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share your story From student ushers, to world famous composers, seasoned patrons to new orchestra members the Festival has created thousands of stories held by thousands of people throughout its 41 year history. We would like to begin to archive these unforgettable Festival experiences by having people share in their own words what makes this Festival one-of-a-kind in the world. Below is a starting point of categories to help gather your memories. If your story defies categorization tell it anyway— the festival is not about confines. Have fun. We’ll post an assortment of stories and update them periodically. View our current stories now or enter one of your own below!
Current Stories The festival has been a great blessing to our family (and I
think to all families in Santa Cruz). I have a very unusual daughter who
started walking and bilingual talking at 6m and was running fast and non
stop movement at 9m when we went to our first "family concert" at the
festival. She was mesmerized and this child who is always in movement, did
not move for the entire concert which let me know how much she loved
it. Before a year she started asking for "opera" that I thought must be
because she liked the word as we know little on that topic. But soon it
became clear that it was "opera" that she liked and was requesting and not
just the word. So that next summer at around 21m, I saw her mesmerized
again as she watched the opera "little women" and true to her word she was
still and quiet the whole time.
Festival violinist John Andersen has been a guest in our home on
three different occasions but had never practiced at the house. On his last
stay, my wife, Robin, hounded him until he finally gave in and played in the
kitchen while she prepared dinner. It was a glorious day with all windows
and doors wide open and John gave a stunning concert for all within earshot.
When he finished, I opened the door on my way to the wine cellar, and there
was Thelma, our friendly hen, perched on the stair landing. Apparently she
had entered through the garage door and made her way up the stairway to
enjoy the music at close range. We all had a good laugh and I took our
musical 'girl' back to the coop.
When we bought our house in 1989, the owner and her deceased husband had been original and long time festival supporters. She told us that if we bought the house we would have to house a festival musician! We agreed and have spent many years hosting composers and guest artists. This turned out to be one of the best purchase/sale conditions providing unforgettable experiences and some life long friends.
My three year old daughter accompanied me to the 2002 Festival.
For two weeks she attended every rehearsal and concert. While wandering
"backstage" one afternoon, we passed by Marin walking from her dressing room
to go out and start a rehearsal. Grace was unabashedly singing away in the
hallway - Marin recognized the music she was belting out - the theme to
Daugherty's "Route 66". Later on in the week, she was inspired to create
elaborate pictures of stories about aliens, and was asking to give them to
the soloist, Evelyn Glennie (who performed the concerto "UFO"). Who would
have guessed she'd be so inspired by the music? I was first introduced to the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary
Music when I was a staff member at KUSP National Public Radio station in
1984. Dennis Russell Davies was the composer at the first Cabrillo Festival
that I attended, and it was a truly magical ear-opening experience! My son
Joel Ford had the incredible opportunity to join the Festival student staff
in 1994 when he was just 16 years old, and an aspiring musician. Joel is now
a music major at UCSC and continues to work with the Cabrillo Festival
student musicians at past festivals. The Festival offers an invaluable
community service by providing a world-class musical forum in which our
children can participate, learn, and flourish.
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