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48th Oregon Coast Music Festival Opens July 11 with 80-Piece Orchestra and 80-Day Program
The 48th Annual Oregon Coast Music Festival launched its 15‑day run on Saturday, July 11, 2026, and will conclude on Sunday, July 25, in the picturesque Coos Bay area. The program blends local, regional, and national acts across a mix of outdoor and indoor venues, culminating in a highlight: an 80‑piece orchestra that will deliver three themed concerts during the final week.
Mingus Park in Coos Bay welcomed the festival’s opening day with a noon performance by the Bay Area Concert Band, celebrating the ensemble’s 50th anniversary. The following afternoon, Portland‑based jazz vocalist, pianist, educator, and composer Darrell Grant staged Songs for the Soul at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB) boathouse in Charleston.
During the first week, the Aaron Johnson Ensemble presented two evenings of jazz in Bandon and North Bend as part of a Taste of Jazz series. The North Bend Public Library hosted an Afternoon Café featuring vocalists Tree‑O and Portland musicians Shamus Hamlin and Patrick Cahill. On Thursday, July 16, the Southwestern Oregon Community College’s Hales Performing Arts Center welcomed a cello‑piano duo—Dace Gregory and Rachel Palen—for Musical Moments of Wonder, followed by a big‑band swing set titled Swingin’ in the Rain conducted by Steve Simpkins.
July 18 offered a free outdoor concert in the gardens of Shore Acres State Park, where the Gothard Sisters performed Celtic song and dance. The next day, a sponsored event called Horse Feathers took place at the OIMB boathouse, with 7 Devils Brewery as the sponsor.
The second week shifts focus to the orchestra, under the direction of Music Director Martin Majkut. Three concerts explore myth, legend, and science. On Tuesday, July 21, Our Solar System opened with bassoon soloist Martin Kuuskmann performing Tõnu Kõrvits’ North American premiere Beyond the Solar Fields, followed by Weber’s Andante & Rondo ongarese and Brahms’ Symphony No. 3.
Thursday, July 23, featured The Stuff of Legends, conducted by Pops conductor Adam Stern. The program included Greek myth pieces such as Orpheus in the Underworld and the musical The Wizard of Oz from Wicked. Contrabassoon soloist Nicole Buetti performed Ruth Gipps’ Leviathan, a composition inspired by a mythical sea serpent.
The final concert, July 25, presented Our Blue Home, moving from Haydn’s The Representation of Chaos to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Pastorale. After intermission, the Oregon Coastal premiere of Adam Schoenberg’s percussion concerto Losing Earth was performed with percussion soloist Terry Longshore, a piece inspired by Nathaniel Rich’s book Losing Earth on climate change.
The festival’s poster, The Long Song of Survival, portrays a coastal scene that bridges prehistoric and modern oceans, illustrating the sperm whale lineage and Earth’s changing climate over millions of years. The poster will be available for sale at festival events and the Oregon Coast Music Association office.
Tickets and additional information are available on the Oregon Coast Music Association website or by calling 541‑267‑0938. The festival is organized by the Oregon Coast Music Association, PO Box 663, Coos Bay, OR 97420.
The 48th festival continues the tradition of showcasing diverse musical styles while emphasizing the region’s cultural and environmental heritage. The inclusion of an 80‑piece orchestra and themed concerts underscores the festival’s commitment to high‑quality programming and community engagement.
The festival’s schedule, venues, and performers reflect a blend of local talent and national recognition, positioning the Oregon Coast Music Festival as a significant summer event on the Pacific Northwest’s cultural calendar.
Mingus Park in Coos Bay welcomed the festival’s opening day with a noon performance by the Bay Area Concert Band, celebrating the ensemble’s 50th anniversary. The following afternoon, Portland‑based jazz vocalist, pianist, educator, and composer Darrell Grant staged Songs for the Soul at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB) boathouse in Charleston.
During the first week, the Aaron Johnson Ensemble presented two evenings of jazz in Bandon and North Bend as part of a Taste of Jazz series. The North Bend Public Library hosted an Afternoon Café featuring vocalists Tree‑O and Portland musicians Shamus Hamlin and Patrick Cahill. On Thursday, July 16, the Southwestern Oregon Community College’s Hales Performing Arts Center welcomed a cello‑piano duo—Dace Gregory and Rachel Palen—for Musical Moments of Wonder, followed by a big‑band swing set titled Swingin’ in the Rain conducted by Steve Simpkins.
July 18 offered a free outdoor concert in the gardens of Shore Acres State Park, where the Gothard Sisters performed Celtic song and dance. The next day, a sponsored event called Horse Feathers took place at the OIMB boathouse, with 7 Devils Brewery as the sponsor.
The second week shifts focus to the orchestra, under the direction of Music Director Martin Majkut. Three concerts explore myth, legend, and science. On Tuesday, July 21, Our Solar System opened with bassoon soloist Martin Kuuskmann performing Tõnu Kõrvits’ North American premiere Beyond the Solar Fields, followed by Weber’s Andante & Rondo ongarese and Brahms’ Symphony No. 3.
Thursday, July 23, featured The Stuff of Legends, conducted by Pops conductor Adam Stern. The program included Greek myth pieces such as Orpheus in the Underworld and the musical The Wizard of Oz from Wicked. Contrabassoon soloist Nicole Buetti performed Ruth Gipps’ Leviathan, a composition inspired by a mythical sea serpent.
The final concert, July 25, presented Our Blue Home, moving from Haydn’s The Representation of Chaos to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Pastorale. After intermission, the Oregon Coastal premiere of Adam Schoenberg’s percussion concerto Losing Earth was performed with percussion soloist Terry Longshore, a piece inspired by Nathaniel Rich’s book Losing Earth on climate change.
The festival’s poster, The Long Song of Survival, portrays a coastal scene that bridges prehistoric and modern oceans, illustrating the sperm whale lineage and Earth’s changing climate over millions of years. The poster will be available for sale at festival events and the Oregon Coast Music Association office.
Tickets and additional information are available on the Oregon Coast Music Association website or by calling 541‑267‑0938. The festival is organized by the Oregon Coast Music Association, PO Box 663, Coos Bay, OR 97420.
The 48th festival continues the tradition of showcasing diverse musical styles while emphasizing the region’s cultural and environmental heritage. The inclusion of an 80‑piece orchestra and themed concerts underscores the festival’s commitment to high‑quality programming and community engagement.
The festival’s schedule, venues, and performers reflect a blend of local talent and national recognition, positioning the Oregon Coast Music Festival as a significant summer event on the Pacific Northwest’s cultural calendar.