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