Concerts The first Mainly Mozart Festival in June 1989 – a series of nine concerts—was performed on the outdoor stage of the
Old Globe Theatre in
Balboa Park. Over the ensuing years, Mainly Mozart has increased its overall annual concert performances staged at various venues. In June 2008, and just in time for the 20th anniversary of the Mainly Mozart Festival, Mainly Mozart will become the primary tenant of the restored 83-year-old, 1,300-seat
Balboa Theatre in downtown San Diego. A $26-million renovation of the “jewel box” theatre has maintained its blend of
Mediterranean,
Moorish and
Spanish Revival architectural styles. Since 1992, the Balboa Theatre has been on the
National Register of Historic Places. San Diego’s Centre City Development Corporation funded the restoration.
Spotlight Series In 1996, Mainly Mozart began producing the Spotlight Series featuring chamber music concerts during the winter and spring. The principal home of the series is
Scripps Research in
La Jolla, but facilities in the north
San Diego County coastal community of
Carlsbad, and the inland community of
Rancho Santa Fe are also used.
Bi-national and educational outreach In 1992 the Mainly Mozart Orchestra was invited to participate in the first Festival Internacional de Mozart in
Baja California (now Mozart Binacional). This was also the year that Mainly Mozart established an educational component to bring music to students in low income or at risk neighborhoods in both San Diego County and Baja California. These programs are continually expanding and now reach over 60,000 students in both countries. The lives and music of
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and
Ludwig van Beethoven are brought to school children through the Living Composers Series. These informative and entertaining half-hour assemblies engage students in interactive mini-plays set to the music of these master composers. Question and answer session rounds out the teaching session, and in-school materials are provided for both the pre- and post- performance educational activities. Mainly Mozart also has been working to enrich the lives of economically disadvantaged families in
Southeast San Diego through a partnership with the Jackie Robinson Family
YMCA. Mainly Mozart's free ticket program has allowed hundreds of children to enjoy their very first concert experience at
Jacobs Music Center (home of the
San Diego Symphony). In another outreach program, Mainly Mozart offers high school and college music students discounted concert tickets. == Other endeavors ==