Monday, July 22 saw the triumphant return of Baywood’s beloved Boatzart concert. This was the first event since 2019, when the Baywood Navy presented The Six Clarinetists.
Lloyd Tanner, exective director of Festival Mozaic
A little history of the event, as recalled by organizer Paul Irving: Sometime in the early 1990s, the Baywood Navy collaborated with the Mozart Festival to jointly produce a classical concert on the pier. Attendees came by land and by sea in kayaks, canoes, rowboats, and small sailboats to see and hear high level classical music. It was a hit! After about five years, the Mozart Festival decided not to continue the collaboration, and under the the direction of Stanley Stern the men and women of the Baywood Navy continued to produce Boatzart each year.
Paul Irving, owner of Big, Big SLO
Unfortunately, Stanley passed away last year, leaving a void in the Baywood community and an uncertain future for the event. Paul Irving, also a member of the Baywood Navy, asked Festival Mozaic (the organization previously known as Mozart Festival) to join forces once again to present the concert. Lloyd Tanner, the festival’s Executive Director, was immediately excited about putting the collaboration together, and made Boatzart part of the official 2024 program.
Mozaic Festival Brass, a world-class quintet formed from top players from all corners of he country: Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Seattle, Cleveland, and Long Beach, delighted over 300 attendees nestled in lawn chairs along the Baywood waterfront. Look for some collaboration next year as the tradition continues. Photos by Dean Sullivan
