Bear Valley, CA…Celebrating the start of its second half-century in the High Sierra, the Bear Valley Music Festival begins on Friday, July 19 and runs through Sunday, August 4, 2019 with a total of 14 concerts including a special free family matinee on Saturday, July 27. The festival showcases a wide selection of artists and genres including rock, classical, Broadway and jazz.

A mere 3.5-hour drive from San Francisco, Bear Valley is known primarily as a ski resort. Now in his seventh summer as music director, internationally recognized conductor Michael Morgan has put Bear Valley and the Highway 4 corridor on the map as a summer destination as well, drawing an audience of thousands.

Highlights of this year’s festival include tributes to Carole King & James Taylor, Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton and Billy Joel, a concert by the legendary Mimi Fox and the Mimi Fox Jazz Trio, the return of world-famous pianist Olga Kern this time with her son Vladik Kern in Mozart’s Double Piano Concerto, the world-premiere of a new commission by composer Michael Taylor, and three concert pieces for violin and orchestra featuring soloist Kelly Hall-Tompkins. The classical lineup includes Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony and Fourth Piano Concerto with soloist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner. The Motherlode Chorale (featured last summer in Beethoven’s Ninth) will return, this time with a concert version of a hilarious Broadway musical by George and Ira Gershwin titled “Of Thee I Sing” about a US presidential candidate running on a creative and unusual platform. Michael Morgan will also conduct a special concert dedicated to symphonic movie themes, including Star Wars, E.T., Harry Potter, The Godfather and more.

“This is the most significant cultural event of the year in our scenic part of the Sierra,” says executive director Eman Isadiar. “We always strive to present the widest possible variety of artists and musical styles to appeal to every taste and every generation.”

Tickets and information are available online at www.bearvalleymusic.org or by calling 209-813-0554. Lodging is available in Bear Valley and in nearby Tamarack and Arnold. A round trip shuttle ride may be reserved in advance from Murphys, Forest Meadows, Arnold and Dorrington.