket information: See here for special event ticket pricing
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 828-526-9060
BOOKING CONTACTS
Booking cycle date range
spring 2025 for summer 2026
Honens Festival
Honens Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Honens, home of Canada's International Piano Competition, presents its 2025 Festival September 5-7, featuring classical and world piano music events throughout Calgary and the surrounding areas. The festival includes one-of-a-kind collaborations and inspiring solos from the world's top talent. Full line-up will be announced spring 2025.
LOCATION
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
WEBSITE
DATES
September 6-7, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Jon Kimura Parker
GENRES
Classical • Pop/Folk • Jazz • World/Ethnic
TICKET PRICE RANGE
CAD$0 to CAD$58
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 403-299-0130
BOOKING CONTACTS
Booking cycle date range
Spring 2025 for fall 2026
SOCIAL LINKS
International Keyboard Institute & Festival
International Keyboard Institute & Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Jerome Rose, Llewellyn Sánchez-Werner, Pablo Rossi, Julian Pflugmann, Massimiliano Ferrati, Martín García García; recitals will also be recorded for viewing on the IKIF YouTube channel.
LOCATION
New York, New York: Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center and Klavierhaus
WEBSITE
DATES
July 7-12, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Jerome Rose
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$10 to $20
Additional ticket information: Student and senior discounts with ID
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 212-501-3330
BOOKING CONTACTS
Booking cycle date range
Fall 2025 for summer 2026
SOCIAL LINKS
La Jolla Music Society SummerFest
Dedicated page for
Lake George Music Festival
Lake George Music Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Founded in 2011, the Lake George Music Festival offers performers and audiences alike the opportunity to experience exceptional classical music within an historic and picturesque setting that has inspired artistic luminaries such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Samuel Barber, and Marcella Sembrich.

The two weeks of chamber music and orchestral concerts curated by Artistic Directors Barbora Kolarova and Roger Kalia highlight new compositions and traditional masterworks performed by a core roster of established professionals and emerging artists in the newly renovated historic Carriage House of the Fort William Henry Hotel. Make the Lake George Music Festival your own artist retreat as you take in all that Lake George has to offer and experience for yourself the 21st Century blossoming of classical and new music.
LOCATION
Lake George, New York
WEBSITE
DATES
June 8-19, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Barbora Kolarova, Roger Kalia
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$0 to $25
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 518-791-5089
BOOKING CONTACTS
Booking cycle date range
Two years
SOCIAL LINKS
Lucerne Festival
Lucerne Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Exploring the theme "Open End," the Summer Festival will again bring the very top musicians of the classical music world to Lucerne over a period of nearly five weeks, from August 12 – September 14, 2025. Enjoy the world's finest orchestras, acclaimed stars, and outstanding soloists. The violist Tabea Zimmermann and performer Winnie Huang will appear as our "artistes étoiles," and our composer-in-residence will be Marco Stroppa.

