Port City Music Festival 2026 Performers in Wilmington NC

The Port City Music Festival's 2026 edition runs seven concerts across eight days in Wilmington, NC, performed by a core ensemble of six musicians who rotate combinations across the week. The lineup ranges from the festival's founding music director to a Wilmington native who heads UNCW's arts college. This guide breaks down who is playing, what they bring, and which night you will hear each one.

For the full festival schedule, free ticket info, and venue details, see the main Port City Music Festival guide.

The Ensemble The Port City Music Festival Ensemble

The festival's performers come together as a Camerata Philadelphia ensemble each summer in Wilmington. Stephen Framil, the founding music director, programs each night's chamber combinations from a roster of six. The Wednesday concert at B'nai Israel is a string trio program with no piano, voice, or oboe. Thursday at Cameron Art Museum and Friday at Church of the Good Shepherd are the only nights all six performers appear together. Other nights run as quintets or quartets depending on the repertoire.

Meet the Performers The Port City Music Festival 2026 Performer Bios

Stephen Framil Cellist and Music Director

Cellist, music director, festival co-founder. Stephen Framil founded the festival in 2009 with Wilmington artist Christine Farley and has led it as music director every year since. He holds a doctorate in music from Indiana University and serves as music director of Camerata Philadelphia, the parent ensemble. His international career includes the distinction of being the first American cellist to perform in Hanoi since the Vietnam War, plus solo and chamber dates at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and Hong Kong City Hall. He plays six of the seven 2026 concerts.

Stephanie Caulder Oboist and Wilmington Native

Oboist. UNCW Founding Dean. Wilmington native. The local hook of the 2026 lineup. Stephanie Caulder grew up in Wilmington and serves as Founding Dean of the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she is also a Professor of Music. She holds a Doctor of Music in oboe performance from Florida State and currently performs as principal oboist of the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra and the Keystone Wind Ensemble. Her concert resume includes shared stages with Bernadette Peters, Joshua Bell, Denyce Graves, Mannheim Steamroller, and Frank Sinatra Jr. She plays only two of the 2026 concerts, both featuring oboe repertoire: Thursday at Cameron Art Museum (Loeffler's Two Rhapsodies for Oboe, Viola & Piano) and Friday at Church of the Good Shepherd (Gordon Jacob's Quartet for Oboe & Strings).

Gared Crawford Violinist

Violinist. Crawford trained at Oberlin Conservatory and Northwestern University. His resume runs through a series of Midwestern principal-chair posts: Associate Concertmaster of the South Bend Symphony, Concertmaster of the Evansville Philharmonic, and first violinist of the Eykamp String Quartet. He now plays out of the Philadelphia area as a frequent guest with Opera Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, and the Reading Symphony. He plays all seven 2026 concerts.

Kyle Engler Mezzo-Soprano

Mezzo-soprano. Engler holds a Master of Music from the Peabody Conservatory and directs vocal studies at McDaniel College. Her opera credits include Charlotte in Werther, Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, Lucretia in The Rape of Lucretia, Mercedes in Carmen, and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro. She was cast by Placido Domingo in 2005 to premiere the role of Lydia Dudley in Washington National Opera's production of Democracy: An American Comedy. The Baltimore Sun called her "a virtuoso of a high order." She plays six of the seven 2026 concerts.

Daniel Lau Pianist

Pianist. Lau holds a doctorate from Peabody and chairs the Department of Music at Washington Adventist University. He is a founding member of the Ravel Trio and has released six recordings since 2006, including the solo album "Transcendent Colors." His repertoire commitments include championing works by Asian American and African American composers and premiering pieces by living composers. The Washington Post praised his "exemplary artistry." He plays six of the seven 2026 concerts.

Sarah Sutton Violist

Violist. The English-born Sutton trained at the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music under Lord Yehudi Menuhin himself, then at the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland on full scholarship, then at Indiana University. She has held principal viola positions with the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson-Thomas and the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra. Her command performance resume includes Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela, and Princess Diana. She plays a 1970 viola by Sergio Peresson she calls "The Geist" and appears in all seven 2026 concerts.

Who Plays When Port City Music Festival 2026 Performer Schedule by Date

Combinations rotate by night based on each program's instrumentation. The Wednesday string trio at B'nai Israel is the smallest ensemble of the week. Thursday and Friday are the only nights all six musicians take the stage together.

Sunday May 31 Kenan Chapel Lineup

5:00 PM at Kenan Chapel Landfall. Crawford, Sutton, Framil, Engler, Lau.

Monday June 1 Windermere Presbyterian Lineup

7:30 PM at Windermere Presbyterian. Crawford, Sutton, Engler, Lau. The only night without cello.

Tuesday June 2 Beckwith Hall UNCW Lineup

7:30 PM at Beckwith Hall, UNCW. Crawford, Sutton, Framil, Engler, Lau.

Wednesday June 3 B'nai Israel Lineup

7:30 PM at B'nai Israel. Crawford, Sutton, Framil. String trio program with no piano or voice.

Thursday June 4 Cameron Art Museum Lineup

7:00 PM at Cameron Art Museum. Crawford, Sutton, Framil, Engler, Caulder, Lau. Full ensemble. The 4:30 PM masterclass lineup is listed as TBD.

Friday June 5 Good Shepherd Lineup

7:30 PM at Church of the Good Shepherd. Crawford, Sutton, Framil, Engler, Caulder, Lau. Full ensemble.

Sunday June 7 theArtWorks Lineup

5:00 PM at theArtWorks. Crawford, Sutton, Framil, Engler, Lau.

Common Questions About Port City Music Festival Performers

Local Performers Are Any Port City Music Festival Performers Local to Wilmington NC?

Yes. Oboist Stephanie Caulder is a Wilmington native and serves as Founding Dean of the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she is also a Professor of Music. She plays two of the seven 2026 concerts. The rest of the ensemble is based in the Philadelphia area and travels in each year through the festival's parent ensemble, Camerata Philadelphia.

Same Musicians Do the Same Musicians Play Every Port City Music Festival Concert?

No. The ensemble has six core musicians who rotate combinations based on each night's program. Two performers, violinist Gared Crawford and violist Sarah Sutton, appear in all seven concerts. The full six-member ensemble appears together only on Thursday June 4 and Friday June 5. Other nights run as smaller chamber combinations from quintets down to a string trio.

Music Director Who is the Port City Music Festival Music Director?

Cellist Stephen Framil has served as music director of the Port City Music Festival since founding it in 2009 with Wilmington artist Christine Farley. He also serves as music director of Camerata Philadelphia, the parent 501(c)(3) ensemble of which the festival is a program. Framil performs as cellist in six of the seven 2026 concerts.

Caulder Schedule When Will Stephanie Caulder Perform at the 2026 Port City Music Festival?

Stephanie Caulder appears in two 2026 festival concerts: Thursday June 4 at 7:00 PM at Cameron Art Museum and Friday June 5 at 7:30 PM at Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal. Her appearances feature the festival's oboe repertoire (Loeffler's Two Rhapsodies and Gordon Jacob's Quartet for Oboe & Strings) since she is the only oboist in the ensemble.