Stick Men is a powerhouse progressive rock trio featuring legendary musicians Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, and Markus Reuter. With a combined experience of over 100 million records sold worldwide, this supergroup brings unparalleled musicianship and innovation to every performance.

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Stick Men

California Center for the Arts

Manny Cepeda Orchestra was selected as one of the artists on “#Pandora Radio and as a Spotify Artist in 2018!” In 2020, Apple Music and YouTube Music added the Manny Cepeda Orchestra to their catalog. One of the most popular Salsa groups of the Manny Cepeda Orchestra conglomerate is the MCO 11- piece band. Their professional demeanor and stellar performance rank them as the # 1 Salsa Band in San Diego. Since 2010 Manny began a series of public concerts called “Salsa Under the Stars,” and today he currently hosts 5 Salsa Under the Stars in downtown San Diego.

Música en la Plaza: Manny Cepeda Orchestra

A traditional band with a truly worldwide reach, Téada has appeared as a frequent headliner at major music festivals throughout Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Australia. Highlights include a 30,000-capacity stadium concert in Brittany, along with performances at Rainforest World Music Festival & Penang World Music Festival in Malaysia, Edmonton Folk Festival in Canada, Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe and World Music Festival Taiwan. In 2014 the band performed to 40,000 people during an extensive 7-week tour of Japan / Taiwan.

Teada

Originally formed in Calgary, Alberta and now based in Southern California, Daring Greatly is a Canadian-American five-piece rock n’ roll band rooted in the songwriting and vocal traditions of the ’60s and ’70s, carried forward with a powerful modern sound.

Hidden City Sounds: Daring Greatly with Special Guests Lonesome Roses

Sabrosas Latin Orchestra, San Diego’s first and only all-female salsa band and a 501(c)(3) organization, is celebrating five years of community, music, and fun in 2024. Founded after identifying a unique opportunity to unite as female musicians, the band brings a shared love of salsa and Latin music to audiences throughout Southern California.

Música en la Plaza: Sabrosas Latin Orchestra

After 30 years as one of the world’s leading Celtic rock bands, Young Dubliners continue to evolve, working on their tenth studio album while maintaining a busy tour schedule. Following the challenges of the pandemic, the band has returned stronger than ever, bringing their signature fusion of Celtic and rock music to audiences worldwide.

The Young Dubliners

Mojalet Dance Collective is a contemporary dance company that fuses Modern, Jazz and Balletwith athleticism, whimsey and musicality exposed through human interactions: the process through which individuals communicate, influence, and respond to each other, forming social connections that shape behavior, emotions, and society.

First Wednesdays – Mojalet Dance Company

Los Rebeldes Románticos are redefining the local music scene with their passion for romantic music and timeless melodies. Known for their soulful performances, the trio has captivated audiences across Los Angeles, from enchanting crowds at the Union Station Holiday Show to energizing the city’s nightlife, and most recently, performing for over 1,000 people at the Levitt Pavilion summer concert series to the City Of Glendale Holiday Music Series.

Música en la Plaza: Los Rebeldes Romanticos

As part of Maryam Bayat: Unrolling Paradise, this free public program offers a welcoming introduction to the art and history of Persian carpets through film, conversation, and hands-on making. Families and visitors of all ages are invited to explore the journey of a Persian carpet, from design and wool preparation to dyeing and weaving, and to learn more about the skill, tradition, and imagination carried in each work.

NEW DATE: Journey of a Persian Carpet | Talk, Screening, and Family Art Activities

California Center for the Arts, Escondido

This multi-day workshop series invites participants to collaboratively produce a large-scale Amoxtli using color graphic printmaking techniques and recycled materials. Led by the artist, each session introduces processes of cutting, inking, and layering to build a collaborative composition.

Museum Adult Workshop | Amoxtlis Printmaking with José Hugo Sánchez

The Vindys are an American pop band from Youngstown, Ohio. They are known for their 2024–2025 tours with Pat Benatar and for the 2023 sports anthem “Are You Ready,” as well as orchestral collaborations and soundtrack appearances.

