Chamber Music in NorCal

Prelude Performances showcase Music@Menlo’s International Program artists (ages 20–30), while Koret Young Performers Concerts feature the extraordinary Young Performers (ages 12–19). These events are a great way to introduce younger concert-goers to chamber music; Prelude Performances are shorter, typically without an intermission, and KYPCs showcase select movements from musical masterworks. These performances are free and open to the public; tickets are required and can be reserved from 9:00 a.m. on the event day.

A beloved tradition at Music@Menlo since the first season, Encounters are full-length lectures presented throughout the festival . Led by a rotating selection of eminent musicologists, educators, and musicians, they delve deeply into aspects of each summer’s theme. Audiences come away with enhanced historical and musical knowledge, leading to a richer understanding of and engagement with the festival’s composers and their works. This summer’s four composer-focused programs provide the perfect opportunity for the eloquent Michael Parloff to reveal the composers’ lives and explore their music. Bridging the Baroque and Romantic periods, their works played essential roles in the evolution of chamber music, from Bach’s intimate preludes and fugues to Schubert’s monumental Opus 100 Piano Trio. Parloff’s Encounters, always a highlight of the festival, are not to be missed, and this one celebrates the true source of our immortal repertoire: the composer.

Prelude Performances showcase Music@Menlo’s International Program artists (ages 20–30), while Koret Young Performers Concerts feature the extraordinary Young Performers (ages 12–19). These events are a great way to introduce younger concert-goers to chamber music; Prelude Performances are shorter, typically without an intermission, and KYPCs showcase select movements from musical masterworks. These performances are free and open to the public; tickets are required and can be reserved from 9:00 a.m. on the event day.

Prelude Performances showcase Music@Menlo’s International Program artists (ages 20–30), while Koret Young Performers Concerts feature the extraordinary Young Performers (ages 12–19). These events are a great way to introduce younger concert-goers to chamber music; Prelude Performances are shorter, typically without an intermission, and KYPCs showcase select movements from musical masterworks. These performances are free and open to the public; tickets are required and can be reserved from 9:00 a.m. on the event day.

Music@Menlo 2009 commemorated the extraordinary life and achievements of Felix Mendelssohn on the 200th anniversary of his birth. Drawing inspiration from that landmark season, this all-Mendelssohn program offers a vivid portrait of a composer whose youthful brilliance reshaped chamber music, showing a composer pushing chamber music beyond salon proportions toward something far more dramatic and large-scale.

Free and open to the public, Music@Menlo’s Café Conversations invite audiences into lively, informal discussions led by festival artists and distinguished guests. Exploring music, art, and culture from fresh perspectives, this series offers an engaging behind-the-scenes look at the ideas that inspire the festival. Monday, July 20, 11 AM: Recipes for Festival Success What makes a chamber music festival thrive for decades? James Bash , president of the Music Critics Association of North America, joins David Finckel and Wu Han for a discussion of the artistic vision and foundational principles that have made Music@Menlo an enduring success.

Free event, no reservation required. Music@Menlo’s master classes bring together the next generation of extraordinary musicians and a world-class faculty of celebrated artists. Experience the collaborative spirit of the Chamber Music Institute as young artists and faculty exchange ideas and refine beloved chamber music masterworks in preparation for the concert stage. These inspiring behind-the-scenes sessions offer a rare window into the artistry, creativity, and craft of chamber music at the highest level. Please note: Artists and programs are subject to change. Check Music@Menlo’s website for updates.

This summer, Music@Menlo presents an exclusive screening of Tristan Cook’s intimate, behind-the-scenes documentary, Four Rational People . Blending candid backstage moments, life on tour, and reflections on nearly five decades together, the film captures the Emerson String Quartet in the final weeks before their farewell performance. As memories of the ensemble’s extraordinary past intertwine with the emotional realities of bringing a legendary career to a close, Four Rational People offers a moving meditation on friendship, artistry, aging, and legacy. Both unflinchingly honest and profoundly heartfelt, the film culminates in one final Emerson Quartet performance for the ages.