Mendocino Music Festival July 12-26, 2008 on California's North Coast

The Mendocino Music Festival is a magical blend of fine music by outstanding performers in one of the most enchanting sites in Northern California.

Evenings include breathtaking concerts featuring the glorious Festival Orchestra, the popular Big Band concert, chamber music ensembles, dance, blues, jazz, world, and folk music.

The Mendocino Music Festival continues to maintain its commitment to bringing the highest quality classical and contemporary music and musicians to a place founder and Artistic Director Allan Pollack has described as ". . . one of the most picturesque towns in the world."

The 2008 Orchestra 1 Concert opens The Mendocino Music Festival on Saturday, July 12 at 8pm, under the batton of our Artistic Director and Conductor, Allan Pollack. The Festival Orchestra will perform Smetana's, Overture to The Bartered Bride, Dvorak's, Symphony No. 8, and Tchaikovsky's, Piano Concerto No. 1 in Bb with celebrated pianist Stephen Prutsman.

Then on Sunday, July 13 at 8pm, Jesse Winchester, 1960's folk-rock legend, singer-songwriter, and composer of “Mississippi You’re On My Mind”, “Yankee Lady” and “Brand New Tennessee Waltz” sings with his gentle, sweet voice honest, whimsical lyrics and melodic tunes. The program includes the Mendocino Coast’s hip bluegrass, R&B, rock-n-roll-influenced band, Foxglove, continuing the California folk scene making traditional, bluegrass-influenced music.

On Monday, July 14 at 8pm, innovative pianist, composer and arranger Stephen Prutsman will preform his "Bach and Forth" Versatile and presents a solo piano concert of preludes and fugues mixed with jazz, world and classical music, exploring and seeking common ground in the music of all cultures.

Get cool on Wednesday, July 16 at 8 pm with The Hot Club of San Francisco, borrowing the original instrumentation from the Hot Club de France (violin, bass and guitars) this group breathes new life into the gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with creative arrangements of classics and original compositions from lead guitarist Paul Mehling.

Susan Waterfall, The Festival Chamber Players, and vocalist Erin Neff presents a performance-lecture of "Degenerate Music" on Thursday, July 17 at 8 pm. After World War I, Weimar Berlin was a cauldron of artistic ferment as avant-garde artists and intellectuals, most of them Jewish, struggled to create a modern German culture. Exuberant freedom and hectic experimentation masked a sense of impending doom. After 1933, Hitler denounced them all as “degenerate” and their forced exile carried Weimar modernity to the rest of the world. A re-creation of this fascinating and pivotal era with cabaret and chamber music of Weill, Schoenberg, and Eisler, photographs and film.

Opera! Yes, a Mozart Opera right here in Mendocino on the edge of a continent: Friday, July 18 and Sunday, July 20 at 8pm. Join us and immerse yourself in a hilarious comic opera about the foibles of lovers, with the witty, rapturous music of Mozart's, "Marriage of Figaro, " and The Festival Orchestra & Cast under the baton of Alan Pollack, conductor, with baritone Brian Leerhuber, soprano Nicolle Foland, sopranos Christine Brandes and Raeeka Yaghmai, bass Eugene Brancoveanu, mezzo-sopranoDonna Olson, tenor Mark Hernandez, and bass Matthew Miksak.

Big Band Night is Saturday, July 19 at 8pm. Fasten your seatbelts, Allan Pollack & The All-Star Festival Big Band is taking us for a swingin’ rocketship ride to the Nostalgia Zone, with shimmering vocals, surprise guest artists and the hot, brassy sounds of the fabulous All-Star Big Band.

All lovers are Tango lovers - find out for yourself on Tuesday, July 22 at 8pm when Quintango, the aclaimed quintet of strings, piano and dancers present a sizzling, seductive and passionate interpretation of Argentine tango. “For haunting melody, rhythm that makes every part of your anatomy move and a feeling of warmth and enthusiasm, Quintango is downright wonderful.” – Charleston Post and Courier

Orchestra 2 Concert - Allan Pollack conducts The Festival Orchestra & Company C Contemporary Ballet on Wednesday, July 23 at 8 pm performing Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Gershwin's exuberent ballet music, “Who Cares” and the masterfull melodies of Rossini's, Overtures. Pianist Susan Waterfall will perform Ravel's, lighthearted and brilliant Piano Concerto, Movement No. 2.

