Gener a l Medi a Cov er a ge L a t eS ept embert hr oughNov ember4
PowerPl a y er s ByAngel aAs hman, Sept ember24, 2018 Ourc ul t ur al i ns t i t ut i onsar ei nf ul l bl oom wi t hf abul ousnewwor k s . Cl as s i c al mus i cs t ar sdon’ tgetanybi ggert hant hebr i l l i antpi ani s tL angL ang, and, l uc kyf orus , t heSanDi egoSy mphonyc ount shi m asal ongt i mef r i end. He ’ l l bebac ki nt ownOc t . 4f ort hi s y ear ’ sOpusGal a, wher e, af t ert heper f or manc e, c onc er t goer sc anmi ngl ewi t ht hemus i c i ansat t heUni v er s i t yCl ubAt opSy mphonyT ower s . Thegal aki c k soffanex c i t i ngnews eas ont hat i nc l udeswor l dc l as sper f or mer s( Gr ammy wi nni ngvi ol i ni s tJ os huaBel l andt hedas hi ngI s r ael i mandol i ni s tAvi Avi t al amongt hem) , movi eni ght swi t hl i v eac c ompani mentbyt heor c hes t r a ( i nc l udi ngJ ur as s i cPar kandt hehol i da yf a v or i t eL ov eAc t ual l y )andt henewRus hHour2. 0s er i es ofs hor tear l y ev eni ngc onc er t s . Anot herhi ghl i ghtoft hes eas onc omesOc t . 24whenwor l dr enownedRus s i anmaes t r oVal er yGer gi evc onduc t st heMar i i ns kyOr c hes t r aandt heSanDi ego Sy mphonyt oget herf oraper f or manc eofShos t ak ovi c h’ sSy mphonyNo. 7, whi c hmar k st he r s t t i met heRus s i anor c hes t r ahasev erc ombi nedwi t hanAmer i c anor c hes t r a. Ther ewi l l bepl ent yofnewwor k sonofferaswel l . Mar ky ourc al endar sf ort heSanDi ego Sy mphony c ommi s s i onedwor l dpr emi er eofBr az osdeni ebl a( Nov . 2and4) , whi c hpai r sMex i c an c ompos erJ a vi erÁl var ezwi t hJ uanF el i peHer r er a, whogr ewupi nSanDi egoandwentont o bec omet he r s tMex i c anAmer i c anU. S. poetl aur eat ef r om 2015t o2017. Y ouc anal s oc at c h wor k sbyt he28y ear ol doper aphenom Mat t hewAuc oi n( c ur r ent l yt hear t i s t i nr es i denc eatt he L . A. Oper a)whenhec ur at est hef our t hannual J anuar yF es t i val t i t l edHear i ngt heF ut ur e. Mar t haGi l mer , SanDi egoSy mphonyCEO, s a y ss he ’ ses pec i al l yl ooki ngf or war dt ot hear r i val of t heor c hes t r a ’ smus i cdi r ec t ordes i gnat e, t hei nt er nat i onal l yac c l ai medc onduc t orRaf ael Pa y ar e, whowast r ai nedbyt hes ameVenez uel aneduc at i onal pr ogr am, El Si s t ema, ast heL . A. Phi l har moni c ’ ss t arc onduc t orGus t a v oDudamel . Pa y ar ewi l l per f or mf ourc onc er t si nJ anuar y( hi s equal l ypopul arwi f e, c el l i s tAl i s aWei l er s t ei n, wi l l j oi nhi mf ort hr eeoft hos e)bef or eheoffic i al l y t ak esov eri nJ ul y . Sa y sGi l mer , “ I c annotwai tt oheart hei nc r edi bl eener gy . ”
PowerPl a y er s ByAngel aAs hma n, Oc t ober12, 2018
Cl a s s i c a l mus i cs t a r sdon’ tgeta nybi ggert ha nt hebr i l l i a ntpi a ni s tL a ngL a ng, a nd, l uc k yf orus , t heS a n Di egoS y mphonyc ount shi ma sal ongt i mef r i end. He ’ l l beba c ki nt ownOc t . 4f ort hi sy ea r ’ sOpusGa l a , wher e , a f t ert heper f or ma nc e , c onc er t goer sc a nmi ngl ewi t ht hemus i c i a nsa tt heUni v er s i t yCl ubAt op S y mphonyT ower s . T hega l ak i c k soffa ne x c i t i ngnews ea s ont ha ti nc l udeswor l dc l a s sper f or mer s ( Gr a mmy wi nni ngv i ol i ni s tJ os huaBel l a ndt heda s hi ngI s r a el i ma ndol i ni s tAv i Av i t a l a mongt hem) , mov i eni ght swi t hl i v ea c c ompa ni mentbyt heor c hes t r a( i nc l udi ngJ ur a s s i cPa r ka ndt hehol i da y f a v or i t eL ov eAc t ua l l y ) a ndt henewRus hHour2. 0s er i esofs hor tea r l y ev eni ngc onc er t s . Anot her hi ghl i ghtoft hes ea s onc omesOc t . 24whenwor l dr enownedRus s i a nma es t r oVa l er yGer gi evc onduc t s t heMa r i i ns k yOr c hes t r aa ndt heS a nDi egoS y mphonyt oget herf oraper f or ma nc eofS hos t a k ov i c h’ s S y mphonyNo. 7, whi c hma r k st he r s tt i met heRus s i a nor c hes t r aha sev erc ombi nedwi t ha nAmer i c a n or c hes t r a . T her ewi l l bepl ent yofnewwor k sonoffera swel l . Ma r ky ourc a l enda r sf ort heS a nDi egoS y mphony c ommi s s i onedwor l dpr emi er eofBr a z osdeni ebl a( Nov . 