classical music Archives - Cali Coast Wine Country

It isn’t hard to spend ten perfect days in San Luis Obispo (SLO), with its year-round sun, warm Mediterranean marine climate, world-class wine region and thousands of acres of protected open space. But when Festival Mozaic comes to town, all of SLO County becomes the stage, with 50 of the top musicians gathering to make music together, share in our culinary bounty and, of course, enjoy a glass or two of wine.

Since 1970, Festival Mozaic has been providing world-class music experiences in spectacular spaces for visitors to SLO County. Enjoy musical concerts in amazing spots like the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Serra Chapel high on a hill in wine country, an old adobe amid gorgeous gardens and the state-of-the-art Cuesta College Cultural and Performing Arts Center.

Internationally-acclaimed conductor and violinist Scott Yoo serves as Music Director, and as he travels the globe, he hand-picks the best musicians to invite to the Festival. Established musical masters play alongside up-and-coming classical and crossover starts – the festival is the only place you can see some of these musicians perform!

You’ll see musicians everywhere in SLO County, during the last 2 weeks of July, at wineries, churches, private homes and concert halls. If you see someone with an instrument case, chances are they’re in town for the Festival! Ask them how playing at Carnegie Hall compares to playing in the vines at Chapel Serra in Shandon. They’ll be sure to tell you nothing can compare.

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Join musicians from the orchestra in an outdoor Benefit Dinner in the Plaza featuring farm-to-table delicacies and elegant local wines (in past years, from Big Sky Café and Claiborne and Churchill), then follow the players inside the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa to see Maestro Yoo conduct the Orchestra in a concert.

You can also crossover to the Fringe side with the bold sounds of UnClassical music, like string trio Simply Three or Ancient Future, who play incendiary covers of pop music songs of today. These are truly shows for all ages.

On the first Saturday of the festival, be transported to a heavenly place with Baroque in the Vines in a venue like no other, Serra Chapel in Shandon. Sit outside this private chapel’s massive, open doors as beautiful music wafts over the vines from the orchestra inside. Arrive early for picknicking, tour the chapel’s interior and enjoy the views!

Award-winning wine and farm-to-fork cuisine are both fueled by SLO’s close proximity to California’s agricultural epicenter, and play a big part in the Festival’s events. Mingle with other attendees as you dine in gardens, courtyards and even poolside before hearing Beethoven in a Barn!

In this hectic, fast-paced, plugged-in world, classical music performances gives us space to sit together, relax, and let timeless beauty wash over us. At Festival Mozaic, the best classical musicians in the United States come together in SLO County to make this music for the audiences, and to enjoy each other’s company.

There is a little known gem of a chapel in Shandon California, just outside of Paso Robles, high on a hill with a trail of grapevines leading up to it. It’s got an amazing view of the Paso Robles countryside, and is an enjoyable short but steep hike―about a half mile and 300 feet elevation. The chapel is close to Shandon’s James Dean Memorial and the Jack Ranch Cafe, where you can get a burger made from Hearst Ranch grass-fed beef (but you have to ask for it specifically – otherwise you get basic beef) as well as taste Hearst Ranch wines.

To get there, drive east past Shandon, then turn left on McMillan Canyon Road. You can see the chapel far off in the distance. Drive to the base of the chapel to a small parking lot. You may be the only car in the lot and the only folks for miles!

The chapel is open to the public on Sunday mornings for Catholic services, and the grounds are open daily for folks to hike up. (There are no official hours posted anywhere, so you may encounter a closure.)

And the best part: once year in July, Festival Mozaic puts on a show every July at the chapel – see photos at the end of this post! The orchestra sits inside with the big wooden doors open, and the audience sits outside in the evening air. With a picnic, friends and classical music wafting over the vines, it’s the ultimate, tucked-away event of the summer.