The Vindys featuring The King Taylor Project

 The California Center for the Arts, Escondido, is proud to present the 61st Annual Independence Day Festival, a beloved community tradition filled with music, culture, and patriotic fun. This free family-friendly event returns on Saturday, July 4  from 4:30pm to 9:30pm in Grape Day Park and the Center for the Arts campus.

61st Annual Independence Day Festival

Back to the Garden is a collective of musical top guns know for their intricate vocal harmonies and exceptional renditions of music from the Love Era, playing venues from Abbey Road Studios, to Royal Albert Hall to the Tonight Show.

Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young: A Back to the Garden Story Concert

Based in Southern California. Joni Sandez is a singer songwriter that performs Cumbias, Huapangos, Corridos, and Norteñas with 5 member Latin band.

Música en la Plaza: Joni Sandez

Recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Dirt On My Diamonds, Vol. 1 captures a new chapter for Kenny Wayne Shepherd, the Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum guitarist and songwriter who continues to shape the future of the blues. The album blends modern production with emotional storytelling, highlighting themes of resilience and authenticity. Featuring standout tracks like “Sweet & Low,” “Best of Times,” and a fiery cover of Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” the record showcases Shepherd’s trademark blend of grit, groove, and heart.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band

Heralded as one of “Austin’s rising stars” by Rolling Stone and “an Austin legend in the making” by Forbes, Jackie Venson has established herself as one of the most commanding performers to come out of Texas. An Austin native, Venson has shared the stage with icons like Gary Clark Jr and Melissa Etheridge and even performed with Alanis Morissette and Lainey Wilson at the 2023 CMT Awards and in 2024 Venson was selected to perform as part of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music showcase at SXSW.

Jackie Venson with The Anthony Cullins Band

Outlaw country headliner Sara Petite delivers a raw, rough-edged take on American roots music that stretches from honky-tonk to rock & roll roadhouse. A five-time International Songwriting Competition finalist with Top 40 Americana chart success and multiple San Diego Music Awards, she’s built her career doing things her own way — blending country, rock, soul, and punk into a sound that’s fiercely original and impossible to box in.

Hidden City Sounds: Sara Petite and FREE Line Dance Classes with Wild Moon

Eugene Drucker—a founding member of the legendary 9-time Grammy Award-winning Emerson String Quartet—returns with a chamber constellation of old friends and San Diego favorites for a radiant program culminating in Brahms’ beloved Sextet in B♭.

Intimate Classics – Eugene Drucker & Friends

Sonido De La Frontera is the combination of Soundsystem culture, hip hop production aesthetic, and the sounds of Latin America’s most prolific dance music: Cumbia. The result is a bass oriented, dance driven music with a sound unique to the border between San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico. This trio is made up of Karlos Paez, Mr. Henshaw, and DJ Unite. Karlos Paez is an energetic frontman, also known for his role as vocalist for San Diego’s premiere Latin Music project, The B-Side Players. With his unique vocal styling and ability to deliver a magnetic performance, Karlos produces lyrics that seduce a dancer to cut loose, while inducing the spirit of both culture and rebellion. Mr. Henshaw is the producer for First Power Crew, and has produced many break records directed towards the avid turntablist. His sound is dark and heavy, with an emphasis on big drums and bass, as evident in his current projects Planet B and Satanic Planet. DJ Unite is a veteran DJ for Tribe of Kings Soundsystem as well as First Power Crew, who cut his teeth on dancefloors nationwide. Unite is well versed in keeping dances energetic, with a musical arsenal that spans for many genres. Sonido De La Frontera is a mixture of all the different sounds and culture found in the southernmost part of California, San Diego. It is cumbia music with a production approach similar to hip hop and electronic music.

Música en la Plaza: Sonido De La Frontera

The Silk Button Butchers are a fae folk rock band featuring Melody Maker on guitar, Chris Hellings on mandolin, Seth Hansen on violin, Luke Davis on bass, and Norm Antonini on drums.

