Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome

“There exists a passion for comprehension, just as there exists a passion for music.” – Albert Einstein

Artistic Director Cécilia Tsan curates thoughtful musical adventures
under the magnificent vaulted dome of the 100-inch telescope. 

Audience seated inside the vaulted dome of Mount Wilson Observatory’s 100-inch telescope, surrounded by the telescope’s intricate framework and metal-paneled interior. The space is prepared for a concert, blending science, architecture, and live performance.

The 100-inch telescope is the instrument with which astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered our place in an expanding universe and so expanded our comprehension. The dome for the telescope—designed by Chicago architect D.H. Burnham—is a 20th century temple to science whose acoustics rival the great cathedrals of Europe and provides a unique setting for this ambitious music series. 

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Access to the dome performance level is via a 53-step staircase. Mount Wilson Observatory is a mile high in elevation so the air is noticeably thinner. There is no ADA-compliant access.
  • For safety reasons, children under 6 are not permitted at Concerts in the Dome.

Every ticket purchase helps to support and preserve this historic observatory for generations to come. Thank you!

2026 Sunday Afternoon Concert in the Dome Dates

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome - September 6: Webern String Quartet

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome – September 6: Webern String Quartet

September 6, 2026    
Webern String Quartet
Todd Mason String Quartet No.5 “The Phoenix” (2025), Beethoven String Quartet No.15, Op.132

Benjamin Hoffman & Chiai Tajima, violins, Alex Granger, viola, Stella Cho, cello
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome - October 4: Piano Quartets

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome – October 4: Piano Quartets

October 4, 2026    
Piano Quartets
Mahler, Brahms Op.60 in C minor

David Kaplan, piano, Ambroise Aubrun, violin, Ariana Solotoff, viola, Cécilia Tsan, cello

Previous Concerts

2025
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: May 25

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: May 25

May 25, 2025    
PETER ERSKINE & THE LOUNGE ART ENSEMBLE
Peter Erskine, drums, Bob Sheppard, saxophone, Darek Oles, bass
Carte Blanche. Peter Erskine, drums, has been voted ’Best Jazz Drummer of the Year’ ten times by the readers of Modern Drummer magazine. Bob Sheppard, saxophone, is a professor of jazz studies at USC and can be heard on the soundtracks of major motion pictures and recordings. Darek Oles, bass, a native of Poland, has performed with many major jazz artists such as Pat Metheny, Bennie Maupin, Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua, etc… Peter is honored to be part of the “Lounge Art Ensemble,” his favorite improvisational group.
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: June 29

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: June 29

June 29, 2025    
CELLISSIMO
Cécilia Tsan and Allan Hon, cellos
An eclectic program for two cellists/friends playing a World Premiere, “Ready to Rumble” by Gernot Wolfgang, an arrangement of the Bach Chaconne, a Barrière Sonata and an Offenbach duet.
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: July 20

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: July 20

July 20, 2025    
CELEBRATING THE FIRST WALK ON THE MOON WITH SARAH GILLIS ASTRONAUT-VIOLINIST
Sarah Gillis, Martin Chalifour, violins, Andrew Duckles, viola, Cécilia Tsan, cello, Tim Durkovic, piano.
An exceptional celebration: Sarah Gillis is the extraordinary engineer/astronaut who flew to space in September 2024  In the International Space Station she played John Williams “Rey’s Theme”  from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. With his blessing she will play the violin & piano version as we celebrate the anniversary of the first human steps on the Moon. After the performance of Beethoven’s Piano Trio, Op. 11, she will join Martin Chalifour, Concertmaster of the LA Philharmonic, pianist Tim Durkovic, violist Andrew Duckles and cellist Cécilia Tsan to perform the Schumann Piano Quintet, Op. 44. For the first time in our series, and even ever, piano in the dome!
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: August 3

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: August 3

August 3, 2025    
ZELTER STRING QUARTET
Kyle Gilner & Gallia Kastner, violins, Carson Rick, viola, Allan Hon, cello.
Back by popular demand, this vibrant string quartet of young musicians will perform the World Premiere of Todd Mason’s “The City of Angels” and Beethoven quartets.
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: August 17

