| Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Orchestra, new music |
| Dates | late July–August |
| Location(s) | Santa Cruz, California, USA |
| Years active | Annual since 1963 |
| Founders | Lou Harrison |
| Organised by | Cristian Măcelaru (Music Director) |
| Website | www.cabrillomusic.org |
The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music is an annual Festival dedicated to contemporary symphonic music by living composers. The music director since 2017 has been Cristian Măcelaru. According to Jesse Rosen, CEO of the League of American Orchestras, the Festival is "distinctive for being focused entirely on contemporary works."[1] Each year, a tenured orchestra gathers in Santa Cruz, California to rehearse five programs of contemporary music, often world, US, or West Coast premieres. Most of the composers whose work is performed each season come to the Festival to be in residence and participate in the rehearsals and performances of their work, as well as to participate in public panel discussions, lectures, and concert introductions. The Festival also presents guest artists and ensembles known for contemporary music performance, such as Kronos Quartet or eighth blackbird.