Monterey Bay Area Culture, Music And Culture At The Sunset Center

The Bach Festival, Monterey Symphony, and some 50 top-flight performances a year make Carmel’s Sunset Center the area’s flagship music venue.

A little history: The theater opened in 1931 as the Sunset School’s auditorium and emerged as the finest assembly hall in the Monterey area. With 700 seats and beautiful, Gothic-inspired architecture, it became the premier venue for the region’s performing arts.

In 1964, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea purchased the school complex and renamed it Sunset Community and Cultural Center. Since then, worldrenowned singers, dancers, symphonies, and chamber musicians have taken the stage. By the early 1990s, the venue had outgrown itself, so Carmel-by-the-Sea formed a public/private partnership to raise $21.4 million to rejuvenate the grande dame.

Since its reopening in July 2003, Sunset Center has hosted contemporary to classical entertainment — from Marshall Tucker, Dave Mason, and Wynton Marsalis to the comedy troupe The Capital Steps and the Vienna Boys Choir, which had performed at Sunset School in 1932. The schedule for 2007 includes 100 Years of Broadway with legendary great Rita Moreno.

The Bach Festival resides here, and for four weeks, beginning in late July, enthusiasts celebrate the genius of Johann Sebastian Bach; works by other great composers are also included to reflect Bach’s influence.

Monterey Symphony is another staple here. For 61 seasons, it has provided the Monterey Bay communities with classical music performed at the highest level. Under the direction of Max Bragado Darman, the 70-piece orchestra has reached new artistic levels, attracting internationally recognized soloists. In addition to the seven triple performances of the regular season, the orchestra presents holiday performances in December, pops concerts in July, the Summer Classics Series in August, and choral and chamber music programs periodically. The Monterey Symphony Chorus is featured in many programs.

Information: (831) 624-3996. Entrance on the east side of San Carlos St., between Eighth and Tenth streets, Carmel.
More Information: maps, directions.

GUESTLIFE DON'T MISS

Stars of the Stage

The Janaki String Trio, guitar performances by John Williams and John Etheridge, and Brazilian pianist Arnaldo Cohen lead the classical music bill at the 80-year-old Carmel Music Society, hosted at the Sunset Center in Carmel. Information: (831) 625-9938

For information on our world-famous music festivals, see Satisfy Your Soul.