The 2025 Festival
CACTUS PEAR MUSIC FESTIVAL PRESENTS
29 and Counting
This summer, Cactus Pear Music Festival celebrates its 29th season with a title that says it all: 29 and Counting.
It’s a nod to our longevity, and to the milestone just ahead—but also to the heartbeat of chamber music itself. Chamber music lives in the count: the toe-tapping energy, the shared downbeat, the exhilarating interplay of musicians perfectly in sync. Sustained by years of unforgettable performances, meaningful connections, and a community that keeps showing up, we’re not just looking back—we’re still playing, still counting, and after all this time, we haven’t missed a beat.
All concerts are FREE but we do request that all those attending REGISTER their attendance through the link below.
THE FOUR PROGRAMS ARE:
Count On it
Program NotesFriday, July 11, 3 pm | Blanco Performing Arts
In a world that often feels unpredictable, some things are worth relying on: the power of great music, the chemistry of outstanding musicians, the welcoming embrace of a good concert hall. This co-presentation by Blanco Performing Arts and Cactus Pear Music Festival brings together two organizations with a shared commitment to musical excellence, thoughtful programming, and community connection. We’re delighted to join forces for an evening of chamber music you can count on—beautifully crafted, richly expressive, and deeply rewarding.
It's The Thought That Counts
Program NotesSaturday, July 12, 3 pm | UIW
Sometimes a quiet gesture says the most. It’s the Thought That Counts explores the idea that intention—whether in composition, character, or artistic form—can carry deep meaning. Each piece on this program reflects a composer’s thoughtful voice: through reflection, resilience, subtlety, or wry humor. From bluesy introspection to understated elegance, from daring invention to quiet rebellion, these works invite us to listen closely—not for grandiosity, but for depth.
Count Your Blessings
Program NotesSunday, July 13, 3 pm | UIW
Gratitude takes many forms—a quiet reflection, a burst of laughter, a song shared among friends. Count Your Blessings is a concert that invites us to notice what we carry, what we celebrate, and what we remember. Each work on this program offers its own kind of benediction: music shaped by care, lifted by joy, or anchored in deep feeling. There are no grand narratives here, only moments of generosity and grace—a chance to listen closely and come away more aware of what matters most.
Count Me In
Program NotesSaturday, July 19, 3 pm | UIW
Count Me In is chamber music with a serious groove. Beethoven kicks things off with his delightfully cheeky Kakadu Variations—a slow burn that builds into a full-blown romp. From there, it’s all in: Piazzolla’s tango fire, Gabriela Lena Frank’s folkloric brilliance, and original works by Stas Venglevski that blur the lines between dance, drama, and pure joy. With the accordion in the spotlight, plus a devilish dash of John Williams and a final swirl of La Cumparsita, this concert is a rhythmic, joy-fueled celebration of musical togetherness. With so much rhythmic spark and ensemble fire, this program doesn’t wait for you to say “count me in”—it pulls you in from the very first note.
The Final Countdown
Program NotesSunday, July 20, 3 pm | UIW
As we approach the final concert of this season’s festival, The Final Countdown draws together a tapestry of musical voices—nostalgic, fiery, sacred, and celebratory. This program moves across eras and continents, opening with refined elegance and closing with the passionate pulse of popular tradition. Strings and winds, piano and bayan intertwine in a genre-crossing journey that bids farewell not with solemnity, but with soul.
Week 1 Concerts
Blanco Performing Arts
FRIDAY | JULY 11, 7:30 PM
In a world that often feels unpredictable, some things are worth relying on: the power of great music, the chemistry of outstanding musicians, the welcoming embrace of a good concert hall. This co-presentation by Blanco Performing Arts and Cactus Pear Music Festival brings together two organizations with a shared commitment to musical excellence, thoughtful programming, and community connection. We’re delighted to join forces for an evening of chamber music you can count on—beautifully crafted, richly expressive, and deeply rewarding. We’re partnering with Blanco Performing Arts for this event. To register, please visit blancoperformingarts.com/cactuspear.
UIW | DIANE BENNACK HALL, SAN ANTONIO
SATURDAY | JULY 12, 3 PM
Sometimes a quiet gesture says the most. It’s the Thought That Counts explores the idea that intention—whether in composition, character, or artistic form—can carry deep meaning. Each piece on this program reflects a composer’s thoughtful voice: through reflection, resilience, subtlety, or wry humor. From bluesy introspection to understated elegance, from daring invention to quiet rebellion, these works invite us to listen closely—not for grandiosity, but for depth.
UIW | DIANE BENNACK HALL, SAN ANTONIO
SUNDAY | JULY 13, 3 PM
Gratitude takes many forms—a quiet reflection, a burst of laughter, a song shared among friends. Count Your Blessings is a concert that invites us to notice what we carry, what we celebrate, and what we remember. Each work on this program offers its own kind of benediction: music shaped by care, lifted by joy, or anchored in deep feeling. There are no grand narratives here, only moments of generosity and grace—a chance to listen closely and come away more aware of what matters most.
Week 2 Concerts
UIW | DIANE BENNACK HALL
FRIDAY | JULY 18, 7 PM
CPMF’s 29th season concludes with a performance featuring our 2025 Young Artists. CPMF’s Young Artist Program (YAP), managed by Education Director Craig Sorgi, offers full tuition scholarships to talented young instrumentalists in the San Antonio area. These students are organized into mixed chamber music ensembles rehearsing under the watchful eye of Sorgi. They receive lessons and coaching from the CPMF professional artists—guidance that can be life-changing for these young adults. This concert offers an opportunity to hear the fruits of their labors.
UIW | DIANE BENNACK HALL, SAN ANTONIO
SATURDAY | JULY 19, 3 PM
Count Me In is chamber music with a serious groove. Beethoven kicks things off with his delightfully cheeky Kakadu Variations—a slow burn that builds into a full-blown romp. From there, it’s all in: Piazzolla’s tango fire, Gabriela Lena Frank’s folkloric brilliance, and original works by Stas Venglevski that blur the lines between dance, drama, and pure joy. With the accordion in the spotlight, plus a devilish dash of John Williams and a final swirl of La Cumparsita, this concert is a rhythmic, joy-fueled celebration of musical togetherness. With so much rhythmic spark and ensemble fire, this program doesn’t wait for you to say “count me in”—it pulls you in from the very first note.
UIW | DIANE BENNACK HALL, SAN ANTONIO
SUNDAY | JULY 20, 3 PM
As we approach the final concert of this season’s festival, The Final Countdown draws together a tapestry of musical voices—nostalgic, fiery, sacred, and celebratory. This program moves across eras and continents, opening with refined elegance and closing with the passionate pulse of popular tradition. Strings and winds, piano and bayan intertwine in a genre-crossing journey that bids farewell not with solemnity, but with soul.itude takes many forms—a quiet reflection, a burst of laughter, a song shared among friends. Count Your Blessings is a concert that invites us to notice what we carry, what we celebrate, and what we remember. Each work on this program offers its own kind of benediction: music shaped by care, lifted by joy, or anchored in deep feeling. There are no grand narratives here, only moments of generosity and grace—a chance to listen closely and come away more aware of what matters most.
Parking is free over the summer at UIW.
Founders garage across from Hildebrand
(where the old ATT building was) is for overflow
if the front of the concert hall becomes too full.
