2026 Season: Passion

PASSION takes center stage at the Lakes Area Music Festival. From the thrilling spark of an opening gala with internationally acclaimed dancers to the moonlit intimacy of Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night and the raw emotion of Stravinsky’s Petrushka, this season explores passion in its many forms—culminating in Bizet’s Carmen, where love, desire, and destiny collide in Julia Bullock’s iconic role debut.

As we gather for long summer days and radiant Minnesota nights, our 18th season invites you to feel more deeply and rediscover your passion—for music, for community, and for the moments that linger long after the final note fades.

Discover the complete 2026 season, repertoire, and event details in our digital booklet—download the full booklet here.

Become a Subscriber

Experience the Lakes Area Music Festival with added access and exclusive benefits. Season subscriptions include five mainstage concerts at the Gichi-ziibi Center, priority seating before single tickets go on sale, and special subscriber-only experiences throughout the festival.

Enjoy invitation-only events with LAMF artists, pre-concert receptions, early access to limited-capacity performances, and a complimentary ticket to Zorongo Flamenco.

Discover a deeper way to experience PASSION in our 18th season.

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EXPLORE SUBSCRIPTIONS

Season Opening Gala: Pas de Deux
Friday, July 31, 2026, 6:00PM
Friday, July 31, 2026, 8:00PM
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Experience our season-opening gala, where orchestra and dancers from American Ballet Theatre bring music and movement together as one. From classical ballet to sweeping waltzes and sultry tangos, every moment pulses with passion—while supporting LAMF’s largest fundraiser of the year.
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Brahms & The Schumanns
Sunday, August 2, 2026, 3:00PM
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Music forged in friendship and passion. Brahms’ fiery Hungarian Rhapsodies, Clara Schumann’s tender Piano Concerto, and Robert Schumann’s soaring Symphony No. 2 reflect the intimate and complicated relationships between these composers.
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Lovers in the Night
Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 7:30PM
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Passion beneath the stars. Experience the scintillating rhythms of Manuel de Falla’s 7 Popular Spanish Songs, the moonlit serenity of Turina’s Andalusian Scene, and the spellbinding Transfigured Night by Schoenberg, tracing a furtive moonlight walk between two lovers.
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Celebrating 250
Saturday, August 8, 2026, 7:30PM
Music of America. Join us outdoors for a family-friendly celebration featuring Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever, Copland’s Appalachian Spring, and Jessie Montgomery’s rousing Banner, honoring America’s musical legacy while spotlighting powerful new voices shaping the next 250 years.
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Carmen
Friday, August 14, 2026, 7:30PM
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Sunday, August 16, 2026, 3:00PM
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Passion that burns too hot. Bizet’s Carmen erupts with raw emotion and intoxicating drama, brought to life by Julia Bullock in her electrifying role debut, in an opera fueled by unforgettable melodies and irresistible intensity.
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Zorongo Flamenco
Saturday, August 15, 2026, 7:30PM
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Born of fire, rhythm, and raw emotion, flamenco is music that wears its heart on its sleeve. Rooted in the same Spanish soil that inspired Carmen, this special evening with Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre brings the power and virtuosity of the art form to life.
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Haydn's Passion Symphony
Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 7:30PM
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Lyricism meets virtuosity. Haydn’s La Passione, Strauss’s Horn Concerto No. 2 with Daniel Hawkins, and Poulenc’s dazzling Sinfonietta shape a vibrant program of dramatic energy, wit, charm, and irresistible melody.
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Dances of Passion
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 7:30PM
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Sunday, August 23, 2026, 3:00PM
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Rhythms ignite in color. Carlos Simon’s Four Black American Dances, Debussy’s shimmering Ibéria, and Stravinsky’s kaleidoscopic Petrushka create a symphonic feast of rhythm, color, and energy in our season finale.
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2026 PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

GALA: PAS DE DEUX
Friday, July 31, 8 p.m.

BRAHMS & THE SCHUMANNS
Sunday, August 2, 3 p.m.

  • JOHANNES BRAHMS: Hungarian Rhapsodies
  • CLARA SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A minor
  • ROBERT SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 2

LOVERS IN THE NIGHT
Wednesday, August 5, 7:30 p.m.

Thalea String Quartet

  • MANUEL DE FALLA: 7 Canciones populares españolas (7 Popular Spanish Songs)
  • JOAQUÍN TURINA: Escena andaluza (Andalusian Scene)
  • ARNOLD SCHOENBERG: Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)

CELEBRATING 250
Saturday, August 8, 7:30 p.m.

  • Celebrating 250 years of American music, honoring our musical legacy and spotlighting the voices shaping the next 250 years.

CARMEN
Friday, August 14, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 16, 3 p.m.

Julia Bullock, Carmen
Paul Appleby, Don José
Evan Hughes, Escamillo
Katerina Burton, Micaëla
Lisenka Heijboer Castañon, stage director
Çağla Karslıoğlu, Scenic and Costume Designer

ZORONGO FLAMENCO
Saturday, August 15, 7:30 p.m.

Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre,
Ross Fellrath and Ben Abrahamson, guitar

HAYDN'S PASSION SYMPHONY
Wednesday, August 19, 7:30 p.m.

Daniel Hawkins, horn soloist

    • FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN: Symphony No. 49, “La Passione”
    • RICHARD STRAUSS: Horn Concerto No. 2
    • FRANCIS POULENC: Sinfonietta

DANCES OF PASSION
Saturday, August 22, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 23, 3 p.m.

    • CARLOS SIMON: Four Black American Dances
    • CLAUDE DEBUSSY: ‘Ibéria’ from Images
    • IGOR STRAVINSKY: Petrushka (1947)