SAN DIEGO, CA, May 15, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — Mainly Mozart has announced the orchestra roster for the 38th season of the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival, returning to San Diego June 17–27. The festival gathers concertmasters and principal players from the nation’s leading orchestras each summer for six unique concerts performed this year at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center and the Epstein Family Amphitheater in La Jolla.
The orchestra is led by British conductor Michael Francis, Mainly Mozart’s Music Director since 2014. A former double bassist with the London Symphony Orchestra who rose to international prominence as a conductor, Francis also serves as Music Director of The Florida Orchestra and Chief Conductor of the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz.
2026 Soloists
This year’s soloists include pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, opening the festival June 17 with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. English tenor John Russell performs Mozart’s Bardengesang auf Gibraltar June 20. Four-time Grammy Award-nominated guitarist Mak Grgić performs Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez June 21, followed by pianist Anton Nel in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9 on June 23. Grammy Award-winning violinist James Ehnes performs Schumann’s Violin Concerto in D minor June 25 before returning for closing night, June 27, alongside Robert DeMaine, principal cello of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, for Brahms’ Double Concerto in A minor, Op. 102.
This year’s roster draws concertmasters and principal players from 28 orchestras across the country: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, New West Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Oregon Symphony, Pacific Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, ROCO, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, Tucson Symphony, Utah Symphony and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival 2026 — Orchestra Roster
Concertmaster: David Kim, The Philadelphia Orchestra
Violin
Yuriy Bekker, Charleston Symphony, Concertmaster
Robyn Bollinger: Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Concertmaster
Nikki Chooi: Buffalo Philharmonic, Concertmaster
Jin-Shan Dai: Los Angeles Philharmonic
Aloysia Friedmann: ROCO, Assoc. Concertmaster
Dan Jordan: Sarasota Orchestra, Concertmaster
Alexander Kerr: Dallas Symphony, Concertmaster
Sarah Kwak: Oregon Symphony, Concertmaster
Missy Lukin: Quartet Nouveau
Jeffrey Multer: The Florida Orchestra, Concertmaster
Nathan Olson: Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Co-Concertmaster
Wes Precourt: San Diego Symphony, Assoc. Concertmaster
Lauren Roth-Gómez: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Acting Assoc./Assistant Concertmaster
Lisa Sutton: Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, Asst. Concertmaster
Nicholas Wright: Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Concertmaster
Jisun Yang: San Diego Symphony, Asst. Concertmaster
Natalie Yu: The Florida Orchestra, Second Asst. Concertmaster
Alex Velinzon: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Asst. Concertmaster
Yulia Ziskel: New York Philharmonic
Viola
*Brant Bayless: Utah Symphony, Principal
*Christian Colberg: Cincinnati Symphony, Principal
*Meredith Kufchak: Dallas Symphony, Principal
Derek Mosloff: The Florida Orchestra, Principal
Lisa Sung: Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Cello
*Robert DeMaine: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Principal
Karen Freer: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Acting Assoc. Principal
Warren Hagerty: Pacific Symphony, Principal
Austin Huntington: Indianapolis Symphony, Principal
Jason Lippmann: Los Angeles Philharmonic
Una O’Riordan: Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Anne Richardson: San Francisco Symphony, Assoc. Principal
Bass
*Scott Pingel: San Francisco Symphony, Principal
Daniel Pendley: Buffalo Philharmonic, Principal
David Allen Moore: Los Angeles Philharmonic
Susan Wulff: San Diego Symphony, Assoc. Principal
Flute
*Jeffrey Khaner: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Principal
Clay Ellerbroek: The Florida Orchestra, Principal
Randy Bowman: Cincinnati Symphony, Principal
Piccolo
Rose Lombardo: San Diego Symphony, Principal
Sandy Hughes: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Oboe
*Erin Hannigan: Dallas Symphony, Principal (former)
Dwight Parry: Cincinnati Symphony, Principal
Kevin Pearl: Milwaukee Symphony, Principal
Clarinet
*Boris Allakhverdyan: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Principal
Christopher Pell: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Principal
Joshua Ranz: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Principal
Bassoon
*Whitney Crockett: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Principal
Justin Cummings: San Francisco Symphony
Contrabassoon
Samantha Duckworth: Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (former)
French Horn
*Abel Pereira: National Symphony, Principal
Lily Kern: Rochester Philharmonic, Principal
Haley Hoops: Dallas Symphony
Elizabeth Linares Montero: Los Angeles Philharmonic
Kaylet Torrez: Pacific Symphony, Asst. Principal
Trumpet
*Anthony Limoncelli: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Principal
Ansel Norris: The Florida Orchestra, Asst. Principal
Trombone
*Kyle Covington: San Diego Symphony, Principal
*David Rejano Cantero: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Principal
John Lofton: Los Angeles Philharmonic
Hiram Rodriguez: New West Symphony, Principal
Percussion and Timpani
*Jauvon Gilliam: National Symphony, Principal
*Wesley Sumpter: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Asst. Principal
Trevor Barroero: Tucson Symphony, Principal
David Riccobono: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Asst. Principal
Alana Wiesing: Tucson Symphony, Principal
Piano/Harpsichord
Anton Nel
Harp
Julie Ann Phillips, San Diego Symphony, Principal
Soprano Sax
Damon Zick
*Principal
2026 Dates:
Wednesday, June 17 | 7:00pm |The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
Saturday June 20 | 7:00pm | The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
Sunday, June 21 | 3:00pm | The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
Tuesday, June 23 | 7:00pm | The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
Thursday, June 25 | 7:00pm | The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
Saturday, June 27 | 7:00pm | UC San Diego Epstein Family Amphitheater
Venue Addresses:
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center | 7600 Fay Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037
UC San Diego’s Epstein Family Amphitheater | 9480 Innovation Ln, San Diego 92093
Tickets:
Tickets are available at mainlymozart.org/allstar or by calling the box office at (619) 955-8273, Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–5:00 pm. Single tickets for Epstein Family Amphitheater concerts range from $26 to $262. Single tickets for Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center concerts range from $71 to $162. Subscription packages are also available.
About Mainly Mozart
Since 1988, Mainly Mozart has brought the San Diego community together to experience the finest in orchestral music, intimate concert experiences, and extraordinary music education for young people. The Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival has earned its place as the largest gathering of Concertmasters and Principal Players in the United States, drawing top-tier musicians from the world’s greatest orchestras — including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and dozens more. Mainly Mozart’s mission is to enrich the lives of today’s and tomorrow’s passionate music lovers by connecting them to the genius and innovation of Mozart and the Masters, to world-class musicians and music-making, and to each other. For more information, visit mainlymozart.org. Follow Mainly Mozart on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.
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