Valley of the Moon Music Festival Announces 11th Season: 'Liaisons'

Violinist, Rachell Ellen Wong. Photo by Richard Bowditch

Festival returns July 12–27 to Sonoma with 10 performances, 3 lectures, and events highlighting musical relationships across time and place.

SONOMA, CA, UNITED STATES, June 16, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Valley of the Moon Music Festival (VMMF) returns July 12–27, 2025, for its 11th season, titled “Liaisons”—a vibrant musical exploration of the personal and artistic relationships that have shaped chamber music across centuries and continents. Under the artistic direction of cellist Tanya Tomkins and fortepianist Eric Zivian, VMMF presents ten concerts performed on historical instruments, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience classical repertoire as it was originally intended. Nestled in the heart of Sonoma’s Wine Country, the Festival brings together emerging artists, renowned performers, and enthusiastic audiences in an intimate and immersive celebration of music.

Season highlights include:
--Collaborative Repertoire: Programs span works by Bach, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, and others, revealing the artistic bonds that link composers across time and place.

--Stellar Lineup: Tomkins and Zivian are joined by an intergenerational roster of Apprentices, Fellows, Laureates, and guest artists in both classic and unexpected chamber configurations.

--Immersive Experiences: Each concert at the Hanna Center Auditorium is followed by a complimentary wine reception. The Festival also features the pre-concert Blattner Lecture Series, hosted by Harvard musicologist Kate van Orden, offering historical insights to deepen the audience experience.

--Community Building: A free Kids & Family Concert on July 27 features Grammy Award–winning jazz violinist Mads Tolling and the 2025 Apprentice Quartet. A pay-what-you-choose concert at La Luz Center on July 17 spotlights Spanish-speaking composers, performed by artists including Marc Teicholz and Beneath a Tree, with commentary in Spanish and English.

Concert Highlights:
The Festival opens July 12 with “Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn: A Musical Family”—a heartfelt portrait of the celebrated siblings. The program features Fanny Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio and Felix’s luminous String Quintet in A Major, alongside selections by J.S. Bach, who inspired them both.

Other programs include “Wagner and the French: A Love-Hate Relationship,” exploring the push and pull between Romanticism and French modernism; “Nadia Boulanger: 20th-Century Influencer,” which showcases music by Boulanger and her iconic students; and “Clara Schumann and Her Circle,” a tribute to the composer and her artistic peers, including Amanda Maier and Brahms.

The second Alfresco Concert takes place July 22 at Buena Vista Winery. Set in a historic courtyard, this open-air event opens with a bossa nova-inspired set by cello and guitar duo Angela Lee and Marc Teicholz, followed by Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat Major—an exuberant work composed when Mendelssohn was just sixteen.

The Festival concludes July 27 with “Inspirations,” a program linking Tchaikovsky, Mozart, and Haydn in a sweeping celebration of intergenerational musical influence, performed by the full Festival ensemble.

Pre-Festival Events:
June 22 – Annual Season Kick Off Benefit Concert at Moon House Antiquarium, supporting VMMF’s education initiatives. A silent auction featuring private house concerts and dinner experiences will run through June 25.

About the Valley of the Moon Music Festival
Voted Best Chamber Music Festival in the Bay Area by San Francisco Classical Voice’s 2024 Audience Choice Awards, the Valley of the Moon Music Festival is Sonoma’s premier destination for historically informed chamber music. Since 2015, VMMF has been committed to presenting exceptional performances on period instruments while cultivating the next generation of musicians through its Apprenticeship, Fellowship, and community outreach programs.

For full schedule, tickets, and more information, visit https://valleyofthemoonmusicfestival.org.

Grace Parisi, Managing Director
Valley of the Moon Music Festival
grace@valleyofthemoonmusicfestival.org

Cecile Chaminade Piano Trio no. 1, Presto. Performed at VMMF last 2024 season

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