Welcome, Laura Burian!
Ensemble Monterey is delighted to welcome Laura Burian as our new Executive Director. A longtime member of the Monterey Peninsula music community and accomplished violinist, Laura brings more than 25 years of performance
experience with ensembles including the Monterey String Quartet, Espressivo, I Cantori di Carmel, Monterey County Pops!, and others,together with extensive leadership and organizational expertise.
A Professor of Chinese/English Translation and Interpretation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Laura has also enjoyed a distinguished career as a conference interpreter, working with clients ranging from Silicon Valley firms to National Geographic, the White House, and the Olympics.
We’re excited to have Laura’s creativity, energy, leadership, and deep passion for live music guiding Ensemble Monterey into this exciting new chapter. Welcome, Laura!
2026–2027 Concert Season – Ever Present Past
Ensemble Monterey announces its 2026–27 concert season, Ever Present Past, a four-concert series exploring the ways music connects us to history, to one another, and to the world around us.
The season opens with a powerful reflection on shared humanity, continues with an elegant journey through the Classical era, explores the origins and evolution of inspiration, and concludes by examining how composers across generations reinvent tradition while carrying the past forward.
Concert 1: The Enduring Spirit
📅 Saturday, October 24, 2026 – 7:00 pm
📅 Sunday, October 25, 2026 – 7:00 pm
Concert 2: Crystalline Classical
📅 Saturday, January 30, 2027 – 7:00 pm
📅 Sunday, January 31, 2027 – 7:00 pm
Concert 3: Seed of Inspiration
📅 Saturday, March 13, 2027 – 7:00 pm
📅 Sunday, March 14, 2027 – 7:00 pm
Concert 4: Ever Present Past
📅 Saturday, April 24, 2027 – 7:00 pm
📅 Sunday, April 25, 2027 – 7:00 pm
Monterey location: First Presbyterian Church of Monterey, 501 El Dorado Street, Monterey, CA 93940
Santa Cruz location: Peace United Church of Christ, 900 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Concert 1 – THE ENDURING SPIRIT
Saturday, October 24, 2026 | Monterey | Sunday, October 25, 2026 | Santa Cruz
The season begins with The Enduring Spirit, a program that calls us to acknowledge our shared humanity. This music reflects humankind’s ability to transmute pain into beauty and celebration.
Conductor Alan Truong will be joined by guest conductor Carlin Truong, Cantiamo! Cabrillo Choir, and featured baritone soloist Omar Alejandro.
The program includes Jessie Montgomery’s Banner, Sarah Kirkland’s Snider’s O Sweet and Beloved Mother, and Joel Thompson’s powerful choral work Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, followed by Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9, arranged by Alan Truong.
Concert 2: CRYSTALLINE CLASSICAL
Saturday, January 30, 2027 | Monterey | Sunday, January 31, 2027 | Santa Cruz
Crystalline Classical offers a graceful and elegant chamber music tour through the classical period’s greatest composers, plus some surprises!
The program includes Johann Christian Bach’s Quintet in D major, Op. 11, No. 6 for flute, oboe, and string trio; Franz Joseph Haydn’s Trio No. 28 in D major, Hob. XV:16 for flute, cello, and piano; Jiří Družecký’s Oboe Quartet in G minor; and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, K. 478.
Concert 3: SEED OF INSPIRATION
Saturday, March 13, 2027 | Monterey | Sunday, March 14, 2027 | Santa Cruz
What sparks genius? Seed of Inspiration takes audiences on a full circle journey from an idea’s origins to its further fruits with a look at Beethoven’s iconic Kreutzer Sonata.
Violinist David Dally and pianist Lucy Faridany, joined by others, will explore Beethoven’s iconic Kreutzer Sonata alongside works that illuminate its artistic lineage and influence. The program includes selected readings from Rita Dove’s Sonata Mulattica, Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 9, “Kreutzer Sonata”, selected readings from Leo Tolstoy’s The Kreutzer Sonata, and Leoš Janáček’s String Quartet No. 1, “Kreutzer Sonata.”
Concert 4: EVER PRESENT PAST
Saturday, April 24, 2027 | Monterey | Sunday, April 25, 2027 | Santa Cruz
The season concludes with Ever Present Past. Showing the evolution of musical form, each piece expresses the adventurous and sometimes radical language of its time while holding onto heritage and tradition – ever reinventing old anew.
Under the direction of Alan Truong, the program features Edvard Grieg’s Suite, Op. 40, “From Holberg’s Time”; Benjamin Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31, featuring tenor Corey Head and French horn Scott Hartman; and George Enescu’s Octet for Strings in C major, Op. 7.
Each work speaks in the adventurous and sometimes radical musical language of its time while remaining connected to what came before—reflecting the idea at the heart of the season: the past is never truly past, but continues to shape what comes next.
A Lasting Legacy
We are profoundly grateful to Gabrielle Stocker, a local musician, teacher, and devoted lover of music, whose extraordinary generosity will help shape the future of Ensemble Monterey.
We are honored to be among the organizations she chose to support and deeply grateful for her belief in the enduring power of music.
Click here to learn more about Gabrielle Stocker and her generosity
A Heartfelt Thank You — and an Invitation to Continue Supporting Ensemble Monterey 🎶
Ensemble Monterey extends our deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout the 2025- 26 season. Your generosity has allowed us to share beautiful music, stage captivating performances, and nurture the talents of our musicians.
As we look ahead, we invite you to continue supporting our mission. Every gift helps us inspire audiences and keep the arts alive in our community. Thank you for being such an essential part of our musical journey.
Together, we harmonize to create something truly extraordinary.
With deep appreciation, Ensemble Monterey is supported by:
Media Sponsor
Music Always Matters!
Although we are now a “well established” chamber orchestra, our continuing passion is to discover the new: to present compositions that widen, and sometime challenge both ourselves and you, our audience. We continue our dedication to the thrill of discovery.