Great Chamber Music of the 20th Century will be presented on Thursday, July 24 at 8 pm, by The Festival Chamber Players performing Harrison: Simfony # 13 for Percussion Quartet, and Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, with pianist Carolyn Steinbuck, Sergi Goldman-Hull, violin and Jill Rachuy Brindel, cello. Stravinsky: L’histoire du soldat Les Pfutzenreuter, Conductor.

On Friday, July 25 at 8 pm we present Los Pingous. Natives of Buenos Aires, these musicians combine Latin rhythms, Spanish guitars, a Cuban Tres, a Peruvian cajón and harmonizing vocals to produce a vivacious sound, part salsa, part rock, part traditional Argentine music. The band has recorded four albums and appears on three Putumayo World Music compilations.

Jullian Waterfall Pollack Three-O & special guest artist, Grace Weber perform on Saturday, July 26 at 3 pm. This uncannily young and astonishingly talented pianist leads his group of exceptional musicians in re-imagined jazz standards and original musical compositions that include jazz, rock and pop genres. He has performed with Joshua Redman and Nicholas Payton and appeared at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Lincoln Center and Yoshi’s. In 2007 he was a guest on Marian McPartland’s syndicated radio show, Piano Jazz.

Grand Finale! Saturday, July 26 at 8 pm The Walter Green Memorial Concert presents The Festival Chorus & Orchestra performing Handel's, Royal Fireworks and Beethoven's, cosmic Symphony No. 9, with sopranno Nicolle Foland, mezzo-soprano Jean McDonald, tenor Jeff Brich, bass Matthew Miksak under the direction of Allan Pollack, conductor and Carolen Steinbuck, chorusmaster.

Sunday, July 13 – 3 pm Paul Roberts Ravel: Jeux d’eau – Selections from Miroirs Toccata from Le Tombeau de Couperin Debussy: selections from Préludes

Monday, July 21 & Tuesday, July 22 – 3 pm PAUL HERSH Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II Selections from Book II will be performed on Monday, and different seclections onTuesday.

Thursday, July 24 – 3 pm HELENE WICKETT Sonatas by Beethoven & Elliot Carter youth concerts Festival Tent Sunday, July 13 – 2 pm CHILDREN’S MATINEE Selections from the Opening Orchestra Concert followed by our “Instrument Petting Zoo” where you can meet the musicians and play some instruments.

Sunday, July 20 – 2 pm EMERGING ARTISTS CONCERT Young Musicians from the festival’s youth program perform in chamber ensembles with skill, emotion and depth well beyond their years.

Tuesday, July 15 – 4 pm SAFE SAX Foot tapin’ Jazz that really swings – Hill House Lounge

Friday, July 18 – 3 pm FESTIVAL CHAMBER MUSICIANS Ensembles from the Festival Orchestra perform chamber music – Evergreen Methodist Church, Fort Bragg

Saturday, July 19 – 3 pm ACAFELLAS A cappella music of many genres – Preston Hall

Friday, July 25 – 3 pm FERENC TOBAK FAMILY Authentic Hungarian Music played on traditional instruments – Mendocino Presbyterian Church Sanctuary

Program subject to change without notice The Mendocino Music Festival is produced in cooperation with California State Parks at Mendocino Headlands State Park.

