Carmel/Monterey, CA – Monterey Symphony concludes its 80th season with concerts on Saturday, May 16th, 2026, at 7:30 PM and on Sunday, May 17th, at 3:00 PM at Sunset Center in Carmel with Music Director Jayce Ogren.
Concerts: ““We close the Monterey Symphony season by commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, in a program that highlights the wondrous diversity and richness of our nation. Highlights include the professional premiere of the Monterey Symphony co-commissioned work Marmoris by acclaimed composer Sarah Kirkland Snider; Bernstein’s raucous and romantic Symphonic Dances from West Side Story; and Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, with a surprise guest narrator reading from Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address,” says Music Director Jayce Ogren.
Pre-Concert Lectures – Lectures are included with all concert tickets and are held on Saturday, 6:30-7:00 PM with Musicologist Christopher Anderson-Bazzoli, and Sunday, 2:00-2:30 PM with Music Director and Conductor Jayce Ogren, in the Sunset Center auditorium. Lectures are free and open to the public.
Sunday Pre-concert Music – On Sundays, the Symphony offers Lobby Sessions with Live Music in the lobby from 1:30-1:50 PM. The May concert Lobby Session features Symphony concertmaster Christina Mok and Principal Timpani, Eric He. Arrive early to hear our musicians up close while enjoying refreshments from the Sunset Center Café. Lobby Sessions are free and open to the public.
Tickets are $50 for Tier 3, $70 for Tier 2, and $90 for Tier 1 seats. Students, teachers, and military tickets are $12.
About the Monterey Symphony: The Monterey Symphony was founded in 1946 and presents double weekend performances during the academic calendar, opening the season at Forest Theater, followed by six more programs at the Sunset Center in Carmel-by-the-Sea. For each program, the Symphony orchestra is comprised of 80 professional musicians from throughout California. The Symphony is committed to bringing people together through music and using the healing power of music to transform lives. The Symphony actively engages patrons of all ages through a variety of partnerships and initiatives, including performances for thousands of local school children. The Symphony’s mission is to entertain and engage our community through musical performance and education. Monterey Symphony regularly receives national attention for the strength of its audience support, robust subscription renewals and audience retention.
Performances at Sunset Center, Carmel, San Carlos and 9th Ave.
www.montereysymphony.org