History
The Mainly Mozart was chartered in Fall 1988 and in June 1989, the first sounds of the all-star Mainly Mozart Festival orchestra, under the baton of founder Maestro David Atherton, were heard. Performed on the outdoor stage of the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park, the Festival was received enthusiastically and ever since has been praised by critics for its innovative programming and exceptional performances. After two summers at the Lowell Davies Festival Stage, the Mainly Mozart Festival moved to other venues such as the Spreckels Theatre, Tijuana’s Centro Cultural, Copley Symphony Hall and Qualcomm Hall.
In 2008, the 20th anniversary Festival was produced at downtown San Diego’s renovated Balboa Theatre, where the Festival Orchestra was designated the facility’s permanent Resident Ensemble by San Diego Theatres Inc., operator of the Balboa.
Mainly Mozart is more than just a summer festival. Begun in 1996 at the Neurosciences Institute, Mainly Mozart’s Spotlight Series features world-class musicians in chamber music concerts during the winter and spring. While the Spotlight Series has showcased such familiar Mainly Mozart Festival artists as pianists John Lill, Anton Nel, and Anne-Marie McDermott; violinists William Preucil, Martin Chalifour, and Andrés Cárdenes; violist Cynthia Phelps; and flutist Timothy Day, the series has also brought such renowned ensembles as the Beethoven Trio Vienna, the Altenberg Trio, Boston Chamber Music Society, Borromeo String Quartet, St. Petersburg String Quartet, Brentano String Quartet, Fine Arts Quartet, Cuarteto Latinoamericano and the Eroica Trio to San Diego. The principal home for this 18 concert series is the Neurosciences Institute in La Jolla, with additional performances at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe and St. Elizabeth Seton Church in Carlsbad.
Mainly Mozart maintains a commitment to diversity, collaboration and accountability. In 2001, the governors of California, Baja California and Baja California Sur commissioned Mainly Mozart to lead a goodwill tour from La Paz to San Luis Obispo with concerts, celebratory activities and musical instrument distribution for children in the most under-resourced communities along the route. In 2006, Mainly Mozart spearheaded the largest North American celebration of Mozart’s 250th birthday, and largest arts collaboration in San Diego history, enlisting 70 arts organizations in nearly 300 Mozart-themed presentations — affirming Mainly Mozart’s role as a leader in collaborations. In 2007, Mainly Mozart received the top award for board governance by Nonprofit Management Solutions, a testament to the organization’s stability and governance. In 2009, Mainly Mozart was selected as one of only 11 arts organizations in Southern California to receive a significant capacity-building grant from The James Irvine Foundation.