The Mendocino Music Festival was established in 1986. It was the dream of local musicians and music lovers to present fine music with a mix of professional and local musicians, and the opportunity for classical music education on the Mendocino Coast. With the cooperation of the community and the Department of Parks, the first festival was presented in a tent on the Mendocino Headlands State Park in July, 1987. The tent seated 400 people and the orchestra consisted of 56 musicians. Four orchestra and four chamber concerts were presented. In 1989, a fully staged opera was added. In 1992, a Young Musicians Scholarship Program began, a program that continues today with a name change to the Emerging Artists Program. The Piano Series began in 1996 and presents master pianists in an intimate daytime lecture/recital format. The Village Chamber Concerts began in 2005 and feature local musicians in daytime concerts at different venues in Mendocino and Fort Bragg.

In 2008 the Mendocino Music Festival will present thirteen evenings of music including three orchestra concerts, two evenings of opera, two chamber concerts, jazz, folk, world music and Big Band. Three of these concerts will include dance performances. The main performace tent has more than 800 seats and the orchestra consists of approximately 80 musicians. There will be four Piano Series lecture/recitals, four Village Chamber Concerts, a Children’s Matinee, an Emerging Artists concert and a special jazz/pop concert on the last Saturday of the festival, for a total of 22 concerts between Saturday, July 12 and Saturday, July 26. All orchestra and opera rehearsals are open to the public free of charge.

Each year we put up a large tent and build a symphony hall from the ground up at the Mendocino Headlands State Park, Ford House Museum and Visitor Center grounds. We have established a year round presence in the town of Mendocino with our office in the Old Bank Building on the corner of Main and Kastens Streets and with concerts, dinner parties and events throughout the year. Our national and international reputation as a respected summer music festival has helped give the town of Mendocino a cultural identity. We always work to build strong economic ties with the business community and individual donors. We have developed a large volunteer network of over 200 people that help out at the festival and at our year round events. We became charter members in the Mendocino Coast Performance Art Production Alliance (PAPA) in 2000. We share storage space, set pieces, costumes, tools and technical expertise with other local performing arts non-profit organizations.




