No tickets or reservations required. Cash donations at the door are greatly appreciated – thank you!

Rogue Lemon Collective is a dynamic multi-genre ensemble of classically trained string musicians from Los Angeles that will be performing their own original songs and innovative arrangements of pop, rock, and film music. Their bold and unexpected style blends classical training with improvisation and contemporary influences. Expect to hear original compositions ranging in styles from jazz to bluegrass, and unique covers of artists such as Nirvana, Rihanna, and The Rolling Stones.

Rogue Lemon Collective, based in the vibrant city of Los Angeles, is a collective of classically trained string musicians offering a fresh perspective in the world of music. Straying from traditional expectations, the ensemble explores a diverse range of genres, crafting arrangements and original compositions that showcase their versatility. The collective regularly collaborates and records with artists of various backgrounds, including singles released in 2024 with singer-songwriter Ebony Loren and pianist Ryan Whyman. 2025 will include the release of a jazz album with bassist Mauricio Morales & pianist Adam Hersch. The name 'Rogue Lemon' encapsulates their fearless approach, adding a fresh twist to the ordinary. It symbolizes a commitment to redefining the boundaries and perceptions of string music and reflects the group's bold and unexpected style. Known for their dynamic approach, Rogue Lemon Collective often incorporates improvisation in their performances, adding an extra layer of spontaneity to their musical journey. In each performance, they invite audiences to witness the intersection of classical training, contemporary expression, and the creative energy of improvisation.

www.roguelemoncollective.com

No tickets or reservations required. Cash donations at the door are greatly appreciated – thank you!

Pianists Michael Coonrod and Danny Holt team up for beloved classics for piano duo by Mozart, Schubert, and Brahms, plus a lovely Gershwin transcription and a rowdy and playful dance by contemporary composer John Corigliano. Coonrod recently retired from almost five decades of teaching at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, where he shaped generations of young pianists. Holt was his student more than 25 years ago, and is thrilled to reunite with his former teacher!

Dr. Michael Coonrod is a retired piano faculty member from the Interlochen Center for the Arts where he tutored classical piano students for 46 years. During that time, he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, MD. He has had an extensive performing and teaching career in several countries. He performed 20th Century piano music at the Chopin Academy in Warsaw Poland and participated in the Amalfi Music Festival in Maiori, Italy for five summers. He gave several master classes at the FaceArt Piano School in Shanghai China. He has five compact disc recordings to his credit–two of which are devoted to the music of Franz Schubert. In his free time he is building a diorama of his home town of Missoula, Montana with an HO scale train layout.

www.michaelcoonrod.com

Pianist Danny Holt performs around the globe in concert halls (Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hollywood Bowl), clubs (Joe’s Pub, The Blue Whale, Copenhagen Jazzhouse) art galleries (MASS MoCA, Hammer Museum), churches, living rooms, and wherever else he can find a piano and someone to listen. His recorded catalog includes the recent solo album “Piano Music of Mike Garson” and other solo, chamber, and orchestral releases on the Innova Recordings label, pfMENTUM, New World Records, Deutsche Grammophon, Acis Productions, and L’st records. After spending most of the past two decades in Southern California, Holt recently relocated to a small town on the coast of Maine. He continues to run Desert Hot Springs Classical Concerts, the concert series he founded in 2014.

www.dannyholt.net

No tickets or reservations required. Cash donations at the door are greatly appreciated – thank you!

Established in 2009, Oakwood Brass presents music that is fun and lively to audiences using the classical brass quintet sound. The group currently presents a wide range of exciting programming featuring music from a large assortment of genres including classical, jazz, contemporary, and popular media. Oakwood Brass is a modern brass quintet aiming to revitalize chamber music performances using contemporary media to attract new listeners to classical instrumentation. The group seeks to connect the classical sound to music that children and adults know from their own lived experiences.

www.oakwoodbrass.com

No tickets or reservations required. Cash donations at the door are greatly appreciated – thank you!

Join pianist Clare Longendyke as she explores the connection between classical and contemporary music in her recital, Metamorphosis. Featuring works by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and living composer Dika Chartoff, Metamorphosis examines three examples of musical inspiration and variation. Clare takes the audience on a journey as she speaks to the stories behind the music, as well as her personal connection to each piece. 

