Following hot on the heels of a successful four-day Winter Music Festival, the announcement on February 24 of Festival Mozaic’s upcoming summer season was a hot ticket item.

Music Director Scott Yoo (photo by Brian Lawler)

Festival Mozaic board president Jeri Corgill, executive director Lloyd Tanner, and music director Scott Yoo spoke to the organization’s invited board members, staff, sponsors, and volunteers about the extensive lineup of concerts taking place July 16 to 26.

More than a score of individual events throughout the county are planned, including a gala opening celebration, a family concert featuring Poulenc’s “Babar the Elephant” and Movement Arts Center ballet dancers, three “Notable Insight” presentations, four chamber concerts, seven free mid-day mini-concerts, and special guest artists.

The Gala Celebration opening the SLO Music Festival on July 16 will honor Yoo and his 20 years of service to the organization. Clifton Swanson handed over the baton to Yoo in 2005 after more than 30 years as music director.

Guest artists include indigenous folk music duo Twin Flames on July 20, and Orquesta Akokán with its contemporary take on Cuban mambo on July 24.

The festival comes to a close on July 26 with the Festival Mozaic Orchestra performing Beethoven’s “Leonore” overture, Nielsen’s “Flute Concerto” with soloist Alice K. Dade, and Prokofiev’s suite inspired by “Romeo and Juliet.”

Single event tickets and packages are available for purchase beginning on different dates in March and April.

The Festival Experience Package includes all 12 main stage events, the classical series includes six chamber and orchestra events, and the choose-your-own series includes three or more main stage events.

By Charlotte Alexander

Charlotte Alexander is an award-winning author, editor, and publisher, with experience in media, higher education, and nonprofit settings. She has been writing reviews of local theatre productions since 2010, and her work has appeared in SLO Life Magazine, SLO Journal Plus, SLO City News, Two for the Show {Central Coast}, and most recently on her website WiseToTheWords.com. She is the co-author of "When Your Pet Outlives You: Protecting Animal Companions After You Die" (New Sage Press 2002; reprinted 2004), which won a Muse Medallion Book Award from the Cat Writers’ Association. She owns and operates C|C Imprint.