Barrett Wissman is all about the perfect pairing. As the co-founder of Napa’s Festival del Sole, he brings world-class musicians and performers and juxtaposes them with world-class experiences with wine and food. At age 11, he paired up with major symphony orchestras as a piano virtuoso. At Yale he studied a pair of subjects, economics and political science, then collected a pair of advanced degrees in music. He embarked upon a high-profile career on Wall Street before decamping to Los Angeles to immerse himself in the entertainment industry. He acquired a majority stake in IMG Artists, whose roster includes Joshua Bell, Renee Fleming, the Bolshoi Ballet, Audra McDonald and Itzhak Perlman, and became its chairman. A decade ago, he teamed up with Richard Walker to found Napa Valley’s Festival del Sole, a midsummer celebration of music, dance, performance, improvisation, fine wine and cuisine — what he calls “the art of life.” The festival now runs 10 days (July 17-26) and includes 47 events at wineries, parks and cultural locations that pair top-flight talent with the best of the Napa Valley.

Q: You have started successful festivals in Tuscany, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. What compelled you to imagine a festival in Napa?

A: I wanted to find a U.S. venue where people could really immerse themselves, to enjoy nature, food, wine and music in an idyllic destination. Napa was a place where we could bring it all together. I wanted to introduce new audiences to music in an accessible, appealing way that engaged all the senses. If you don’t know the music, you might come for the wine or the setting and learn about the art once you are happily sitting under the stars with a glass in your hand. Napa is a center of the Slow Food movement, where you take your time to truly appreciate a meal. I want our festival to be the center of the Slow Culture movement, as well.

Q: How do you engage new audiences?

A: We have free concerts and discounted concerts to encourage you to try something that piques your curiosity. The only way to attract new audiences is to have excellent programming and gain a reputation for offering a great experience. When our concerts are in the open air at Castello di Amorosa, some people come because it seems like an idyllic way to spend a summer evening. If they like it, they come back the following year and bring their friends. We have wellness classes, yoga in the vineyards, improvisational comedy, now a whole weekend of dance. We did a project called 24 Hour Plays, where a play was written, rehearsed, and performed in 24 hours, with Michael Keaton, Minnie Driver, Hugh Dancy and Allison Janney. We combine genres: theater and dance with jazz, classical and pop. It’s fun for the performers, and a festival is a great way to experiment with new ideas.

Q: How do you determine your lineup?

A: Signing top talent isn’t actually a problem. Performers love coming to Napa Valley and collaborating with their fellow artists, being face to face with their audiences at receptions and gatherings. Joshua Bell doesn’t just stand onstage with his violin; he comes to the dinner and the tasting. These world-class artists come here for their personal experience, not just for what they are paid, which is often significantly less than their concert fee. I heard Kevin Spacey do a jazz set at the Thelonius Monk gala in Los Angeles last year, and I was blown away by how good a singer he is. So we invited him to headline his first major concert at the Green Center in Sonoma and at our Festival Gala at Meadowood. People love him in “House of Cards,” and they are curious about what else he can do.

Q: Who’s your dream booking for the festival?

A: Next year I would love to do something with Katy Perry. She is somebody I respect tremendously, as a person and a performer. Her dream is to provide music education for young kids in music who otherwise couldn’t afford it, and maybe we could work on that. If we don’t attract newer, younger audiences, we’re just stuck in one place, rearranging seating cards for the next dinner. Don’t get me wrong — we love and need our patrons. ... . But to grow and stay fresh, you need both the known and the unknown in the audience.

Q: When you come to Napa and you’re not organizing the festival, what do you do?

A: When I come with my wife, cellist Nina Kotova, we love to hang out at Indian Springs. Of course, the food: Thomas Keller is a genius. I’ve never felt like more of a rock star than walking into restaurants all over the world with Thomas. I’m a Cabernet fan, so there’s lots of tasting to do. I love knowing I get to come back here every year and discover new experiences. There is no such thing as a bad day in Napa Valley.

Jennifer Raiser is a San Francisco freelance writer. E-mail: style@sfchronicle.com