Sommelier Chamber Music
The Country’s Top Violinists Paired with the World’s Finest Wines
This one-of-a-kind classical music and wine event promises to let you “taste what you hear,” as the country’s top concertmasters collaborate with world-renowned sommeliers. Mainly Mozart will present the first ever Sommelier Chamber Music series this Fall. Mainly Mozart is best known for its annual Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival – home to the largest gathering of concertmasters and principal players in the United States.
Each performance in this new series will be led by a concertmaster (the lead violinist of an orchestra) who will collaborate with their chosen sommelier to connect the music performed to the perfect glass of wine. The musicians and the sommeliers will discuss the connection between the wine and the performance between each musical section.
“There is such a rich history and depth of feeling that exists with classical music,” said Mainly Mozart CEO Nancy Laturno on developing the series. “It is a uniquely emotive art form, and we believe that this will be a sensory experience that you will never forget.”
The three-Saturday series opens November 16, in a concert featuring Philadelphia Orchestra concertmaster David Kim who will be paired with Rafael Peterson, former Wine Director of Born and Raised and Dining Room Captain of ADDISON. Kim will be performing with his orchestral colleagues Burchard Chang, viola and Priscilla Lee, cello and will feature works by Beethoven, Handel and Dohnanyi.
The series continues on January 11, with Dallas Symphony Concertmaster Alexander Kerr joined by Dallas Symphony co-concertmaster Nathan Olson and pianist Anton Nel. They will be partnering with expert sommelier Gabriela Gaeta, who will be presenting wines highlighting Baja California and more.
The new series will close on February 8, with a concert showcasing Los Angeles Philharmonic Concertmaster and Mainly Mozart favorite Martin Chalifour – who also first performed with the Mainly Mozart Festival in its inaugural year in 1989 – accompanied by pianist Steven Vanhauwaert featuring works by Dvorak, Brahms and Ravel. They will be partnering with a special surprise sommelier to be revealed nearer the event date.
Each evening will begin with an hour-long wine and appetizer reception followed by an intermission-free concert. Seating will be at tables-of-four with a limited number of individual seats. The event will take place at the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club in Rancho Santa Fe.
Culinary Concerto Culinary Director and Executive Producer Chef Claudia Sandoval, MasterChef winner and Judge, is coordinating with the sommeliers and wineries, and will carry the wine regions represented at Sommelier Series into the second annual Culinary Concerto, set for March 15, 2025.
To learn more about the event or to purchase tickets, please visit mainlymozart.org/wine or call (619) 239-0100.