Sunkiss’d Mozart’s first Summerfest brings small-scale performances to a larger audience.

Chamber music is often performed in concert halls, churches or other large venues, where the audience is distanced from the performance not only physically, but oftentimes emotionally as well.

But Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, artistic director of Sunkiss’d Mozart, says the music was created to be experienced in an intimate setting, where the listeners feel they are part of the performance.

For the past four years, Wu has been hosting small concerts at her home in Corral De Tierra, and recently began popping up in areas around Monterey County – she has two more pop-ups scheduled on June 6 at Beach and Tennis Club in Pebble Beach and June 8 during the Carmel Art Walk at the Joaquin Turner Gallery.

These types of performances make the music accessible, encouraging listeners to ask questions. At the recent Carmel Art Festival, Wu was surrounded by a group of 30 people eager to learn about her artistic process.

Now Wu is taking that concept and expanding it. Sunkiss’d Mozart’s first-ever Summerfest runs June 12-16, with a series of concerts and other events at the Monterey Museum of Art and at private residences.

Wu says one of the most unique aspects of Summerfest is the Canvas Series, a pair of one-hour events where artists share in-depth their process. Visual artist Tracey Adams will create work live to a performance of a Bach Cello Suite movement by Tanya Tomkins. Composer Kian Ravaei will describe how he connects the Persian pop music of his childhood to the techno and rock music he listened to as a teenager, as well as the music he now writes as a professional composer.

Giving young artists an opportunity is important to Wu – hence Summerfest’s Rising Stars, giving up-and-coming musicians a chance to perform with the main stage artists. Violinist Rubén Rengel, cellist Elena Ariza and violist Laura Liu are this year’s Rising Stars.

“I want to give work to the best young musicians who are on their path to join me in the professional world, and help them build experience,” Wu says. “We have the best group coming, every single one is a star in their own right already.”

Sunkiss’d Mozart Summerfest runs Wednesday-Sunday, June 12-16. Monterey Museum of Art, 559 Pacific St. and 720 Via Mirada, Monterey. Also at private residences in Monterra Views and Corral De Tierra neighborhoods. $50/concert, $25/Canvas Series, $200/festival pass (discounted admission available for children under 18 and young adults under 30). skmozart.com/festival