Pianist Clare Longendyke is a soloist, chamber musician, and fearless advocate for new music who brings daring repertoire and thoughtful storytelling to the concert stage. Her 2024 debut album, …of dreams unveiled, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Traditional Classical chart and was hailed as “delightfully daring” and “not to be missed.” Known for imaginative programming and a charismatic stage presence, Clare has commissioned over 30 new works and performed 250+ world premieres. In the 2025/26 season, she appears with Symphony New Hampshire, South Bend Symphony Orchestra, and Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective, and continues to champion equity in classical music.

www.clarelongendyke.com

No tickets or reservations required. Cash donations at the door are greatly appreciated – thank you!

From the beloved pairing of harp and flute to the lesser-known combination of harp and alto saxophone, this concert will feature classical favorites plus a sprinkling of contemporary and jazz genres. 

A native Southern Californian, Dr. Vanessa Fountain holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music from California State University Los Angeles and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Arizona, where she was the assistant director of HarpFusion, a world-famous touring harp ensemble, and the teaching assistant to Dr. Carrol McLaughlin. She was the youngest doctoral recipient, earning her degree at age 19. As a professional harpist, highlights of her concert tours include performances in China, South Korea, Spain, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She has performed for such notables as Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Florence Henderson and Arnold Spielberg and concertized with artists including Barry Manilow, Lucie Arnaz and Il Divo. Dr. Fountain's technical skill and artistic vision allow for interpretations and arrangements of a variety of music spanning Classical, pop, jazz, rock, and international genres. Previously an instructor of music at College of the Desert and Norco College, in 2017 she became Associate Professor and Chair of Music at Mt. San Jacinto College, where she also directed the college/community orchestra. Since 2022 she has been the Dean of Arts, Languages, and Communication at Grossmont College. She has been recognized for her dedication to education and harp performance through awards from the California State Assembly and the Valeria Finzi Memorial Harp Scholarship.

www.gold2ivory.com

Emanuel Esparza is a versatile woodwind specialist and dedicated educator serving California’s Inland Valley. As the Saxophone Professor at Mt. San Jacinto College and an elementary band director for Hemet Unified School District, Emanuel bridges the gap between foundational music education and collegiate-level artistry. A multi-instrumentalist with a diverse performance portfolio, he currently performs with the Southland Wind Ensemble and the Secondhand Swing Band, and contributes his voice to the Southern California Choral Artists. Emanuel is continually refining his craft, currently preparing for graduate studies in Saxophone Performance to further enrich the technical expertise he shares with his students.

No tickets or reservations required. Cash donations at the door are greatly appreciated – thank you!

Desert Hot Springs Classical Concerts founder Danny Holt brings the 12th season to a close with his new solo piano program Not Strictly Classical, highlighting contemporary classical music influenced by jazz, rock, and pop music, including works by Mike Garson (pianist for Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, etc.), jazz/pop phenom Jon Batiste, French jazz/hip-hop pianist Sofiane Pamart, Ludovico Einaudi, Max Richter and many others. Also featuring selections from beloved film scores like "Amelie", "The Piano", and "Interstellar".

Called “phenomenal” by the late music critic Alan Rich, and hailed as one of the “local heroes” of the Los Angeles music scene (LAcitybeat.com), pianist Danny Holt performs around the globe in concert halls (Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hollywood Bowl), clubs (Joe’s Pub, The Blue Whale, Copenhagen Jazzhouse) art galleries (MASS MoCA, Hammer Museum), churches, living rooms, and wherever else he can find a piano and someone to listen. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Blue Man Group, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, the California EAR Unit, and the Calder Quartet. His recorded catalog includes the recent solo album “Piano Music of Mike Garson” and other solo, chamber, and orchestral releases on the Innova Recordings label, pfMENTUM, New World Records, Deutsche Grammophon, Acis Productions, and L’st records. Holt holds degrees from California Institute of the Arts, Hampshire College, Smith College, and Interlochen Arts Academy. The City of Desert Hot Springs honored Holt’s years of cultural enrichment to the community through his leadership of Desert Hot Springs Classical Concerts by declaring January 21, 2024 “Danny Holt Day”, which coincided with the inaugural concert of the series’ 10th anniversary season.

www.dannyholt.net