Audra McDonald, Joshua Bell headline Amelia Island festival’s 26th season

Six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald and Grammy-winning violinist Joshua Bell headline the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival's 26th season starting in December.

The festival announced the lineup Sept. 19, according to the Fernandina Observer. The season runs December 2026 through June 2027, with classical, jazz and bluegrass programming across intimate venues that hold 350 or fewer concertgoers. Tickets are on sale at aicmf.org.

Season features five headline dates

The season opens with Nicole Zuraitis on Dec. 16. The Dover Quartet performs Feb. 19, 2027, followed by McDonald on Feb. 23, 2027. Cellist Johannes Moser and pianist Marc-André Hamelin perform March 2, 2027. Bluegrass ensemble Balsam Range plays March 14, 2027. Bell closes the headliner slate April 23, 2027, performing alongside soprano Larisa Martínez.

Bell is music director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, with a career spanning nearly four decades. McDonald holds a record six Tony Awards, two Grammys and an Emmy.

Free tour brings music to neighborhoods

A free Concert Truck will tour Nassau County from April 3-7, 2027, bringing live performances into neighborhoods at no cost.

Executive Director Robyn Lamp said the festival is focused on expanding access to music through free community programs.

"... More importantly, we are expanding access to great music for our community through our free community programming," Lamp said.

This season introduces $20 rush tickets. Student tickets remain available at $15.

County funding approval unconfirmed

Nassau County's Board of Commissioners had a $50,000 Tourist Development Tax sponsorship for the festival's 2026-2027 season on its Aug. 24 consent agenda. Whether the board approved the item could not be confirmed from available records.

Upcoming season dates: