Nel will join the June 18-28 Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival in San Diego for three concerts and will host an exclusive pre-concert recital series for subscribers, joined by top festival musicians

SAN DIEGO, CA, May 22, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ — Mainly Mozart is proud to announce celebrated pianist Anton Nel as Artistic Partner for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. A longtime friend and festival favorite, Nel brings decades of musical excellence and a deep connection to the organization he first joined in 1989—as the festival’s very first featured soloist on the outdoor stage at The Old Globe.

“Anton has been part of the Mainly Mozart family since the very beginning,” said Nancy Laturno, Founding CEO, Mainly Mozart. “From his debut as our first-ever featured soloist to his extraordinary artistry on stage year after year, he represents everything this festival stands for: excellence, depth, and connection. Naming him Artistic Partner was a natural evolution—and we’re thrilled to share his talents in an even more meaningful way with our audiences in 2025 and 2026.”

Internationally acclaimed and South African-born, Anton Nel gained prominence after winning the 1987 Naumburg International Piano Competition at Carnegie Hall. Known for his masterful interpretations of Beethoven and versatility across repertoire, Nel has performed with leading orchestras including the Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and Detroit Symphony. In 2025, he will join the faculty at The Royal Conservatory of Music’s Glenn Gould School in Toronto.

As Artistic Partner, Nel will perform with the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra on the Baker-Baum Concert Hall in The Conrad for the following performances:
June 18: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons
June 24: Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, Harpsichord Concerto No. 1 in D minor, and Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
June 26: Noah Bendix-Balgley’s Fidl-Fantazye: A Klezmer Concerto

In addition to his performances, Nel will host exclusive pre-concert recitals for subscribers and donors prior to each Conrad performance. Joining Nel is an exceptional lineup of festival artists—including Nurit Bar-Josef (Concertmaster, National Symphony Orchestra), Robert DeMaine (Principal Cello, Los Angeles Philharmonic), Nathan Olson (Co-Concertmaster, Dallas Symphony Orchestra), Alexander Kerr (Concertmaster, Dallas Symphony Orchestra), and Meredith Kufchak (Principal Viola, Dallas Symphony Orchestra).

The recitals offer an intimate journey through Mozart’s chamber and solo piano masterworks, curated to showcase both the elegance and emotional depth of his writing. Each performance highlights different facets of Mozart’s genius—from the refined interplay in his Trio in B-flat Major and the lyrical partnership of the Violin Sonata in B-flat Major, to the virtuosic brilliance of his solo piano works, including the beloved “Rondo Alla Turca.” The pre-concert series culminates with the groundbreaking Piano Quartet in G Minor, a dramatic and richly textured work that helped define the piano quartet genre.

Nel will also be a featured artist at Mainly Mozart’s Nov. 23 Salon Concert, part of Mainly Mozart’s Club Amadeus series, where members enjoy up-close performances by acclaimed classical musicians in elegant private settings. Visit http://www.mainlymozart.org/club-amadeus to learn more.

For more information on the 2025 Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival, visit https://www.mainlymozart.org/allstar

About Mainly Mozart
Since 1988, Mainly Mozart has brought the San Diego community together to experience the finest in orchestral music, intimate concert experiences and extraordinary music education for young people. In that time, the famed Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival has made its name as the largest gathering of Concertmasters and Principal Players in the United States, boasting top level players from the world’s greatest orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Philharmonic and dozens more. Mainly Mozart’s mission is to enrich the lives of today and tomorrow’s passionate music lovers by connecting them to the genius and innovation of Mozart and the Masters, to world-class musicians and music-making, and to each other. For more information, visit www.mainlymozart.org. Keep up with news and announcements on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.

About Anton Nel
Winner of the 1987 Naumburg International Piano Competition Anton Nel tours internationally as a recitalist, concerto soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. Highlights in the U.S. include performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, and Seattle Symphonies, as well as recitals coast to coast. Overseas he has appeared at the Wigmore Hall in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and major venues in China, Korea, and South Africa. He holds the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Endowed Chair at the University of Texas at Austin and in the summers he is on the artist-faculties at the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Steans Institute at the Ravinia Festival. The Johannesburg-born Mr. Nel, also an avid harpsichordist and fortepianist, is a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, where he studied with Adolph Hallis, and the University of Cincinnati where he worked with Bela Siki and Frank Weinstock. To learn more about Anton Nel, visit www.antonnel.com.

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