The Valley of the Moon Music Festival, nestled in the heart of the Sonoma Valley, is the first music festival in the United States to focus on Classical and Romantic music on period instruments.
We shed a new and fascinating light on some of the most familiar chamber music repertoire, bringing it to life with a unique combination of exploration, collaboration and fun. Every summer, we invite an international roster of experts in the field of period performance to Sonoma, for three weekends of concerts around a unifying theme, followed by receptions featuring local Sonoma wines. We round out the program with a series of informative and entertaining pre-concert presentations in the Blattner Lecture Series. In our Apprentice and Laureate Programs, we promote and foster the next generation of chamber musicians in an atmosphere of experimentation and support. We are proud to present these incredible musicians at our concerts each summer!
Our History
Bay Area musicians Tanya Tomkins (cello) and Eric Zivian (fortepiano) began exploring the Beethoven Cello Sonatas on period instruments in 2000. Tanya was just back from many years in Europe, eager to perform more Classical and Romantic music on the instruments for which it was written. Eric was excited to collaborate with her, and began to immerse himself in the specialized study of performing on period pianos. Over the next few years, they purchased two beautiful historical pianos, and began producing concerts in Bay Area residences featuring artists from all over the world. They also started an embryonic Apprenticeship Program at their home in Berkeley – mentoring, coaching, and producing emerging Bay Area musicians interested in chamber music on historic instruments.
In late 2013, they met with their good friend, Philharmonia Baroque Board member Martin Cohn, at his house in Sonoma. Eric and Tanya shared their idea for a music festival and Martin was all for it – suggesting Sonoma as the home base. Martin soon became Board President, and with much help from friends and supporters in the Sonoma Valley and beyond, the Valley of the Moon Music Festival was born.