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: August 17

August 17, 2025    
CELEBRATING BEN POWELL
Evan Price, violin, Zach Dellinger, viola, Cécilia Tsan, cello, Roch Lockyer, guitar & vocals, Brian Netzley, bass.
Honoring our dear friend, the late Ben Powell, violinist extraordinaire who passed away way too soon. Ben opened our series at Mount Wilson in 2017 at the very first concert in the Dome. As Ben’s friends, we will perform music from various genres, honoring his exceptional versatility on the violin and his beautiful soul.
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: September 21

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: September 21

September 21, 2025    
NEW HOLLYWOOD STRING QUARTET
Tereza Stanislav & Rafael Rishik, violins, Robert Brophy, viola, Andrew Shulman, cello + Cécilia Tsan, cello
“The New Hollywood String Quartet takes its inspiration from the famed Hollywood String Quartet, composed of studio musicians in the 1940s and ’50s. It had the reputation as America’s finest string quartet for its superbly silky sound and capacity for vivid drama…. That’s still true with the New Hollywood, formed in 2001, four decades after the original Hollywood Quartet disbanded.” — Mark Swed, 2024
An all Schubert program: the Quartettsatz followed by the String Quintet, D956, with cellist Cécilia Tsan joining.
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: October 5

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: October 5

October 5, 2025    
MUSICAL FRIENDS
Roger Wilkie, violin, Jonah Sirota, viola, Cécilia Tsan, cello, Geoff Osika, bass, Gigi Brady, oboe, Sergio Coelho, clarinet
A winds & strings celebration. This program curated by Jonah Sirota will include works by Hans GalBrittenProkofiev.
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: October 19

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: October 19

October 19, 2025    
MARIACHI LINDAS MEXICANAS
Carte Blanche to Los Angeles’ All Female Mariachi Band. Carte Blanche to Los Angeles’ All Female Mariachi Band. Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas was founded in Boyle Heights, California in 2007 by musical director Maricela Martínez, a musician with more than 20 years of experience in the mariachi business.  Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas has performed, collaborated and participated in several high- profile projects, including a Latin GRAMMY with Mon Laferte, Martha Stewart & Snoop Dogg’s cookout, Red Bull Music Academy, Netflix, and Phillip Lim among many others. The goal of Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas is to share this tradition with younger generations around the world.
2024
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: May 19, 2024 - Celestial Strings

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: May 19, 2024 – Celestial Strings

May 19, 2024    
Artistic Director Cécilia Tsan curates thoughtful musical adventures under the magnificent vaulted dome of the 100-inch telescope.  May Concert: CELESTIAL STRINGS with Cécilia Tsan, CELLO, & Marcia Dickstein, HARP
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: June 16, 2024

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: June 16, 2024

June 16, 2024    
Artistic Director Cécilia Tsan curates thoughtful musical adventures under the magnificent vaulted dome of the 100-inch telescope.  June Concert: Carte Blanche with Leah Zeger, Cory Pesaturo, and Jorge Villanueva.
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: August 11, 2024

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: August 11, 2024

August 11, 2024    
Artistic Director Cécilia Tsan curates thoughtful musical adventures under the magnificent vaulted dome of the 100-inch telescope.  August Concert: Rogue Lemon Collective – a rotating cast of LA string players bringing multi-genre covers & collaborations.
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: September 8, 2024

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: September 8, 2024

September 8, 2024    
Artistic Director Cécilia Tsan curates thoughtful musical adventures under the magnificent vaulted dome of the 100-inch telescope.  September Concert: String Trios and Quartet: Ambroise Aubrun (violin), Kate Hamilton (viola), Cécilia Tsan (cello) and Allan Hon (cello).
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: October 6, 2024

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: October 6, 2024

October 6, 2024    
Artistic Director Cécilia Tsan curates thoughtful musical adventures under the magnificent vaulted dome of the 100-inch telescope.  October Concert: Carte Blance to Trio Dinicu (Gipsy Jazz & more).
2023
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: May 14 - Lounge Art Ensemble

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: May 14 – Lounge Art Ensemble

May 14, 2023    
Artistic Director Cécilia Tsan curates thoughtful musical adventures under the magnificent vaulted dome of the 100-inch telescope. 
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: June 11 - Brass Quintet

Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: June 11 – Brass Quintet

June 11, 2023    
Artistic Director Cécilia Tsan curates thoughtful musical adventures under the magnificent vaulted dome of the 100-inch telescope.