CCCA Opens Season With Unique Concert

By Misty Cryer

The Carlsbad Community Concert Association (CCCA) is opening the 2026-27 season on October 3 with a unique musical experience. The season consists of four concerts that explore different genres and will bring quite a variety of entertainment to the community. Memberships are available for concert lovers who want to see all the shows, and tickets are also available at the door.

The first concert of the season will be on October 3 at 7 p.m., featuring Jâca. For the first time, this CCCA concert will be held at Carlsbad’s historical Cavern Theatre located at 210 N. Canyon St.

“They are a clarinet-guitar duo,” said Stephanie Ybaben, Vice President of CCCA, about Jâca. “They play a wide variety of genres combined with humor for a unique musical experience,” she said.

The performers in this duo are Wesley Ferreira and Jaxon Williams. “Wesley is an acclaimed soloist and orchestral musician. Jaxon is an active performer of both classical and Spanish Flamenco styles,” said Ybaben.

“We like to include a local performer to open our concerts,” she said. For the first performance, Christopher Whitmore, the junior high choir director, will be singing to open the concert.

The second concert of the season will be on November 7 at P.R. Leyva auditorium at 7 p.m. “The Sound of Julie” features Hayley Renee, who is doing a tribute to Julie Andrews, said Ybaben. “It will feature songs from ‘The Sound of Music,’ ‘Mary Poppins,’ and then she will also perform songs by Audrey Hepburn and Barbra Streisand along with others,” she said.

Jason Lyle Black will be an accompanist for Hayley. “He has played for us before,” said Ybaben. She added that the concert will be held at P.R. Leyva because they will be using CCCA’s Steinway piano.

According to CCCA’s website, the grand concert piano was donated to CAAA in 1946 by the US Potash Company. “It is, by far, the organization’s most treasured possession,” the webpage reads.

“We do have our opener planned for our second concert,” said Ybaben, adding that the P.R. Leyva Middle School choirs will open the concert. “They have also been invited to perform with Hayley on stage, so Mr. Whitmore has been in contact with Hayley, and they’ve been working together to prepare for that,” she said.

“Love Rocks” will be featured as the third concert of the season on March 6, 2027, at the Cavern Theatre at 7 p.m. “It is a husband-and-wife duo celebrating their love of rock and roll,” said Ybaben.

“It is a multi-media experience, so they will bring in some screens and do some collaboration with their media as well,” she said.

The fourth and last concert of the season will be at 7 p.m. on April 24, 2027, at P.R. Leyva, featuring Yaniv Zarif, a comedy vocalist. “They have written that he is a global citizen and ambassador of song. He speaks 32 languages and is fluent in six of them, and so he performs in several of the different languages,” said Ybaben.

He has also performed with Robin Williams in the past, she said. “I thought that was pretty cool.”

CCCA was started in 1943. “We are the longest-running nonprofit in Carlsbad, and we’ve been bringing live music to the Carlsbad area since 1943,” said Ybaben.

CCCA offers membership for two adults for $100. “That gets them into all four concerts for the season. If they bring guests to the concert, their guests can get tickets at half-price at the door,” said Ybaben. Without membership, tickets are $25 per person per concert, while attendees up to 18 years old get in free. For more information, visit https://www.carlsbadcommunityconcerts.com/.