Chamber collective Camerata Pacifica has just announced programming for its 2026-27 season, where they will debut eight programs, with different instruments featured throughout the season’s repertoire. The season will feature the world premieres of a mixed octet by Niloufar Nourbakhsh and a mixed sextet by Howard Frazin, both commissioned by Camerata Pacifica.
Six of these will be standard chamber music programs; the other two are piano recitals. Performances are set to take place in Santa Barbara, Thousand Oaks, San Marino, and Los Angeles. Santa Barbara performances will take place at Music Academy of the West.
“We are in the best time for classical music in history,” Founder and Director Adrian Spence said. “There’s more creativity, more new music being written. Younger people are coming into it with brand new ears.”
The new season kicks off October 11-15 with performances of works by Rachmaninoff and Schubert. The debut performance will include piano, cello, and violin.
Spence specifically highlighted the season debuts of Los Angeles Philharmonic Principal Harpist Emmanuel Ceysson and Cristina Montes Mateo, Valencia Opera House principal harpist and royal harpist to the King and Queen of Spain.
Spence also announced they will be performing in an all-harp program during the season.
“They are featured on a fascinating all-harp program that demonstrates the instrument’s considerable timbre and range,” he said.
Among the changes for the 2026-27 season are the appointments of Principal Flutist Sébastian Jacot and violinist Che-Yen Chen.
“We welcome them to their new principal roles and are excited to share more of their talent with audiences throughout this season and beyond,” Spence said. “They absolutely floored the audience as well as our musicians with their exceptional artistry and masterful technique during appearances in previous seasons,” he added.
The new program will also consist of a string trio, and music from renowned composers such as Bach, Mozart, Schubert and other classical works.
Spence noted that, this season, Camerata Pacifica continues its tradition of elevating its concerts with understated visual elements, such as video content, projections, and theatrical lighting.
He said the purpose of these additions are “to enrich the audience’s experience and enhance and heighten the music being performed.”
As for overall programming, Spence said he is “looking for a continual evolution. I never want to be sitting still. I want Camerata Pacifica to be advancing the art. I want us to be part of the vanguard.”
The Santa Barbara performance dates are as follows (all at 7 p.m.): Thurs., Oct. 15; Fri., Nov. 13; Mon., Dec. 7; Fri., Jan. 15; Fri., Feb. 19; Fri., March 26; Fri., April 16; and Fri., May 14. All performances in Santa Barbara will be at Music Academy of the West.
For additional information and tickets, visit cameratapacifica.org.
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