The 13-mile drive on Carmel Valley Road begins at Highway One, follows along the Carmel River and offers a unique scenic landscape all its own. The beautiful countryside is dotted with horse ranches, vineyards, five championship golf courses, renowned resorts, shopping, wine tasting, quaint inns and lodges. The perfect place to get away, relax and enjoy the wide variety of activities offered in the area. One of the biggest decisions you must make when planning any vacation is where you will stay. Carmel Valley offers a range of fantastic options for accommodations. As an added bonus, almost all of these hotels are dog friendly, so you can bring your four-legged family members along without any extra worry. (visit each hotel’s website for details on the property’s specific pet policy)

Summer is underway here at Hidden Valley! And with summer comes the bread and butter of Hidden Valley Music Seminars—Master Classes! Nearly every week for the span of a couple of months, we have at least one professional musician on campus teaching an elite group of advanced students the skills that have contributed to their rise to the top of their respective fields. From the Principal Oboe of the Metropolitan Opera to the Principal Bassoon and Solo Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic to the Principal Cello of The Cleveland Orchestra, we provide students unprecedented access to incomparable master musicians at the height of their crafts. The opportunity is an extraordinary one, and our students travel from all across the country (and even internationally) to experience the incredible learning environment that is Hidden Valley.

But the summer is not just for our Master Class participants! You (yes you!) have the opportunity to experience these master musicians as well! Every year we host a Masters Festival Concert Series, and this year marks our 36th anniversary! This series consists of concerts that feature our master musicians in programs ranging from classical to contemporary to jazz. Many of these concerts highlight instruments that are seldom heard in solo performance, providing a unique opportunity to experience these instruments at their absolute best. Here at Hidden Valley, we draw together artist and audience in an intimate setting allowing for an unparalleled experience with the top performing professionals of our time.

I can’t believe that we’re already in May! As a nonnative of California, I’m convinced that the endless stream of beautiful weather is messing with my sense of time. I’m used to snow and cold and seasons, to the world browning in the fall and greening in the spring. But here I am, one day after another—beautiful, mild, (dare I say perfect?) weather that makes me feel like I’m living in a perpetual spring. Could I request more problems like this, please???

It doesn’t help that every morning when I come to work I am hit smack dab in the face with Hidden Valley’s beauty. Last month it was the wisteria in full bloom as it cascaded down the pergola; this month I’m enamored by the powerful oak tree that steadfastly welcomes our theatregoers. It’s too beautiful not to be loved. But I digress!

April was filled with so many wonderful events: the String Orchestra of Hidden Valley Spring Concert, This, That, or Something Else presented by the Monterey County Composers’ Forum, The Carmel Valley Garden Show. The String Orchestra Concert did not disappoint, and I’m eagerly awaiting their return in the fall. Music Director Stewart Robertson is an absolute charmer with a passion for music that simply emanates from him. It was a pleasure to experience this concert with him, and I look forward to many more! This, That, or Something Else was pretty much exactly as I had forecasted in my previous blog, and I was thrilled! The Hidden Valley Theatre was full of electricity on that day. If you have never experienced being in a room full of people who simply love to play and create music, let me tell you that it is a compelling experience. I, for one, was ready to stand up and join in on the creation. Don’t worry. I resisted the temptation. And last, but certainly not least, The Carmel Valley Garden Show was a tremendous success! I have heard from numerous community members that they attended on Saturday and just had to come back on Sunday. I would like to applaud all of the hard work of the Carmel Valley Garden Club; you have all worked so hard to make this an event worth coming to!

There is something hidden here.

As I make my way down the driveway and onto the dirt road, I can’t help but wonder, what magic have I found? I marvel at the greenery, the natural beauty that is so characteristic of Carmel Valley. But here, there is something different. An energy, a story, a spirit.

I open my car door to the crisp, cool air of the morning. I’m greeted by the sweetest sound of playful birds as they pass overhead, by the rustle of leaves in a delicate breeze that seems to settle the day into place. There is a stillness here. And yet, knowing what I know about this place, the stillness, the quietude, is but one thread in this intricate quilt called Hidden Valley.

For those of you who have been to Hidden Valley Music Seminars, you know of the magic I’m referring to. It can’t be fully articulated, but it can be fully felt by any person who chooses to cross its threshold.

Hidden Valley Music Seminars was born 53 years ago in 1963 out of a deep concern for the development of extraordinarily talented young artists. It wasn’t until 1972 that it found its current home, nestled in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range. For 44 years, Hidden Valley has been a constant in the Carmel Valley community. The number of people it has touched, the number of people who have experienced this place, is too many to count. And yet, it has somehow been able to maintain this incredible sense of both exclusivity and community. It is both a best-kept secret and a welcome home.

What’s all the buzz about olive oil?

We are what we eat. We’ve all heard this, and in the case of olive oil, it is really true.  Olive oil is good for your heart health and is a great example to show why it is important for us to choose what we eat wisely.  

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