As summer starts to take over, San Francisco finally brightens up. It’s about time. But even when the sun shines in the Bay, sometimes you still want plans further afield to really get into the summer state of mind. Enter a timeless Cali summer favorite, Santa Cruz. With its iconic boardwalk, the Giant Dipper, scenic hikes, and its beach movie night series starting up again next month, it’s the perfect summer getaway. And returning this month is its iconic community classical and chamber music festival, ‘Music in May’.
‘Music in May’ is a laid-back, multi-day celebration of live classical and contemporary chamber music, featuring a mix of fantastic ticketed and free performances across town. With classical music enjoying a surge in popularity—thanks in part to the iconic Candlelight concert series in both Santa Cruz and San Francisco—these free concerts promise to be just as boundary-pushing and rewarding. It’s a festival that’s truly from the community, for the community, and not one to miss this year.
‘Music in May’ – What’s going on this year?
The performers are mostly California locals, with only a few exceptions. The program is carefully designed to blend classical and chamber music in a way that feels both accessible and magical. And if it’s ambient venues showcasing classical masterpieces you’re after, the festival takes place across a range of unique spaces, letting you truly experience the best of what Santa Cruz has to offer.
Free and ticketed concerts during ‘Music in May’
Kicking things off, Ensemble San Francisco brings a mix of Beethoven, Max Richter, and more to the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. The following day, pop-up concerts take over Bookshop Santa Cruz, with performances from the ensemble alongside local talent. One of the standout moments comes with the El Sistema Youth Orchestra, a group of young musicians using orchestral playing to drive positive social change, before the free events wrap up with a public rehearsal of Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat.
The ticketed main stage concerts round things out in style at Samper Recital Hall. On May 30, expect a dynamic evening featuring works by Brian Raphael Nabors, Payton MacDonald, and Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat. Then on May 31, the focus shifts to Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, alongside pieces by Corelli, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and Polina Nazaykinskaya—bringing the festival to a strong, classical close.
Other summer activities in Santa Cruz
If you’re after something beyond classical music, Santa Cruz has plenty going on in the summer. The beach movie series returns on June 12th, offering the chance to watch your favorite films under the stars, while the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy blends cocktails and literature in a completely unique way. You can also catch the iconic Candlelight concert series in the historic Cocoanut Grove, a National Historic Landmark where the glass-domed Sun Room make summer feel closer than ever.