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The Mendocino Music Festival is a magical blend of fine music by outstanding performers in one of the most enchanting sites in Northern California. Evenings include breathtaking concerts featuring the glorious Festival Orchestra, the popular Big Band concert, chamber music ensembles, dance, blues, jazz, world, and folk music. Days include lecture/recitals at the Piano Series, a children's matinee, performances by the Young Musicians, and chamber concerts at beautiful venues throughout Mendocino Village. The Mendocino Music Festival continues to maintain its commitment to bringing the highest quality classical and contemporary music and musicians to a place founder and Artistic Director Allan Pollack has described as ". . . one of the most picturesque towns in the world." The 2008 Orchestra 1 Concert opens The Mendocino Music Festival on Saturday, July 12 at 8pm, under the batton of our Artistic Director and Conductor, Allan Pollack. The Festival Orchestra will perform Smetana's, Overture to The Bartered Bride, Dvorak's, Symphony No. 8, and Tchaikovsky's, Piano Concerto No. 1 in Bb with celebrated pianist Stephen Prutsman. Then on Sunday, July 13 at 8pm, Jesse Winchester, 1960's folk-rock legend, singer-songwriter, and composer of “Mississippi You’re On My Mind”, “Yankee Lady” and “Brand New Tennessee Waltz” sings with his gentle, sweet voice honest, whimsical lyrics and melodic tunes. The program includes the Mendocino Coast’s hip bluegrass, R&B, rock-n-roll-influenced band, Foxglove, continuing the California folk scene making traditional, bluegrass-influenced music. On Monday, July 14 at 8pm, innovative pianist, composer and arranger Stephen Prutsman will preform his "Bach and Forth" Versatile and presents a solo piano concert of preludes and fugues mixed with jazz, world and classical music, exploring and seeking common ground in the music of all cultures. Get cool on Wednesday, July 16 at 8 pm with The Hot Club of San Francisco, borrowing the original instrumentation from the Hot Club de France (violin, bass and guitars) this group breathes new life into the gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with creative arrangements of classics and original compositions from lead guitarist Paul Mehling. Susan Waterfall, The Festival Chamber Players, and vocalist Erin Neff presents a performance-lecture of "*Degenerate Music" on Thursday, July 17 at 8 pm. After World War I, Weimar Berlin was a cauldron of artistic ferment as avant-garde artists and intellectuals, most of them Jewish, struggled to create a modern German culture. Exuberant freedom and hectic experimentation masked a sense of impending doom. After 1933, Hitler denounced them all as “degenerate” and their forced exile carried Weimar modernity to the rest of the world. A re-creation of this fascinating and pivotal era with cabaret and chamber music of Weill, Schoenberg, and Eisler, photographs and film. Opera!* Yes, a Mozart Opera right here in Mendocino on the edge of a continent: Friday, July 18 and Sunday, July 20 at 8pm. Join us and immerse yourself in a hilarious comic opera about the foibles of lovers, with the witty, rapturous music of Mozart's, "Marriage of Figaro, " and The Festival Orchestra & Cast under the baton of Alan Pollack, conductor, with baritone Brian Leerhuber, soprano Nicolle Foland, sopranos Christine Brandes and Raeeka Yaghmai, bass Eugene Brancoveanu, mezzo-sopranoDonna Olson, tenor Mark Hernandez, and bass Matthew Miksak. Big Band Night is Saturday, July 19 at 8pm. Fasten your seatbelts, Allan Pollack & The All-Star Festival Big Band is taking us for a swingin’ rocketship ride to the Nostalgia Zone, with shimmering vocals, surprise guest artists and the hot, brassy sounds of the fabulous All-Star Big Band. All lovers are Tango lovers - find out for yourself on Tuesday, July 22 at 8pm when Quintango, the aclaimed quintet of strings, piano and dancers present a sizzling, seductive and passionate interpretation of Argentine tango. “For haunting melody, rhythm that makes every part of your anatomy move and a feeling of warmth and enthusiasm, Quintango is downright wonderful.” – Charleston Post and Courier Orchestra 2 Concert - Allan Pollack conducts The Festival Orchestra & Company C Contemporary Ballet on Wednesday, July 23 at 8 pm performing Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Gershwin's exuberent ballet music, “Who Cares” and the masterfull melodies of Rossini's, Overtures. Pianist Susan Waterfall will perform Ravel's, lighthearted and brilliant *Piano Concerto, Movement No. 2.