2a nd4) , whi c hpa i r sMe x i c a nc ompos erJ a v i er Ál v a r ezwi t hJ ua nF el i peHer r er a , whogr ewupi nS a nDi egoa ndwentont obec omet he r s tMe x i c a nAmer i c a nU. S . poetl a ur ea t ef r om 2015t o2017. Y ouc a na l s oc a t c hwor k sbyt he28y ea r ol doper a phenom Ma t t hewAuc oi n( c ur r ent l yt hea r t i s t i nr es i denc ea tt heL . A. Oper a ) whenhec ur a t est he f our t ha nnua l J a nua r yF es t i v a l t i t l edHea r i ngt heF ut ur e . Ma r t haGi l mer , S a nDi egoS y mphonyCE O, s a y ss he ’ ses pec i a l l yl ook i ngf or wa r dt ot hea r r i v a l oft he or c hes t r a ’ smus i cdi r ec t ordes i gna t e , t hei nt er na t i ona l l ya c c l a i medc onduc t orRa f a el Pa y a r e , whowa s t r a i nedbyt hes a meVenez uel a neduc a t i ona l pr ogr a m, E l S i s t ema , a st heL . A. Phi l ha r moni c ’ ss t a r c onduc t orGus t a v oDuda mel . Pa y a r ewi l l per f or mf ourc onc er t si nJ a nua r y( hi sequa l l ypopul a rwi f e , c el l i s tAl i s aWei l er s t ei n, wi l l j oi nhi mf ort hr eeoft hos e) bef or eheoffic i a l l yt a k esov eri nJ ul y . S a y s Gi l mer , “ I c a nnotwa i tt ohea rt hei nc r edi bl eener gy . ”
Poet r yc a nbemus i c a l a ndmus i cc a nof t enbepoet i c . S t i l l , whens omeonet r i est oc ombi net het wo, t he r es ul t sa r en’ ta l wa y sBobDy l a norGi l S c ot t Her on. But s omet i mesi twor k s . Whi c hi swha tma k est heS a nDi egoS y mphony’ s T c ha i k ov s k ya ndPr ok o evper f or ma nc ea l l t hemor e i nt r i gui ng. S ur e , c onc er t goer swi l l bet r ea t edt o c l a s s i c a l pi a ni s tConr a dT a oper f or mi ngT c ha i k ov s k y’ s “ Pi a noConc er t oNo. 1” a ndPr ok o ev’ s“ S y mphony No. 7, ” buti t ’ st heopeni ngper f or ma nc et ha t ’ s pa r t i c ul a r l yent i c i ng. T ha tonebr i ngst oget her Me x i c a nc ompos erJ a v i erÁl v a r eza ndU. S . Poet L a ur ea t eJ ua nF el i peHer r er af orawor l dpr emi er e pi ec eent i t l ed“ Br a z osdeNi ebl a ” ( “ Ar msofMi s t ” ) , whi c hc ombi nesÁl v a r ez ‘ smus i ca ndHer r er a ’ spoet r y . T her es ul ti sbot hmov i nga ndt opi c a l , a ndonet ha tdea l sdi r ec t l ywi t hS a nDi ego. “ I j us tt houghta boutt het i meswe ’ r ei na nda boutbor der l a ndi s s ues , ” s a y sHer r er a , whous edt ol i v ei n L oga nHei ght si nt he’ 50sa nd’ 60s . “ AndI t houghta boutS a nDi ego… T ha twa ses s ent i a l gr oundwor k f ort hepi ec e . ” T hepoem i t s el f , t i t l ed“ S oyel Ni noPer di do” ( “ I a m aL os tChi l d” ) , i sahea r t br ea k i nga c c ountoft he i mmi gr a nte x per i enc et ol di nqui c k , bi l i ngua l bur s t sofv er s e . T hepoem wi l l ber ec ount edbyaboy s opr a nowhi l eÁl v a r ez ’ smus i cha sbeens c or edf oror c hes t r aa ndi nc l udesf ourv i huel a s , agui t a r l i k e i ns t r umentof t enus edi nma r i a c hi ba nds . Whi l et hec ol l a bor a t i onwa sf r ui t f ul , Her r er as a y shewa s ha nds offwheni tc a met ot hemus i ca ndt ha tt hepr emi er ea tCopl eyS y mphonyHa l l ( 750BS t . ) wi l l be hi sr s tt i mehea r i ngi t . Hehopesa udi enc esl ea v ei nar eec t i v emood, butt ha tt heyul t i ma t el yj us t enj oywha tt heyhea r . “ I t hi nkapoem a ndmus i c , t hey’ r emor el i k ea t mos pher esa nds ounda nds oni cenv i r onment ss ot her e r ea l l yi s n’ tames s a ge , ” s a y sHer r er a . “ I t ’ smor el i k ey ouent eras pa c et ha t ’ sma gi c a l , j us tdi ffer entf r om t heout s i de , wa l k i ngdownt hes t r eete x per i enc e . ” T hec onc er tt a k espl a c eT hur s da y , Nov . 1a t6: 30p. m. , F r i da y , Nov . 2a t8p. m. a ndS unda y , Nov . 4a t2 p. m. F r i da y’ sper f or ma nc ea l s oi nc l udesapos t c onc er tdi s c us s i onwi t hÁl v a r eza ndHer r er amoder a t ed byKPBSr epor t erJ ea nGuer r er o. T i c k et sr a ngef r om $20t o$100a ts a ndi egos y mphony . or g.