Beginning its joyful second season next Wednesday, the Sunkiss’d Mozart Summerfest returns with a bold spirit and fresh artistry, showcasing top chamber musicians from around the country. Under the visionary leadership of violinist and artistic director Cindy Wu, Summerfest 2025 unfolds in intimate locations across the Monterey Peninsula, including an ocean-view hall, an art-filled gallery, and the barrel room of a winery.

Wu, who has performed as a soloist in the great halls of world, knows that the ideal way to experience chamber repertoire is in small spaces surrounded by beauty and art, while seated close to the musicians. After all, intimate rooms are where chamber music began. Wu carefully pairs venues with compositions to amplify and deepen the experience for both audiences and musicians. This year’s theme of Metamorphosis weaves together the festival’s concerts and events.

The world premiere of “Journey Alone,” a string duo by composer Daixuan Ai, will be performed at the festival’s final concert on June 15. One of 10 composers at the Emerging Composers Intensive at Hidden Valley last year, Ai was commissioned to write the work, drawing inspiration from Pacific Grove-based author Alka Joshi’s bestselling novel, “Six Days in Bombay.” In addition to the music, Summerfest 2025 presents two Canvas Events that take audiences inside the artistic process, with Wu in conversations with Joshi and Ai.

The three concerts, Aurora, Meta and Harvest, take place respectively at the Pacific Grove Art Center, the majestic Asilomar Conference Grounds Seascape room, and the Barn at Corral Wine Co. Musical highlights include Mendelssohn’s glorious “Octet,” Schoenberg’s “Verklärte Nacht,’ a rendering of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” for three cellos, Osvaldo Golijov’s Tenebrae, music of Gabriela Lena Frank, Chinese Folk Songs arranged by Yi-Wen Jiang, Leoš Janácek’s Kreutzer Sonata, works by Mozart, Gliere and Richard Strauss, and more. Every performance will be followed by a reception with refreshments and wine, to allow audiences to further enjoy the special settings of these unique concerts.

The festival’s premiere musicians include cellist Tanya Tomkins, violist David Samuel, cellist Dmitri Atapine, violinist Yuri Cho, and of course violinist Wu. They will be joined by rising stars players violinist Rubén Rengel, cellist Elena Ariza, and violist Laura Liu.

Sunkiss’d Mozart Summerfest takes place June 11-15. For tickets, special offers and more information about the music, events and locations, see https://skmozart.com/festival.

Coming soon

Here are reminders of more June concerts.

Daniel Henriks conducts I Cantori di Carmel’s Sunset debut June 13 at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. For tickets see www.sunsetcenter.org/event-calendar/. For more information see www.icantori.org or call (831) 644-8012.

Conductor Henriks also leads Espressivo, the distinguished chamber orchestra from Santa Cruz, in its Monterey Peninsula debut at the First Presbyterian Church in Monterey with Romantique, a program celebrating French Romantic composers Berlioz, Bizet and Arthur Honegger. The concert takes place Saturday at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Monterey. For tickets and more information see www.espressorch.org. Tickets available at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Smuin Ballet returns to Sunset Center Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. For tickets or more information, call 620-2048 or see www.sunsetcenter.org/event-calendar/

Live theater

New Canon Theatre Co. presents Shakespeare’s Othello at Carmel’s Forest Theater from June 12-29. For tickets and information call (831) 275-1441 or see the web at www.newcanontheatre.org/

Carmel’s Pacific Repertory Theater presents the musical “Waitress” inspired by Adrienne Shelly’s beloved film and offers a special recipe for finding happiness in unexpected places. It takes place June 19-July 27 at the Founders Theatre of the Golden Bough Playhouse in Carmel. For tickets and information call (831) 622-0100 or see www.pacrep.org/