Hidden City Sounds: Silk Button Butchers with Special Guests Stepwise

Internationally acclaimed cellist Amit Peled returns to Intimate Classics with Reflections, a compelling program for cello and piano.

Intimate Classics – Amit Peled

Shemekia Copeland possesses one of the most instantly recognizable and deeply soulful roots music voices of our time. The multi-GRAMMY nominee is beloved and honored worldwide for the fearlessness, honesty, and humor of her revelatory songs, as well as for her winning, engaging personality. The Chicago Tribune says, “Copeland is the greatest female blues vocalist working today. There’s no mistaking the majesty of her instrument, nor the ferocity of her delivery.”

Shemekia Copeland

Five Jewish teens recorded their experiences in diaries as their world descended into World War II. These memoirs are a testament to the human spirit during a period in history that must never be forgotten. Five songwriting teams and Tony Award-winning writer Robert L. Freedman have crafted this world premiere theatrical event to bring their words to life and tell a story with stunning contemporary relevance.

WITNESSES

Florence. Summer 1953. American Margaret Johnson and her daughter Clara take in the wonder and awe of Florence. A fateful gust of wind whisks Clara’s hat into the hands of a local dreamer Fabrizio Naccarelli… and it’s amore at first sight. But Clara isn’t quite what she appears, and soon they must all confront a secret kept in the shadows for far too long. With a book by Craig Lucas and music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, the Broadway musical, The Light in the Piazza won six Tony Awards, including Best Original Score.

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA

TINA CHONG…concert pianist, is an artist with passion, infectious energy, and excitingprogramming. She has appeared as a guest soloist with orchestras all over the world andis a sough-after recitalist and chamber musician in North America. A native of Banff,Canada…she has been hailed as “a deity of elegance” (New Brunswick Beacon)

TINA CHONG

Pianist Wynona Wang was selected as First Prize winner of the 2018 Concert Artists Guild International Competition, which is just the latest in a series of impressive first prize performances, along with the 2017 Wideman International Piano Competition in Louisiana. Wynona was also awarded the 2019 “Charlotte White” Career Grant awarded by the Salon de Virtuosi in New York City.

Wynona Wang

The Villalobos Brothers have been acclaimed as one of today’s leading contemporary Mexican ensembles. Their original compositions and arrangements masterfully fuse and celebrate the richness of Mexican folk music with the intricate harmonies of jazz and classical music. The ensemble’s virtuosic performances delivered with brilliance, combined with a message of love, brotherhood and social justice, have delighted audiences around the world.

VILLALOBOS BROTHERS

They sing everything…Americana, patriotic, movie and Broadway tunes, plus popular songs to make your experience “a joy beyond all expectations”. The AABC is world-famous celebrating over 50 years of presenting concerts for all occasions plus performances for five Presidents!

All-American Boys Chorus

City Ballet of San Diego closes the season with Elizabeth Wistrich’s full-length ballet of Don Quixote – a lavish production based on Miguel de Cervantes epic novel. Follow the adventures of the errant knight, Don Quixote, and his squire, Sancho Panza, on their travels to find the beautiful Dulcinea whom Don Quixote has only seen in his dreams. This is ballet storytelling at its best. This three-act story ballet sensation with its opulent scenery and costumes, complete with moving windmills, is family oriented and filled with humor and magic.

CITY BALLET OF SAN DIEGO PRESENTS DON QUIXOTE

Soka Performing Arts Center

Rising-star violinist Aubree Oliverson plays Felix Mendelssohn’s astonishing masterpiece, one of the best-loved violin concertos of all time, with its heart-tugging melodies and virtuoso fireworks. Edo de Waart leads the Orchestra in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s dark and dramatic Prague Symphony, and the concert begins with Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 93, the first of the set of 12 that he created for London audiences at the end of his career.

SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY: HAYDN, MENDELSSOHN, MOZART

“Glorious and inspiring” (Time Out New York), “fun and heartfelt” (The New Yorker), ONCE is the story of a guy who gave up on love and music, and the girl who inspired him to dream again. On the streets of Dublin, an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant are drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one fateful week, an unexpected friendship and collaboration quickly evolves into a powerful but complicated love story, underscored by emotionally charged music. From the very first note, ONCE draws you in and never lets go. This emotionally captivating musical is the only show to have won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Olivier Award and a Tony Award.

ONCE

Conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl takes us on a musical voyage to the immortal “land where the lemon-trees bloom, and the gold orange glows…” in Felix Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony, inspired by his year-long trip to that country in 1830. Principal bass Jeremy Kurtz-Harris performs music by Tijuana-based composer Andrés Martín, whose concerto draws on the rhythms of tango from his native Argentina.

SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY: MENDELSSOHN’S “ITALIAN”

Join us for our 8th Annual Mariachi Festival with featured artists, Mariachi Champaña Nevin, regarded as one of the leading proponents of “classical mariachi music” in the world. As well as performances from Monica Abrego, one of Mexico’s most outstanding sopranos. Tierra Caliente Academy will also be playing a part in this year’s concert.

8th Annual Mariachi Festival

The ultimate celebration of the sweet sound of Motown is returning to Escondido! This extraordinary live show combines first class music together with outstanding performers and an amazing band featuring the D. Ben-jamin’ Band under the direction of Duane Benjamin. You’ll hear the hits of Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes and more.

MOTOWN: THE MUSIC THAT CHANGED AMERICA

The San Diego Tijuana International Jazz Festival, which debuted in 2024 with nearly $400,000 in seed money from Qualcomm co-founder Irwin M. Jacobs, will return in expanded form this fall for its third year at multiple venues on both sides of the border. The event will grow from three days in 2024 and 2025 to four days this year. Free concerts will take place in downtown Tijuana and downtown San Diego, along with a paid concert at California Center for the Arts, Escondido, for which tickets go on sale May 30 at sdtjjazz.org.

San Diego Tijuana International Jazz Festival

After years of intensive recording projects and concerts for jazz aficionados throughout the U.S., four San Diegobased musicians came together with a purpose: explore the art of song in their own unique way! Renowned jazz, blues and gospel singer Leonard Patton teamed up with the critically acclaimed Danny Green Trio to form LP And The Vinyl. The band’s wide array of influences includes everything from jazz, R&B, and rock, to 80’s and 90’s hits, Brazilian music, and classical music. Blending these sounds together, LP And The Vinyl has created a highly unique and personal approach to music-making that leaves its audiences energized and craving more. The group’s repertoire draws from three separate areas: beautifully reimagined renditions of favorite hits by artists including Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, and David Bowie, fresh and funky explorations of jazz standards, and their own original songs. What lends consistency to their approach is the group’s ability to bring something new to the music every time. They play with no safety nets, and every emotion is on full display. Through Patton’s infectious charisma, and the virtuosic interplay between pianist Danny Green, bassist Justin Grinnell, and drummer Julien Cantelm, the audience is taken along for the ride every step of the way! Since their formation in 2015, LP And The Vinyl has performed at notable festivals and venues including the Telluride Jazz Festival, the Vail Jazz Festival, Laguna Festival of the Arts, Chandler Center for the Arts, and the Museum of Making Music. Their debut album, Heard And Seen released in April 2020 on Origin Records and features music by The Beatles, Quincy Jones, Tears for Fears, David Bowie, Oasis, as well as jazz standards, and original songs. Jazz critic Travis Rogers Jr. remarked in his review, “From tight arrangements to free-wheeling improvisations, this telepathic trio evolves into an equally intercommunicating quartet with Leonard Patton. If there is a group worthy of special attention and reintroduction in jazz, it is LP and the Vinyl.” The members of LP And The Vinyl are all dedicated and experienced music educators. They hold faculty positions at the University of San Diego, Grossmont Community College, as well as school and community performing arts programs. They have given lectures, workshops, and clinics at venues across the United States.