The Lucerne Festival Orchestra will appear in no fewer than five major symphonic programs, with Music Director Riccardo Chailly, plus Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, and, for the first time, Sir Simon Rattle conducting. Among its varied offerings, the Lucerne Festival Academy will celebrate the 100th birthday of its founder, Pierre Boulez.
LOCATION
Churches and Luzerner Theater, Lucerne, Switzerland
WEBSITE
DATES
August 12 - September 14, 2025
EXECUTIVE & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Michael Haefliger
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$30 to $320
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: +41 (0)41 226 44 00
SOCIAL LINKS
Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival 2025
Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival 2025
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
  • June 18: Opening Night—Mozart, Serenade in C Major and Grande Fantaisie in F minor; Vivaldi, The Four Seasons; Piazzolla, The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
  • June 20: Mozart, Serenata notturna; Strauss, Duet Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon; Mozart, Sinfonia concertante in A Major; Beethoven, Symphony No. 2
  • June 21: Elgar, Introduction and Allegro; Mozart, Symphony No. 40; Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 2; soloist: Joyce Yang (piano)
  • June 24: Stravinsky, Concerto in E-flat; Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 and Concerto No. 5; Mozart, Haffner Symphony
  • June 26: Mozart, Overture to Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Grande Fantaisie in F minor; Bendix-Balgley, A Klezmer Concerto; Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 5; soloist: Noah Bendix-Balgley (violin)
  • June 28: Mozart, Overture to Così fan tutte; Beethoven, Triple Concerto and Symphony No. 7; soloists: Noah Bendix-Balgley (violin), Joyce Yang (piano), Robert DeMaine (cello)
LOCATION
Epstein Family Amphitheater, La Jolla, California
WEBSITE
DATES
June 18-28, 2025
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Michael Francis
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$25 to $250
Additional ticket information: $20 tickets are offered to students/military/educators; $1,250 are VIP Tables for four people.
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 619-239-0100 x305
BOOKING CONTACTS
Booking cycle date range
Fall 2025 for summer 2026
SOCIAL LINKS
Manchester Music Festival
Manchester Music Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
The 2025 festival, entitled "Music & Storytelling," will illuminate the profound connections among literature, poetry, song, and music. The concerts mine the literary inspirations—both momentous and subtle—behind works including Mendelssohn's Octet for Strings, Schubert's Trout Quintet, and Janáček's Kreutzer Sonata, among others.

It will also feature distinguished artists such as clarinetist Anthony McGill, pianists Michael Stephen Brown and Gilles Vonsattel, bassist Timothy Cobb, flutist Emi Ferguson, and harpsichordist Arthur Haas. Author Richard Powers will make a special appearance with composer Perry Goldstein and baritone Randall Scarlata for the song collection "Birding by Ear," and actor David Strathairn and soprano Christine Goerke highlight the grand finale of Stravinsky's L'Histoire du soldat.
LOCATION
Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, Vermont
WEBSITE
DATES
July 10 - August 7, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Philip Setzer, Artistic Director
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$15 to $80
Additional ticket information: Tickets are now on sale. Single tickets and subscriptions may be purchased throughout the season; family events are free. See details here.
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 802-362-1956
BOOKING CONTACTS
SOCIAL LINKS
Mann Center for the Performing Arts
Dedicated page for
Marlboro Music Festival
Marlboro Music Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Led by Co-Artistic Directors Mitsuko Uchida and Jonathan Biss, some of the world's most acclaimed solo and chamber music artists and outstanding young professional musicians explore chamber music with unlimited rehearsal time and in the kind of depth only possible at Marlboro. The artists share their discoveries in five weekends of public concerts The New York Times has called "extraordinary."
LOCATION
Marlboro, Vermont
WEBSITE
DATES
July 19 - August 17, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Mitsuko Uchida, Jonathan Biss
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$20 to $40
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 215-569-4690 (until June 22); 802-254-2394 (from June 23)
BOOKING CONTACTS
jloux@marlboromusic.org for audition information for outstanding young professional musicians
SOCIAL LINKS
MATA Festival 2025
MATA Festival 2025
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
The theme of this year's festival is "Intergalactic Infinity: Music Between Spaces." MATA Festival 2025 embraces ideas around the epistemology of Techno-culture and Space, addressing the impact of modern technology in those connections in our music-making through imagination, mysticism, liberation, science fiction, history, and fantasy—exploring experiences that connect with the diaspora of ancestry and heritage and invite you to be what you are to the fullest as a way of looking at the world.

