2026 Program Guide | Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music

CABRILLO MUSIC.ORG 9 Director &President Messages D. Riley Nicholson, Executive Director Liza Culick, Board President Thank you for joining us for our We the Dreamers season, a season moniker that speaks to the Festival’s 64-year legacy of creative dreaming. Since the beginning, the Cabrillo Festival has been the place where composers can dream up their most innovative ideas, take creative risks, and envision the artistic future for themselves and for the artform itself. Right now, “We the Dreamers" has meaning beyond creative dreaming; we’re also marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The Founders were bold enough to speak up to tyranny, declaring that everyone is created equal and that all are endowed with self-evident “unalienable Rights.” These founding ideas created a country, albeit imperfect, where free speech enabled an American musical legacy to blossom, of which we are the artistic heirs and cultural bearers. The American musical legacy’s very identity has been fundamentally shaped by the pursuit of personal freedom and a wide diaspora of voices, immigrants, and cultural influences that have made us innovative because of our vibrant diversity. As cultural leaders, we have a responsibility to protect and further this creative freedom. Protecting doesn’t mean conserving sameness, but rather creating safe spaces for cultural and social discourse—providing an uncensored platform for artists and audiences to gather for essential dialogue. In times of division, we all need artistic community and conversations to heal, connect, and envision the future. In times when creative thought is stifled, we must play louder. In times of uncertainty, dreaming itself is an act of defiance. Dreaming boldly requires fortitude. Thankfully, our fortitude is you, our committed artists, our passionate ticketholders, our enduring donors, our fiercely protective board members, our generous volunteers, and our dedicated staff. Thanks to each and every soul who comes together to make our dreaming possible. Let us intrepidly celebrate the creative process together! Welcome to the 2026 Cabrillo Festival! We invite you to immerse yourself in what promises to be a vibrant season of premieres and the chance, as always, to experience exciting, new music. Each of you here in the Civic Auditorium—audience members, musicians, composers, guest artists, Festival staff and production crew—have a critical and deeply appreciated role in creating this unique celebration of orchestral music. Music that speaks to our humanity and who we are as a community, local and global. The Cabrillo Festival is a reflection of what each of you bring to this space. We celebrate that, we honor it, and we thank you for making this Festival possible. I want to take this opportunity to shine a light on the Festival’s Board of Directors, who collectively and individuallyworkhardyear-roundtosecureafinancially healthy organization, and to ensure support for the artistic voices of our time. Yet, our Board’s role and spirit also transcends that important responsibility. We have a fierce and fearless commitment to creating a safe space for artists, an environment that encourages boldness and risk-taking. I amso proud to be a part of the Festival Board, a group of amazing individuals whose leadership creates this unique place for musicians, composers, and guest artists to flourish and to explore their artistry without limits. I look forward to seeing you in the hall!