The 14th annual season of the Lakes Area Music Festival will feature 180 artists from the top orchestras and opera companies nationwide. For three weeks this exceptional roster will make the Lakes Area of central Minnesota their musical home, performing three weeks of chamber music, orchestra, and opera– as well as various community outreach activities extending their impact throughout the local community.
Nearly all activities are offered for free or with name-your-price ticketing in order to ensure access to anyone interested in attending, regardless of financial means. Ticket reservations will open in early June.
Join us this summer in Brainerd!
DOWNLOAD SEASON BOOKLET
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 music by celebrated American composer Joan Tower, honoring America’s musical legacy while spotlighting powerful new voices shaping the next 250 years.
Carmen
Friday, August 14, 2026, 7:30PM
Sunday, August 16, 2026, 3:00PM
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.
Zorongo Flamenco (SOLD OUT)
Saturday, August 15, 2026, 7:30PM
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.
Haydn's Passion Symphony
Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 7:30PM
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.
Dances of Passion
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 7:30PM
Sunday, August 23, 2026, 3:00PM
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.