Featuring Jessie Cox and Sun Ra Arkestra, FLUX Quartet, Ensemble LPR, MATA Mavens, and others to be announced. Works by pioneering jazz icons Roscoe Mitchell, Oliver Lake, George Lewis, and Wadada Leo Smith, MATA Festival 2025 early-career composers and a world premiere by Reza Vali and Jessie Cox.
LOCATION
Brooklyn, New York
WEBSITE
DATES
June 11-14, 2025
HEALTH & SAFETY
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Pauline Kim Harris
GENRE
Contemporary Music
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$45 to $150
Additional ticket information: Tickets to the concerts include access to all events as well as to the exhibitions. Bundles are also available for all four nights of the festival.
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
BOOKING CONTACTS
Booking cycle date range
A year out from end of festival
SOCIAL LINKS
2025 Merola Opera Summer Festival
2025 Merola Opera Summer Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
San Francisco's acclaimed Merola Opera Program, one of the most prestigious and selective opera training programs in the world, gives audiences a look at the opera stars of tomorrow. This summer, Merola welcomes 28 emerging opera artists, selected from close to 1,300 international applicants from New Zealand, China, Malaysia, and South Korea, as well as across the United States and Canada. These young artists will train and perform with opera luminaries and prepare for public performances of recitals, concerts, and operas with orchestra.
LOCATION
San Francisco, California
WEBSITE
DATES
June 17 - August 16, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Carrie-Ann Matheson
GENRES
Classical • Opera
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$10 to $65
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 415-864-3330
BOOKING CONTACTS
Booking cycle date range
Auditions are held in the fall for the following summer program. in NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta.
SOCIAL LINKS
Minnesota Beethoven Festival
Dedicated page for
Mizzou International Composers Festival
Mizzou International Composers Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
The 2025 Mizzou International Composers Festival will feature ensemble-in-residence Alarm Will Sound. Hailed by The New York Times as "one of the most vital and original ensembles on the American scene," the group will work intensively with eight resident composers—selected from an international pool of applicants—on the premieres of new works.

In addition, this year's festival will feature distinguished guest composers Hilda Paredes and Judd Greenstein, who will have several works performed and will coach the resident composers. Also scheduled are performances by the Mizzou New Music Ensemble and University of Missouri faculty. All festival events are free and open to the public.
LOCATION
Columbia, Missouri
WEBSITE
DATES
July 21-26, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Stefan Freund
GENRES
Classical • New Music
TICKET PRICE RANGE
Additional ticket information: Events are free and open, no tickets are required.
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 573-882-2604
BOOKING CONTACTS
SOCIAL LINKS
Monteux School and Music Festival
Monteux School and Music Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
The Monteux School and Music Festival, founded as a school for conductors in 1943 by internationally renowned conductor Pierre Monteux, is one of the finest summer training programs and festivals of its kind. The school offers an intensive six-week program that includes a series of symphonic, chamber, and children's concerts in a creative, supportive environment. Monteux is also an orchestra and chamber music festival for all orchestral instrumentalists.

Weekly concerts are supplemented by master classes and audition workshops with musicians from major symphony orchestras. Conducting faculty include Dr. Tiffany Lu, Kyle Ritenauer, Dr. Jeffery Meyer, and Ludovic Morlot. Instrumental faculty include violinist Blake Pouliot, bassoonist Rémy Taghavi Kutz, trumpeter Jason Bergman, and pianist Jasmin Arakawa.
LOCATION
Hancock, Maine
WEBSITE
DATES
June 15 - July 28, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Tiffany Lu
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$20 to $35
Additional ticket information: Mainly Chamber Music Concerts are $20 for general admission; The Monteux Festival Orchestra Concerts are $35 for general admission; the children's concert is free and open to the public with advance reservation.
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 207-813-4914
BOOKING CONTACTS
Booking cycle date range
One to two years in advance
SOCIAL LINKS
Montreal Chamber Music Festival
Montreal Chamber Music Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
One of Canada's premiere celebrations of musical collegiality, according to the Toronto Star, the Montreal Chamber Music Festival proudly celebrates its 30th-anniversary season.
LOCATION
Locations in Montréal, Québec, Canada
WEBSITE
DATES
June 7-22, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Denis Brott, C.M., C.Q.
GENRES
Classical • Jazz
TICKET PRICE RANGE
CAD$20 to CAD$85
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 514-489-7444
BOOKING CONTACTS
Denis Brott, C.M. C.Q., founder & artistic director
514-489-7444
Booking cycle date range
Spring 2025 for spring 2026
SOCIAL LINKS
Moritzburg Festival
Moritzburg Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Every August, internationally renowned soloists and outstanding young artists from all over the world meet in Moritzburg near Dresden. Star cellist Jan Vogler founded the Festival in 1993, inspired by the American Marlboro Music Festival. Internationally acclaimed musicians and promising talents work on new interpretations of chamber music pieces, presenting them in transitional ensembles in openair concerts in the fairytale setting of the Moritzburg Castle.

