Festival Mozaic’s WinterMezzo series runs November 15-17, 2019, offering three days of music, food, wine, and education. Well known for its popular summer music festival, Festival Mozaic brings world-class chamber music performances to scenic San Luis Obispo County, California, throughout the year with its WinterMezzo series. At each WinterMezzo series, audiences can experience the chosen repertoire to the fullest by attending three sequential events: two Notable Encounters, in which the musicians talk about the pieces and perform excerpts, and a traditional concert. One of the Notable Encounters is paired with a special dinner hosted and sponsored by longtime Festival partner Vina Robles Vineyards & Winery. The goal of these sequential programs is to give each attendee a richer understanding of the works before the final performance on Sunday afternoon.
Scott Yoo, the Festival’s Music Director, curates the WinterMezzo series, which showcases exceptional artists performing in intimate venues. Yoo will perform as violinist in these programs along with featured artists. Yoo is in residence in San Luis Obispo six weeks annually; he serves as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Mexico City Philharmonic, and he recently conducted the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in two recording projects. Yoo is also the host and co-executive producer of Now Hear This, a music and travel TV program that premiered nationally on PBS in September 2019 as part of the Great Performances series. Yoo plans to feature Festival Mozaic and San Luis Obispo in future episodes of the series, which is currently in production on a second season.
As part of this WinterMezzo series, Yoo will be performing Beethoven’s Spring Sonata for violin and piano, a piece from Beethoven’s middle period, which is more light and delicate in character than listeners have come to expect of the composer. Joining Yoo for this piece is pianist Ayako Tsuruta, who makes her Festival Mozaic and San Luis Obispo debuts at these performances. Tsuruta is the director of the Odyssey Chamber Music Series and the Plowman Chamber Music Competition in Columbia, Missouri.
“I love the format of our WinterMezzo weekends,” Yoo says. “The sequential nature of the events allows us, the performers, to delve deep into each of the selected pieces and convey more meaning to the listeners. I always encourage everyone to attend each of the Notable Encounters before the Sunday concert.”
Along with Yoo and Tsuruta, Festival Mozaic welcomes two other performers back to San Luis Obispo — violist Jessica Chang and cellist Bion Tsang. Chang is the founder of Chamber Music by the Bay, a non-profit that brings classical music to more than 2,000 students and community members through programs at schools, libraries, and hospitals throughout the San Francisco area. Tsang is the Head of Strings and Professor of Cello at the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas-Austin. He has appeared regularly at the WinterMezzo series and recently performed as a concerto soloist with the San Luis Obispo Symphony.
The performers will explore three works:
- DOHNÁNYI – Serenade in C major, op. 10
- BEETHOVEN – Sonata No. 5 in F major, op. 24 Spring
- DVOŘÁK – Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, op. 87
As part of the Festival’s commitment to music education, Yoo will present a free Saturday morning master class for local violinists. Musicians from the Cal Poly Music Department and the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony will perform for Yoo’s critiques and suggestions. Anyone may attend, and no tickets are required.
Tickets for this WinterMezzo weekend and the subsequent February and April weekends are available at FestivalMozaic.com. Package discounts are available.