Hidden City Sounds: LP and the Vinyl with a Community Jazz Jam

Nathan was born into a musical family, his grandparents could play various instruments as well as performing with a band, his mom a piano player and his father for many years taught music and was a choir director as well as a Polynesian music teacher at various high schools.

Nathan Aweau

Take a journey through the music of the iconic women who proved female artists are a powerhouse, not a niche.

Lilith Lives: A Tribute to the Women of The ‘90s Celebrating Lilith Fair’s 30th Anniversary

Fans of the internationally renowned Irish music phenomenon, Celtic Thunder, are in for a special treat as the group continues and expands on their successful show, An Evening with Celtic Thunder. This unique production will bring audiences a heartfelt celebration of the group’s most beloved songs while reuniting past and present members for an unforgettable evening of music, memories, and camaraderie.

An Evening with Celtic Thunder 2026: Celebrate your Favorite Songs

After an astonishing 60-year career in music, Richie Furay continues to build on a legacy that helped shape American rock and Country Rock. From pivotal roles in Buffalo Springfield, Poco, and the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band to induction into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Colorado Music Hall of Fame, Furay’s influence spans generations.

Richie Furay Bids A Final Farewell featuring Back To The Garden

With a voice that exudes warmth and sophistication, dazzling jazz vocalist Jane Monheit is renowned for her innovative interpretations of Great American Songbook standards, from ballads to blues. Catapulted to stardom at age 20 for her immense musical talent, Jane has spent the last two decades touring the globe, collaborating with jazz luminaries and legends, and appearing in guest performances on Late Night with David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show and more…

Jane Monheit Quartet

San Diego’s own robot band Steam Powered Giraffe performs live on stage Saturday, November 21st, 2026 at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido’s Center Theater! The band is celebrating 18 years in 2026 with a set full of old and new songs!

Steam Powered Giraffe: Live in Concert

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS by Chip Davis has been America’s favorite holiday tradition for over 40 years! Grammy Award winner Chip Davis has created a show that features Mannheim Steamroller Christmas classics in the distinctive Mannheim sound. The program includes 15 musicians playing more than 20 instruments against a backdrop of dazzling multimedia effects – capturing the spirit of the season in an immersive yet intimate setting.

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas

CIRQUE MUSICA HOLIDAY WONDERLAND BRINGS THE MAGIC TO THE CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS ON DECEMBER 9TH! This holiday season, follow our heroes as they are transported into a dazzling winter wonderland where time seems to stand still. With each daring act, they grow younger, rediscovering the joy, imagination, and spirit of the holidays they thought they had lost. This brand-new production blends world-class circus artistry with your favorite holiday music for a show unlike anything you’ve experienced. Breathtaking acrobatics, soaring aerial performances, and heart-pounding feats bring the season’s most beloved melodies to life, delivering an unforgettable holiday experience for the whole family. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the magic! Join us at the California Center for the Arts Escondido on Wednesday, December 9th for a night of wonder, excitement, and holiday cheer.

Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland

The hugely popular Holiday show Irish Christmas in America returns in 2026, bringing a fascinating performance of  music, song, dance and stories of seasonal Irish traditions.

Irish Christmas in America

BOHEMIAN QUEEN – The Ultimate Queen Tribute

From improv legend Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and world-renowned hypnotist Asad Mecci, HYPROV is a boundary-breaking comedy experience that fuses hypnosis and improvisation into one electrifying live show.

California Center for the Arts, Escondido

Oct 3, 2026

San Diego Tijuana International Jazz Festival

Oct 9, 2026

Hidden City Sounds: LP and the Vinyl with a Community Jazz Jam

Oct 10, 2026

Nathan Aweau

Oct 17, 2026

Lilith Lives: A Tribute to the Women of The ‘90s Celebrating Lilith Fair’s 30th Anniversary

Oct 25, 2026

An Evening with Celtic Thunder 2026: Celebrate your Favorite Songs

Sep 27, 2026

Stick Men

Sep 25, 2026

Música en la Plaza: Manny Cepeda Orchestra

California Center for the Arts, Escondido