Mainly Mozart Expands Wine Pairing Series with Top U.S. Concertmasters for 2025/2026 Season
Mainly Mozart is expanding its innovative Wine Pairing Series featuring four prominent American concertmasters, reflecting growing audience demand for immersive cultural experiences that combine classical music with curated wine tastings.
The San Diego nonprofit Mainly Mozart announced the return of its Wine Pairing Series for the 2025/2026 season, expanding the program to include four concertmasters across four performance weekends following strong audience response to its 2024 debut. Presented by Jean-Charles Boisett Wineries, the series adds Saturday concerts alongside Sundays and will again be hosted at the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club, demonstrating the growing popularity of multisensory cultural experiences that blend fine arts with culinary offerings.
The expanded series features four of America's leading concertmasters: Jun Iwasaki of the Kansas City Symphony performing November 15-16, 2025; Nurit Bar-Josef of the National Symphony appearing January 10-11, 2026; Nathan Cole of the Boston Symphony scheduled for February 21-22, 2026; and Frank Huang of the New York Philharmonic concluding the series April 11-12, 2026. Each weekend features additional principal musicians from their respective orchestras, creating intimate ensembles for the pairing events.
The unique format begins with an open hors d'oeuvres reception before audiences are seated for the combined concert and tasting experience. Each musical piece is paired with curated wines specifically chosen to mirror the style and emotion of the music, with selection commentary provided before each work. This approach creates a multisensory experience that enhances both the musical appreciation and wine tasting aspects of the event.
Nancy Laturno, Mainly Mozart Co-Founder and CEO, emphasized the innovative nature of the programming. The expansion to include both Saturday and Sunday performances with an additional concertmaster reflects the program's successful debut and growing audience interest in immersive cultural experiences that go beyond traditional concert formats.
Tickets are available at https://www.mainlymozart.org/wine-series, with seating limited and early purchase recommended. Concert times are scheduled for 5:00 PM wine receptions followed by 6:00 PM pairing events on Saturdays, and 4:00 PM receptions with 5:00 PM events on Sundays. The series represents a significant evolution in how classical music organizations are adapting programming to meet changing audience expectations for experiential entertainment that combines multiple art forms.