Music on the Strait Opens with World Premiere of Gabriela Lena Franks El Mundo
On Saturday, August 25, Music on the Strait (MOTS) will launch its 2026 summer season with a world premiere of the aria “El Mundo.” The piece, written for mezzo‑soprano and chamber ensemble, will be sung by Abigail Nims, a voice professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and performed by a roster of musicians from around the globe. The concert opens at 7 p.m. in the Field Arts & Events Hall in Port Angeles.
Tickets are on sale through the MOTS website and at the Field Hall box office. The festival’s pay‑what‑you‑can policy is in effect, with seats starting at $5. Attendees can begin the evening early in the Sunset Lounge, where food, drink, and programming set the tone. At 5:45 p.m., the Olympic Strings Workshop from Lake Crescent will play, followed by a 6:15 p.m. chat with Lisa Bergman of Classical KING‑FM.
“El Mundo” is the first aria of Gabriela Lena Frank’s opera El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego, which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in May. The opera examines the relationship between Mexican painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Frank, who served as MOTS’ composer in residence in 2025 and won a 2026 Pulitzer Prize for her symphonic work Picaflor: A Future Myth, describes the aria as a glimpse into Kahlo’s heart, where the character speaks of returning to the living world and the pain of being bound to Rivera.
The opening‑night ensemble features violinists James Garlick and Kristin Lee, cellist Silver Ainomäe (associate principal of the Minnesota Orchestra), pianist August Baik, and principal violist Maiya Papach of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Garlick, one of MOTS’ founders, called the program “highly dramatic, with lots of romantic, luscious sounds all around.” His co‑founder, O’Neill, praised Frank’s music as “colorful, full of life and character, almost as if the music was a living being.” The program also includes “Il Tramonto” by Ottornio Resphigi and Erno Dohnanyi’s Piano Quintet, both exploring themes of loss, passion, and love.
MOTS will present three additional concerts during the end‑of‑summer season. Two sold‑out shows will be held at Peninsula College’s Maier Hall, and the finale on August 30 will bring pianist Jeremy Denk and the Takács Quartet back to Field Hall. The finale program will feature Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in D minor, “The Tempest,” Franck’s Piano Quintet in F minor, and Frank’s Quijotadas. Tickets for the finale remain available through the MOTS website, and the festival’s partnership with the nonprofit Port Angeles Symphony allows donations to be tax‑deductible.
This opening night marks the first time MOTS has staged a concert featuring a vocalist. Founder Garlick said the idea stemmed from a long‑standing desire to highlight voice and a conversation with former Port Angeles High School music teacher Jolene Dalton Gailey, who encouraged the festival to include singers. Nims, who will debut with MOTS, has performed with the Masterworks Choir and Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, the São Paulo Symphony, and the San Francisco Symphony.
In short, Music on the Strait’s 2026 season opens with a world premiere of Gabriela Lena Frank’s “El Mundo,” performed by Abigail Nims and a distinguished chamber ensemble. Tickets are available under the festival’s pay‑what‑you‑can model, and the season will continue with three more concerts, culminating in a finale featuring Jeremy Denk and the Takács Quartet.
