Renegade Duo Brings Eclectic Chamber Music to San Francisco

Guitarist Jon Mendle and mezzo soprano Melinda Martinez Becker to perform diverse repertoire spanning centuries and genres.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Guitarist Jon Mendle and mezzo soprano Melinda Martinez Becker, known as the Renegade Duo, will be performing an eclectic chamber music program in San Francisco featuring a mix of Baroque, Sephardic, Ashkenazi, and contemporary covers. The duo, based in San Francisco, is known for their imaginative and diverse repertoire that spans centuries and genres, utilizing both historical and modern instruments.

Why it matters

The Renegade Duo's performance showcases the vibrant and diverse classical music scene in San Francisco, highlighting artists who are pushing the boundaries of traditional chamber music by incorporating a wide range of influences and styles. Their program celebrates the city's multicultural heritage through the inclusion of Sephardic and Ashkenazi songs.

The details

Mendle and Becker's program will feature music from the Baroque era as well as Sephardic songs in Ladino, Ashkenazi songs in Yiddish, and arrangements of works by Amy Winehouse, Leonard Cohen, and Regina Spektor. Mendle is an accomplished guitarist who has toured with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, while Becker's New Mexican and Jewish heritage has shaped her career as a performer of art song in multiple languages.

  • The Renegade Duo performance will take place on February 22, 2026.

The players

Jon Mendle

A guitarist who has toured with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, and won second prize in the 2021 Concorso di Musica Antica 'Maurizio Pratola' international lute competition in L'Aquila, Italy.

Melinda Martinez Becker

A mezzo soprano whose New Mexican and Jewish heritage has shaped her career as a performer of art song in Spanish, Ladino, Yiddish, and other languages.

Renegade Duo

A chamber music duo consisting of guitarist Jon Mendle and mezzo soprano Melinda Martinez Becker, known for their eclectic and imaginative programs that span genres and centuries.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

The takeaway

The Renegade Duo's performance showcases the vibrant and diverse classical music scene in San Francisco, highlighting artists who are pushing the boundaries of traditional chamber music by incorporating a wide range of influences and styles.