Peninsula Music Festival 74th Season
Advertisement
Two-time GRAMMY Award-winning violinist James Ehnes, two-time GRAMMY Award-winning pianist Michelle Cann, and GRAMMY Award-winning mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung are among the artists featured in the Peninsula Music Festival’s 2026 summer season, running August 4–22 at Door Community Auditorium in Fish Creek. The nine-concert series brings an extraordinary roster of world-class soloists and rising stars to the intimate, one-of-a-kind setting that has made PMF a beloved destination for classical music lovers across the Midwest and beyond.
Tickets on sale now at musicfestival.com
Concert 1: American Masterworks
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
The season opens with a bang—and a legend. Two-time GRAMMY Award winner James Ehnes, one of the most celebrated violinists alive, returns to the PMF stage performing on the legendary 1715 “Marsick” Stradivarius. Expect jazz-infused Bernstein, the percussive power of Joan Tower, and the breathtaking Barber Violin Concerto. All-American. All unforgettable.
Concert 2: String Serenades
Thursday, August 6, 2026
James Ehnes returns in a rare “Play/Lead” role—simultaneously performing as soloist and directing the orchestra from his violin, a tradition dating back to Mozart’s time. Paired with beloved serenades by Elgar and Dvořák, this is a performance that captures both technical mastery and musical “telepathy” you have to witness in person.
Concert 3: Scandinavian Sounds
Saturday, August 8, 2026
Journey to the Nordic North with PMF’s own stars taking center stage. Principal Trumpet Mark Hughes and English Hornist Leanna Renfro step out of the ensemble to perform solo works alongside Nielsen’s beloved “Four Temperaments” symphony. From hauntingly beautiful to high-energy folk celebration—this all-Scandinavian program is a midsummer sensory experience.
Concert 4: Wizardry and Wonder — The Music of John Williams
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Celebrated pops conductor Bob Bernhardt—invited to his pops debut by John Williams himself—leads a sweeping tribute spanning War Horse, Schindler’s List, and an immersive Harry Potter suite from the first three films. A perfect night for the whole family to experience the magic of music and the stories that stay with us forever.
Concert 5: An Evening with Mozart
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Returning by popular demand, pianist Stewart Goodyear—proclaimed “a phenomenon” by the Los Angeles Times—takes on Mozart’s luminous Piano Concerto No. 23. Rounded out with The Magic Flute Overture and Symphony No. 39, this is an all-Mozart evening with one of the keyboard’s great living virtuosos.
Concert 6: La Dolce Vita — Italian Masterpieces
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Five PMF principal players step into the spotlight for an evening that travels from the elegant courts of Baroque Venice to the thundering triumph of ancient Rome. The program culminates in Respighi’s Pines of Rome—a sonic spectacle so powerful it must be felt live.
Concert 7: The Viennese Legacy
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Two-time GRAMMY award-winner Michelle Cann—hailed as “a pianist of sterling artistry” by Gramophone—performs Schumann’s sweeping Piano Concerto. Paired with Brahms’s warm, jubilant Second Symphony, this is a night of lush Romantic masterpieces delivered by one of the most sought-after artists of her generation.
Concert 8: Revolution and Romance
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Witness the future of classical music. Through the Karen Smuda Emerging Conductor Program, Yale School of Music stars Ezra Calvino and Thomas Nettle take the podium to lead a program spanning Mendelssohn, Haydn’s famous “Farewell” Symphony and Beethoven’s revolutionary Second Symphony. Great conductors all start somewhere. Get to say you saw them first.
Concert 9: Mahler’s Third — A World in Symphony
Saturday, August 22, 2026
The season closes with one of the most monumental works in all of classical music. GRAMMY Award-winning mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung—a fixture at the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, and the Met—joins the Apollo Women’s Chorus and the Appleton Boychoir for Mahler’s 90-minute symphony that moves from the primal forces of nature to the heights of spiritual love. There is no more powerful way to end a season.