For the 33rd edition in 2025, we welcome soloists such as Karen Gomyo, Kevin Zhu, Mira Wang, Paul Neubauer, Ulrich Eichenauer, Andreas Brantelid, Jan Vogler, Maxim Lando, Anton Mejias, and Tine Thing Helseth.
LOCATION
Germany: Moritzburg, Meißen, Dresden
WEBSITE
DATES
August 8-24, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Jan Vogler
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
€6 to €56
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: +49 351 16 09 26 15
SOCIAL LINKS
Music@Menlo
Music@Menlo
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Music@Menlo, led by founding Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han, returns this summer with "Constellations: Ensemble Magic," July 18 – August 9. The 2025 festival explores myriad combinations or “constellations” of musicians that make up the rich tapestry of chamber music, from intimate duos to orchestral octets. Each ensemble is celebrated with programs dedicated to the different groupings, with repertoire ranging from Baroque to new works.

The festival includes seven mainstage concert programs, three artist-curated recitals, three full-evening Encounter lectures, and a host of free events, including master classes and performances by students of Music@Menlo's Chamber Music Institute. All events take place on the picturesque Menlo School campus in Atherton, CA.
LOCATION
Atherton, California
WEBSITE
DATES
July 18 - August 9, 2025
HEALTH & SAFETY
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
David Finckel and Wu Han
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$25 to $90
Additional ticket information: Discounts for under age 30
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 650-331-0202
BOOKING CONTACTS
Booking cycle date range
Summer/fall 2025 for summer 2026.
SOCIAL LINKS
Music Academy Summer Festival & School
Music Academy Summer Festival & School
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Set against the stunning backdrop of Santa Barbara—America's Riviera—the Music Academy of the West offers an unparalleled blend of world-class performances and musical discovery. The 2025 Summer Festival showcases international artists performing alongside the Academy's gifted young musicians in 120 one-of-a-kind performances, chamber concerts, master classes, competitions, and innovative programs.

Highlights include an exploration of Beethoven Piano sonatas led by pianist Jeremy Denk, a performance of Jaws in Concert (celebrating the film's 50th anniversary), Mozart's Don Giovanni, performances by the Takács Quartet, Sasha Cooke, Glenn Dicterow, Cynthia Phelps, Randall Goosby, Christine Goerke, and Andy Akiho; a percussion extravaganza featuring Andy Akiho and Mike Werner; premieres by inti figgis-vizueta, Huang Ruo, and Kamala Sankaram; and orchestral performances led by Anthony Parnther, David Danzmayr, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Daniela Candillari, and Stéphane Denève.
LOCATION
Santa Barbara, California
WEBSITE
DATES
June 15 - August 9, 2025
HEALTH & SAFETY
CHIEF ARTISTIC OFFICER
Nate Bachhuber
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$10 to $100
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 805-969-8787
BOOKING CONTACTS
Nate Bachhuber
SOCIAL LINKS
Music in the Vineyards
Music in the Vineyards
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Don't miss Music in the Vineyards' 31st annual chamber music festival in Napa Valley. Concerts are hosted by Artistic Director Michael Adams, whose irreverent live introductions are a beloved feature. This summer's programs explore the theme of transformation: reimagining familiar music in ways that shed new light and reveal hidden nuances.

