Grass Valley, CA — For 45 summers, the Sierra Nevada foothills have been transformed into one of California’s most enchanting musical destinations. This June and July, Music in the Mountains’ SummerFest returns with a series of five classical music concerts to make your heart race, your spine tingle, and your soul feel quietly restored. World-class musicians travel from across the country to perform right here in Nevada County at the Center for the Arts, bringing the breathtaking artistry of a major metropolitan orchestra to our own backyard.

This Year’s Lineup of Great Classical Music

On Sunday, June 21, settle into a peaceful afternoon with Mozart in the Mountains. It’s a joyful, sparkling celebration of Mozart’s most luminous works featuring both Pianist John Wilson — praised for his “casual virtuosity” by the San Francisco Chronicle — in the radiant Piano Concerto No. 23 and the irresistible overture to The Marriage of Figaro.

On Wednesday, June 24, brace yourself for something raw and emotionally shattering: a full 90-minute performance of Pagliacci, one of opera’s most gut-wrenching masterpieces. An electrifying cast of internationally acclaimed singers will pull you into a story of love, jealousy, and heartbreak that will linger with you long after the final curtain falls.

On Friday, June 26, lose yourself in the lush, intoxicating world of Scheherazade, Rimsky-Korsakov’s shimmering tapestry of Arabian Nights storytelling. The full Festival Orchestra conjures one spellbinding orchestral landscape after another — a feast for the senses from first note to last.

On Sunday, June 28, feel the jubilant pulse of An American Celebration, featuring the soaring film scores of John Williams alongside a world premiere by our very own local composer, Jerry Grant, who has scored and supervised or conducted more than 500 television episodes and feature films. Vibraphonist Michael Downing and saxophonist Jonathan Hulting-Cohen dazzle in a concert that will have you grinning from ear to ear.

And on Saturday, July 11, slip away to an intimate evening in a beautiful outdoor setting at Dessert in the Garden with Rogue Music Project. Enjoy cocktails, sweets, and a boldly genre-defying performance by soprano Carrie Hennessey, baritone Omari Tau, and pianist Jennifer Reason — nestled in a gorgeous private garden.

Tickets are on sale now at musicinthemountains.org.

Want an Even More Personal Connection to the Music?

Music in the Mountains is looking for warm, welcoming hosts to open their homes to visiting musicians during festival week (June 20–28). In exchange, you’ll receive an invitation to the exclusive Friends party — and the rare pleasure of sharing your home with a gifted classical musician. Contact isabella@musicinthemountains.org to learn more.

Music in the Mountains has been bringing world-class classical music to Nevada County since 1982.