Summer 2025

Classical Brilliance Celebr at ing the 88th Annual Carmel Bach Fest ival B Y M I CHA E L CHAT F I E LD PHOTOGRA PHY B Y RANDY TUNNE L L T HE M ONTEREY P ENINSULA IS HOME TO TWO OF THE WORLD ’ S LONGEST - RUNNING AND MOST BELOVED MUSIC FESTIVALS — AND THE INAUGURAL NOTES FOR BOTH WERE PLAYED ON THE STAGE OF WHAT WAS THE S UNSET S CHOOL AUDITORIUM IN C ARMEL - BY - THE -S EA . T HE M ONTEREY J AZZ F ESTIVAL WAS LAUNCHED IN 1958 AND TODAY TAKES PLACE AT THE M ONTEREY F AIRGROUNDS . B UT AT ONLY 67 YEARS OLD , COMPARED TO THE C ARMEL B ACH F ESTIVAL ’ S 88 YEARS IN EXIS - TENCE IT ’ S JUST GETTING STARTED . I N THE 1920 S , C ARMEL WAS IN ITS PRIME AS A BOHEMIAN ART COLONY , AND MUSIC PRODUCERS AND ART GALLERY OWNERS D ENE D ENNY AND H AZEL W ATROUS WANTED TO DO SOME - THING THAT WOULD BRING JOY TO THEIR FELLOW C ARMELITES . T HEY PRESENTED A FEW CONCERTS IN THEIR HOME AND AT THE ORIGINAL G OLDEN B OUGH T HEATER ( THEN ON O CEAN A VENUE ). T HE PAIR THEN CHOSE THE OCCASION OF J OHANN S EBASTIAN B ACH ’ S 250 TH BIRTHDAY IN J ULY 1935 TO STAGE A FOUR - DAY FESTIVAL AT S UNSET AND THE C ARMEL M ISSION B ASILICA .T HAT TRADITION HAS CONTINUED EVERY YEAR INTO THE 21 ST CENTURY , INTERRUPTED ONLY BY W ORLD W AR II AND THE PANDEMIC OF THE 2020 S . T HE S UNSET VENUE HAS SINCE BEEN BEAUTIFULLY REDESIGNED AND IS NOW KNOWN AS S UNSET C ENTER . T HE B ACH F ESTIVAL RETAINS IT AS ITS SPIRITUAL HOME , WHILE STILL UTILIZING THE C ARMEL M ISSION B ASILICA AND SEV - ERAL ADDITIONAL M ONTEREY P ENINSULA LOCATIONS . 180 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 5