It’s nearly that heady time of year when the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City fills its stages with world-class artists for a festival celebrating some of Mozart’s most beloved works. This year’s Mostly Mozart Festival opens with a special fantasy performance, The Singing Heart, at David Geffen Hall on July 25 and 26, featuring pianist Kit Armstrong in his Mostly Mozart debut.
Following the opening, the festival turns to Beethoven and Schubert on July 28–29, led by conductor Edward Gardner, with a pre-concert recital by flutist Jasmine Choi and pianist Roman Rabinovich. The season also offers a free panel discussion, “Mozart the Wunderkind,” on July 30 at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, and a film screening of Franz Peter Schubert: The Greatest Love and the Greatest Sorrow on Aug. 6 at the Walter Reade Theater.
Other season highlights include a varied program of historic and contemporary music: New York–based ensemble So Percussion presents a program pairing Mozart, Lang and Lully; acclaimed Italian pianist Beatrice Rana joins for Schubert’s “Great” Symphony; and Joshua Bell and Steven Isserlis team up for Brahms’ Double Concerto. Conductor Andrew Manze leads performances of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto alongside Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor.
Chamber offerings promise equally rich experiences. Les Arts Florissants presents Sacred Charpentier, a program of 17th-century sacred choral works, while the International Contemporary Ensemble presents How Forests Think, followed by a post-concert conversation with ICE musicians. As always, the festival includes the popular A Little Night Music late-night recitals, where audiences can enjoy candlelit performances with wine served at tables.
Across its mix of orchestral, chamber and contemporary programs, this year’s Mostly Mozart season at Lincoln Center balances familiar masterpieces with fresh repertoire and engaging extras—recitals, talks and film—designed to deepen the listener’s experience and highlight the continued vitality of classical music in the city.