TICKETS & INFORMATION
All performances take place at Door Community Auditorium in Fish Creek as part of the nine-concert Peninsula Music Festival happening August 4–22, 2026. Tickets are available now at www.musicfestival.com or by calling the Peninsula Music Festival box office at (920) 854-4060.
Tickets on sale now at musicfestival.com
Concert 1: American Masterworks
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
The season opens with a bang—and a legend. Two-time GRAMMY Award winner James Ehnes, one of the most celebrated violinists alive, returns to the PMF stage performing on the legendary 1715 “Marsick” Stradivarius. Expect jazz-infused Bernstein, the percussive power of Joan Tower, and the breathtaking Barber Violin Concerto. All-American. All unforgettable.
Concert 2: String Serenades
Thursday, August 6, 2026
James Ehnes returns in a rare “Play/Lead” role—simultaneously performing as soloist and directing the orchestra from his violin, a tradition dating back to Mozart’s time. Paired with beloved serenades by Elgar and Dvořák, this is a performance that captures both technical mastery and musical “telepathy” you have to witness in person.
Concert 3: Scandinavian Sounds
Saturday, August 8, 2026
Journey to the Nordic North with PMF’s own stars taking center stage. Principal Trumpet Mark Hughes and English Hornist Leanna Renfro step out of the ensemble to perform solo works alongside Nielsen’s beloved “Four Temperaments” symphony. From hauntingly beautiful to high-energy folk celebration—this all-Scandinavian program is a midsummer sensory experience.
Concert 4: Wizardry and Wonder — The Music of John Williams
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Celebrated pops conductor Bob Bernhardt—invited to his pops debut by John Williams himself—leads a sweeping tribute spanning War Horse, Schindler’s List, and an immersive Harry Potter suite from the first three films. A perfect night for the whole family to experience the magic of music and the stories that stay with us forever.
Concert 5: An Evening with Mozart
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Returning by popular demand, pianist Stewart Goodyear—proclaimed “a phenomenon” by the Los Angeles Times—takes on Mozart’s luminous Piano Concerto No. 23. Rounded out with The Magic Flute Overture and Symphony No. 39, this is an all-Mozart evening with one of the keyboard’s great living virtuosos.
Concert 6: La Dolce Vita — Italian Masterpieces
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Five PMF principal players step into the spotlight for an evening that travels from the elegant courts of Baroque Venice to the thundering triumph of ancient Rome. The program culminates in Respighi’s Pines of Rome—a sonic spectacle so powerful it must be felt live.
Concert 7: The Viennese Legacy
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Two-time GRAMMY award-winner Michelle Cann—hailed as “a pianist of sterling artistry” by Gramophone—performs Schumann’s sweeping Piano Concerto. Paired with Brahms’s warm, jubilant Second Symphony, this is a night of lush Romantic masterpieces delivered by one of the most sought-after artists of her generation.
Concert 8: Revolution and Romance
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Witness the future of classical music. Through the Karen Smuda Emerging Conductor Program, Yale School of Music stars Ezra Calvino and Thomas Nettle take the podium to lead a program spanning Mendelssohn, Haydn’s famous “Farewell” Symphony and Beethoven’s revolutionary Second Symphony. Great conductors all start somewhere. Get to say you saw them first.
Concert 9: Mahler’s Third — A World in Symphony
Saturday, August 22, 2026
The season closes with one of the most monumental works in all of classical music. GRAMMY Award-winning mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung—a fixture at the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, and the Met—joins the Apollo Women’s Chorus and the Appleton Boychoir for Mahler’s 90-minute symphony that moves from the primal forces of nature to the heights of spiritual love. There is no more powerful way to end a season.
TICKETS & INFORMATION
All performances take place at Door Community Auditorium in Fish Creek as part of the nine-concert Peninsula Music Festival happening August 4–22, 2026. Tickets are available now at www.musicfestival.com or by calling the Peninsula Music Festival box office at (920) 854-4060.
Advertisement
Where is it happening?
10431 N. Water Street, Ephraim, WI, United States, Wisconsin 54211, 10431 Water St, Sister Bay, WI 54211-2616, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherPeninsula Music Festival