* Great Chamber Music of the 20th Century will be presented on Thursday, July 24 at 8 pm, by The Festival Chamber Players performing Harrison: Simfony # 13 for Percussion Quartet, and Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, with pianist Carolyn Steinbuck, Sergi Goldman-Hull, violin and Jill Rachuy Brindel, cello. Stravinsky: L’histoire du soldat Les Pfutzenreuter, Conductor. On Friday, July 25 at 8 pm we present Los Pingous. Natives of Buenos Aires, these musicians combine Latin rhythms, Spanish guitars, a Cuban Tres, a Peruvian cajón and harmonizing vocals to produce a vivacious sound, part salsa, part rock, part traditional Argentine music. The band has recorded four albums and appears on three Putumayo World Music compilations. Jullian Waterfall Pollack Three-O & special guest artist, Grace Weber perform on Saturday, July 26 at 3 pm. This uncannily young and astonishingly talented pianist leads his group of exceptional musicians in re-imagined jazz standards and original musical compositions that include jazz, rock and pop genres. He has performed with Joshua Redman and Nicholas Payton and appeared at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Lincoln Center and Yoshi’s. In 2007 he was a guest on Marian McPartland’s syndicated radio show, Piano Jazz. Grand Finale! Saturday, July 26 at 8 pm The Walter Green Memorial Concert presents The Festival Chorus & Orchestra performing Handel's, Royal Fireworks and Beethoven's, cosmic Symphony No. 9, with sopranno Nicolle Foland, mezzo-soprano Jean McDonald, tenor Jeff Brich, bass Matthew Miksak under the direction of Allan Pollack, conductor and Carolen Steinbuck, chorusmaster. Piano Series Lectures & Recitals at Preston Hall Sunday, July 13 – 3 pm Paul Roberts Ravel: Jeux d’eau – Selections from Miroirs Toccata from Le Tombeau de Couperin Debussy: selections from Préludes Monday, July 21 & Tuesday, July 22 – 3 pm PAUL HERSH Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II Selections from Book II will be performed on Monday, and different seclections onTuesday. Thursday, July 24 – 3 pm HELENE WICKETT Sonatas by Beethoven & Elliot Carter youth concerts Festival Tent Sunday, July 13 – 2 pm CHILDREN’S MATINEE Selections from the Opening Orchestra Concert followed by our “Instrument Petting Zoo” where you can meet the musicians and play some instruments. Sunday, July 20 – 2 pm EMERGING ARTISTS CONCERT Young Musicians from the festival’s youth program perform in chamber ensembles with skill, emotion and depth well beyond their years. village chamber concerts Tuesday, July 15 – 4 pm SAFE SAX Foot tapin’ Jazz that really swings – Hill House Lounge Friday, July 18 – 3 pm FESTIVAL CHAMBER MUSICIANS Ensembles from the Festival Orchestra perform chamber music – Evergreen Methodist Church, Fort Bragg Saturday, July 19 – 3 pm ACAFELLAS A cappella music of many genres – Preston Hall Friday, July 25 – 3 pm FERENC TOBAK FAMILY Authentic Hungarian Music played on traditional instruments – Mendocino Presbyterian Church Sanctuary Our Special Events this year include, a Gala Opening Celebration on Friday, July 11, 6 to 9pm at the Odd Fellows Hall, Meet Stephen Prutsman after the Orchestra 1 Concert on Saturday, July 12, 10 to 11pm in the Mendocino Hotel Garden Room . . Big Band Dance Party Saturday, July 19 . . The Dinner Party Monday, July 21 Program subject to change without notice The Mendocino Music Festival is produced in cooperation with California State Parks at Mendocino Headlands State Park. History The Mendocino Music Festival was established in 1986. It was the dream of local musicians and music lovers to present fine music with a mix of professional and local musicians, and the opportunity for classical music education on the Mendocino Coast. With the cooperation of the community and the Department of Parks, the first festival was presented in a tent on the Mendocino Headlands State Park in July, 1987. The tent seated 400 people and the orchestra consisted of 56 musicians. Four orchestra and four chamber concerts were presented. In 1989, a fully staged opera was added. In 1992, a Young Musicians Scholarship Program began, a program that continues today with a name change to the Emerging Artists Program. The Piano Series began in 1996 and presents master pianists in an intimate daytime lecture/recital format. The Village Chamber Concerts began in 2005 and feature local musicians in daytime concerts at different venues in Mendocino and Fort Bragg. In 2008 the Mendocino Music Festival will present thirteen evenings of music including three orchestra concerts, two evenings of opera, two chamber concerts, jazz, folk, world music and Big Band. Three of these concerts will include dance performances. The main performace tent has more than 800 seats and the orchestra consists of approximately 80 musicians. There will be four Piano Series lecture/recitals, four Village Chamber Concerts, a Children’s Matinee, an Emerging Artists concert and a special jazz/pop concert on the last Saturday of the festival, for a total of 22 concerts between Saturday, July 12 and Saturday, July 26. All orchestra and opera rehearsals are open to the public free of charge. Each year we put up a large tent and build a symphony hall from the ground up at the Mendocino Headlands State Park, Ford House Museum and Visitor Center grounds. We have established a year round presence in the town of Mendocino with our office in the Old Bank Building on the corner of Main and Kastens Streets and with concerts, dinner parties and events throughout the year. Our national and international reputation as a respected summer music festival has helped give the town of Mendocino a cultural identity. We always work to build strong economic ties with the business community and individual donors. We have developed a large volunteer network of over 200 people that help out at the festival and at our year round events. We became charter members in the Mendocino Coast Performance Art Production Alliance (PAPA) in 2000. We share storage space, set pieces, costumes, tools and technical expertise with other local performing arts non-profit organizations.

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