Call your friends, pack a picnic for the family or spend a romantic evening for two under the stars with Cal Phil, Maestro Vener and some of the greatest music ever written. The sounds of summer ring out in glorious style at the world-famous Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden in Arcadia, bringing thousands of eager music lovers together for evenings filled with the excitement of great music.

You’ll be surrounded by The Arboretum’s lush landscape and the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains as you enjoy the music, the atmosphere and your favorite food and beverages. Choose from tables, chairs or lawn area seating, as best suits your party’s needs. Come early and enjoy a gourmet meal prepared on-site or bring your own favorites from home.

Event Schedule

Saturday, June 28: America The Beautiful
Rhapsody in Blue
New York, New York
Grand Canyon Suite
Appalachian Spring
California Suite
Chicago

Make sure your summer travel plans include this musical tour of America, conducted by a guide guaranteed to bring the sights--and especially the sounds--of this symphonic journey to resounding life: Maestro Victor Vener. Cal Phil celebrates the diverse cultures and musics that reflect America’s peoples and their unique American lives with an incredible lineup of featured artists: singer James Tormé, son of the legendary Mel Tormé, with his jazz trio, as well as piano virtuoso Norman Krieger.

Playboy Jazz Festival founder Hugh Hefner says “James Tormé is a chip off the old block, and a mighty cool block it is. His daddy would be proud. The Washington Post called pianist Norman Krieger “...an artist of unusual sensitivity with the technical control to do absolutely anything he wants....”


Saturday, July 12: Andrew Lloyd Webber Meets Puccini
If Puccini were alive today, he’d undoubtedly have collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber by now. So Cal Phil is doing it for him!  This concert of show tunes and arias features “music of the night” performed by stars of both the musical theatre and opera stage.

Known as Los Angeles’ own Evita, the Boston Globe raved “Valerie Perri is electrifying and sensational!” The Sacramento Bee loved Robert MacNeil’s “...sterling, pinpoint perfect voice.” Catch the buzz: Hear emerging L.A. Opera artist and Met National Council Audition winner Angel Blue. 


Saturday, July 26: Rodgers & Hammerstein
Oklahoma!
The Sound of Music
The King and I
South Pacific
Carousel
State Fair

Not just the hills but the skies above the Arboretum and the halls of L.A.’s most renowned concert venue will be “alive with the sound of music” when Cal Phil pays tribute to one of Broadway’s most popular (and prolific) songwriting duos: Rodgers and Hammerstein. 

Time magazine called Suzanna Guzmán “a fire-eating actress who gave a devastatingly sexy performance.” Her distinctive voice and devastating stage presence will astound you. Known worldwide for his work on Broadway in Les Miserables, Kevin Earley brings his inimitable talents to these classic songs. An audience favorite wherever he goes, the Hollywood Reporter called him “irrepressible and adorable.”


Saturday, August 9: Movie Magic
Titanic
The Godfather
Schindler’s List
Lawrence of Arabia
An American In Paris
Organ Symphony (Theme from Babe)
Rocky

Cal Phil brings the silver screen to the orchestra stage…now it’s not Sly Stallone or Gene Kelly who play the leads, but the music itself. Hear the Oscar-winning scores that made these films classics. The stars include violinist/pianist Ayke Agus and composers like John Williams and George Gershwin. Leading this exceptional cast is Cal Phil’s superstar, Maestro Vener.

The Los Angeles Times raved of Ayke Agus: “...exceptionally fluent, graceful and accurate...the sort of apparently easygoing, technically whiz-bang pianist, that other pianists talk about with awe.” Don’t miss this chance to see her artistry on piano and violin on the same concert!


Saturday, August 23: Beethoven, Bernstein & Bolero
Ode to Joy
West Side Story
Bolero
Candide

Prepare to be seduced! After all, whose pulse doesn’t pound and heart leap in delight as they hear the opening strains to Beethoven’s immortal Ode to Joy with full orchestra and chorus, or Leonard Bernstein’s irresistible West Side Story and Candide? As for Bolero, there’s good reason it earned “shouts and cheers from the audience” at its debut in 1929 and has continued to do so forever after…as Cal Phil will once again prove.

L.A. Opera Artist Cedric Berry’s voice and stage presence are beyond compare. Plácido Domingo notes that Suzanna Guzmán is “an excellent singer and actress and personality....”  Khori Dastoor’s debut as Lucia di Lamermoor was “...the stuff of art,” according to Opera News. Tenor Kalil Wilson is a 2008 Metropolitan Opera National Audition Finalist--come and hear why!


Saturday, September 6: Gotta Dance
The Blue Danube
Glenn Miller
The Beatles
Firebird Suite
The Mamas and The Papas
Dance of the Seven Veils

The Glenn Miller Orchestra is not the only orchestra you’ll want to dance to! Just try and stay seated as Cal Phil presents an eclectic medley of works inspired by the world of dance, ranging from perennial favorites from the classical music repertoire to top ten hits. Wear comfortable shoes--you'll be up and waltzing, jitterbugging and doing the twist like a pro before you know it!