Classical

Since its inception in 2010, Rising Stars of Opera has featured vocal artistry, stirring melodies, and a glimpse at the opera stars of tomorrow, and every ticket has been free to the public thanks to Barbara K. Jackson.

Rising Stars of Opera features singers from the acclaimed San Francisco Opera Center performing a wide range of great arias with full orchestral accompaniment from our own UC Davis Symphony Orchestra.

Renowned for her refined artistry and flawless technical control, Yeol Eum Son brings electrifying contrasts to her Mondavi Center debut. 

Born in Wonju, South Korea, Son studied at Korea National University of Arts, winning medals at both the Van Cliburn and International Tchaikovsky Competitions.

A stunning night of star-powered orchestral music.

Acclaimed conductor Marin Alsop leads the San Francisco Symphony in a cinematic piece written for her by John Adams and Shostakovich’s masterful Fifth Symphony. Serbian-French violinist Radulović will bring electric energy and expressive virtuosity to Barber’s lyrical, demanding violin concerto.

The Rosamunde String Quartet is composed of musicians from some of the world’s leading orchestras.

Its members include Noah Bendix-Balgley, first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic; Shanshan Yao, principal violinist of the Kammerakademie Potsdam and former member of the New York Philharmonic; Teng Li, principal viola of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; and Nathan Vickery, cellist of the New York Philharmonic.

The National Symphony Orchestra appears under the baton of critically acclaimed Music Director Gianandrea Noseda. 

Celebrated violinist Ray Chen returns to the Mondavi Center to perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. The program is bookended by Carlos Simon’s vibrant tribute to the orchestra’s home city, Washington, D.C., and the euphoric lyricism and triumphant sweep of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8. 

Since its formation in 2010 at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, the Calidore String Quartet has been recognized for achieving an extraordinary combination of individual artistry and collective expression. 

As The Washington Post described the ensemble: “four more individual musicians are unimaginable, yet these speak, breathe, think and feel as one.” Their artistry reflects a profound engagement with both the classical canon and the evolving language of 21st-century chamber music.  

The Arcis Saxophone Quartet, named after Munich's iconic Arcis Street, has emerged as one of the most vibrant and active classical ensembles globally.

Inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, this program presents a kaleidoscope of preludes and fugues where the timeless mastery of Johann Sebastian Bach's meets the creativity of musicians and composers from all centuries and styles.

Celebrating their 20th Anniversary as a duo, cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianist Inon Barnatan present a program drawn from the earliest years of their collaboration. 

Hearing Beethoven’s symphonies performed on period instruments in the majestic acoustic environment of Jackson Hall is an opportunity to truly step back in time. 

Led by music director Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations creates vital interpretations of two of Beethoven's most groundbreaking orchestral works, the heroic third and iconic fifth, as audiences may have experienced them two centuries ago. 

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is a musical democracy, proving for over fifty years what happens when exceptional artists gather with total trust in each other and faith in the creative process. 

This same spirit informs their collaborations, like this exceptional program with pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. Mozart’s final piano concert, so filled with warmth, serenity and melodic beauty, will be the centerpiece of a remarkable evening of music missing only one thing: a conductor!