Hear the Pacifica, Ariel, and Borromeo quartets; violinists Daria Adams, Sunmi Chang, Hyejin Kim, Aaron Boyd, Cindy Wu, Jennifer Frautschi, Susie Park, Eunice Kim; violists Pearl de la Motte, Jordan Bak, Masumi Per Rostad, Matthew Lipman, Dimitri Murrath; cellists Bion Tsang, Anthony Ross, Julie Albers, Rainer Eudeikis, Edward Arron; pianists Jeff Ladeur, John Novacek, Evren Ozel; flutist Bart Feller. Special concert events include a performance by Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux and an evening of jazz and classical chamber music under the stars.
LOCATION
Vineyards and locations in Napa Valley, California
WEBSITE
DATES
August 1-24, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Michael and Daria T. Adams
GENRES
Classical • Chamber Music
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$85 to $115
Additional ticket information: Above prices are for evening concerts only. See here for education and special event pricing.
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 707-258-5559
BOOKING CONTACTS
Rebecca Blum, executive director
Booking cycle date range
Spring/fall 2025 for summer 2026
SOCIAL LINKS
National Repertory Orchestra
National Repertory Orchestra
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
This year's theme "Discover the NRO" will take audiences on a musical journey inspired by the many reasons people are drawn to Summit County. Each concert will explore a unique facet of what makes Breckenridge—and the NRO—unforgettable. Music Director Michael Stern will be joined by guest conductors including JoAnn Falletta, Giancarlo Guerrero, Jeffrey Kahane, Jason Seber, and Carl Topilow. Highlights include:
  • June 21: Discover … Dreams—Mendelssohn, Midsummer Night's Dream; Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
  • July 2: Discover … Love—Wagner, Tristan and Isolde; Clyne, Within Her Arms; Tchaikovsky, Romeo and Juliet
  • July 19: Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert
  • July 30: Discover … Inspiration—Zyman, Encuentros; Rimsky-Korsakov, Sheherazade
  • August 9: NRO Finale, Discover … Awe—Mozart, Symphony No. 39; Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition
LOCATION
Breckenridge, Colorado
WEBSITE
DATES
June 21 - August 9, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Michael Stern
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$21 to $58
Additional ticket information: Save more than 45% with a season pass, or up to 30% by choosing one of the ticket bundle packages. Tickets and passes are now on sale.
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 970-453-5825
BOOKING CONTACTS
Booking cycle date range
Autumn 2025 for summer 2026
SOCIAL LINKS
Newport Classical Music Festival
Newport Classical Music Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
The 2025 Newport Classical Music Festival runs July 4-22 with 29 concerts across 11 stunning Newport venues. Highlights include Opening Night with pianists Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung; the U.S. premiere of a new work by David Lang; the regional premiere of soprano Karen Slack's African Queens; and two nights with Broadway star Jessica Vosk. Cris Derksen, composer in residence, will create a new work for the Galvin Cello Quartet exploring the history of Indigenous enslavement in Rhode Island.
LOCATION
Various locations in Newport, Rhode Island
WEBSITE
DATES
July 4-22, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Trevor Neal
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$35 to $150
Additional ticket information: Tickets prices vary based on artist, program, and venue.
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 401-84-61133 x1
SOCIAL LINKS
Norfolk Chamber Music Festival
Norfolk Chamber Music Festival
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Continuing a 100-plus year musical tradition, the Yale School of Music's Norfolk Chamber Music Festival is a leader in the study and performance of chamber music. Each summer the Festival offers stellar concerts performed by acclaimed chamber musicians from across the globe. Simultaneously, Norfolk offers fully funded (tuition, housing, and meals) programs, each featuring intensive study with Festival artists and weekly performance opportunities. In addition to being featured on their own concert series, Norfolk fellows have the opportunity to perform alongside their mentors on Norfolk's Festival Artist Series concerts.
LOCATION
Norfolk, Connecticut
WEBSITE
DATES
June 27 - August 10, 2025
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Melvin Chen
GENRE
Classical
TICKET PRICE RANGE
$35 to $70
Additional ticket information: Children 18 and under attend free; tickets for young adults 19-35 are $10.
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
Telephone: 860-542-3000
BOOKING CONTACTS
Robert Whipple, general manager
Booking cycle date range
Summer 2025 for summer 2026 and 2027
SOCIAL LINKS
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