S U N D AY M AY 21 , 2 017
sandiegouniontribune.com
$ .77
2
PLUS TAX
S U N DAY
SAUDI KING WELCOMES TRUMP IN FIRST TRIP ABROAD President presents $110B arms package, business agreements BY JULIE PACE & JONATHAN LEMIRE R I YA D H , S au d i A ra b i a
HOWARD LIPIN U-T
Twelve-year-old Kalia and her calf, 2-year-old Amaya, jump during rehearsals for the upcoming Orca Encounter at SeaWorld San Diego, against a backdrop that includes a one-of-a-kind digital screen that’s three-stories tall and about 140-feet wide.
IN DEPTH
Life after Shamu
SeaWorld San Diego prepares to launch revamped orca attraction as part of park’s larger transformation BY LORI WEISBERG Music up. A symphonic score fills the former Shamu Stadium at SeaWorld San Diego, the tempo building suspense as footage of an icy landscape in Antarctica moves across a 140-foot-wide screen. “Get ready for a Keet fast swim,” a director forewarns the killer whale trainers. A little off cue, the 8,000-pound orca appears, speeding along the perimeter of the pool as waves of water crash over the glass barrier where a crowd of guests would normally be watching the San Diego park’s new Orca Encounter. On the wide screen above,
$175 MILLION
SeaWorld’s investment this year in new attractions at a number of its 12 U.S. theme parks
killer whales in the wild work in tandem to manufacture waves, dislodging their prey — a lone seal perched on an ice floe. “Keet is demonstrating this wave-making technique,” informs a trainer, “showing the complex and impressive hunting abilities killer whales have developed around the world.” The hunting demo is but one of many whale behaviors seen in the wild that are being reenacted as the park prepares to debut the Orca Encounter this Memorial Day weekend. San Diego is the first of SeaWorld’s three namesake parks to introduce the 22-minute SEE SEAWORLD • A19
TAKE A BOW, MAESTRO
Jahja Ling stepping down as symphony’s music master after crafting a richly successful legacy BY KARLA PETERSON During his 13 years as the music director of the San Diego Symphony, Jahja Ling has led the orchestra in a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall and taken it on a concert tour of China, two artistic milestones in the symphony’s 107year history. But the most important journey of the Ling years was the one that took the San Diego Symphony from shaky ground to a place of peak musical achievement. He conducted that one, too. “He deserves a statue in the city. He really does,” said symphony CEO Martha Gilmer. “He came at a really crucial time in the orchestra’s history. He took tender care of the orchestra, but at the same time,
he had a bold vision of what could be created here.” Next Sunday, Ling will conduct the orchestra for the last time as its music director. As the symphony searches for his replacement, Ling will remain on board as conductor laureate. He and his wife, pianist Jessie Chang, and their two daughters will continue to live in their home in Bonita, where Ling might have time to indulge in his passion for James Bond movies and maybe break in the family’s new ping-pong table. The maestro will be a part of San Diego’s cultural life for the foreseeable future. His legacy will be with us for decades to come. SEE LING • A12
EDUARDO CONTRERAS U-T
San Diego Symphony conductor Jahja Ling is leaving as musical director next Sunday after 13 years.
T O DAY ’ S D E A L
Today’s deal is brought to you by our paid advertiser Chef V. Lose weight, gain energy and sleep more soundly with a 60 percent off coupon for $19 at Chef V. Buy now at deals.sandiegouniontribune.com.
President Donald Trump basked in Saudi Arabia’s lavish royal welcome Saturday as he left behind, at least temporarily, the controversies dogging him in Washington. Trump rewarded his hosts with a $110 billion arms package aimed at bolstering Saudi security and a slew of business agreements. “That was a tremendous day, tremendous investments in the United States,” Trump said during a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. The visit to the kingdom’s capital kicked off Trump’s first foreign trip as president, an ambitious, five-stop swing that will take him through the Middle East and into Europe. He is the only American president to make Saudi Arabia — or any Muslim-majority nation — his first overseas trip. Trump arrived in Riyadh besieged by the fallout from his firing of FBI Director James Comey and more revelations about the federal investigations into his election campaign’s SEE TRUMP • A18
SESSIONS’ NEW TACTICS COULD HAVE BIG IMPACT LOCALLY Stiffer prosecution guidelines a departure from recent policies BY KRISTINA DAVIS Harsher penalties against drug couriers and immigrant smugglers who cross the border. The scaling back of a diversion program aimed at reforming youthful, first-time offenders. Fewer plea deals and more trials. These are some of the potential effects that attorneys who work in federal courtrooms in San Diego are expecting to see under U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ new orders to prosecutors to “charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense” in all cases, including drug crimes. The strategy is a return to hardon-crime tactics, wiping out efforts by President Barack Obama to give low-level drug offenders a break and save the harshest penalties — including mandatory minimum sentences — for serious, violent and prolific traffickers. Sessions said the new guidelines, announced May 10 in a memo to prosecutors, will bring back consistency and ensure justice is served. He also sees the strategy as a way to make the nation safer. “This is a key part of President (Donald) Trump’s promise to keep America safe. … And we know that drugs and crime go hand-in-hand,” Sessions said in New York two days after the memo was issued. “Drug trafficking is an inherently violent business. If you want to collect a SEE SESSIONS • A18
U-T INDEX
Books
E7
Lottery
A2
Scores
Dividends
C3
Movies
A8
Television
Editorials
B10
B14
Weather
Obituaries
D10 E6 A20
In U-T Offers: Crossword
S6
Retail trends S4
Being a teaching hospital makes us stronger. Being a teaching hospital for two great medical schools makes us NewYork-Presbyterian. We invite you to learn more at nyp.org/amazingadvances
A12
THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
SUNDAY • MAY 21, 2017
LING • First challenge in San Diego was filling 24 vacant chairs FROM A1 “We are an orchestra with substantial depth now, from all of the principals back to the last chairs in the section,” said concertmaster Jeff Thayer, the first musician appointed under Ling. “It is no different than a baseball team. You can’t just have a good pitcher and then a bunch of fakes in the outfield. You need a whole team of great players, and that is what Jahja has built.” Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, and now a citizen of the United States, Jahja (pronounced “YAK-ya”) Ling was hired as musical director of the symphony after a two-year international search. The first and only conductor of Chinese descent to be music director of a major U.S. orchestra, Ling was resident conductor with the revered Cleveland Orchestra for 18 years and music director of the Florida Orchestra for 15 years. He came to San Diego with a history of longevity and a network of mutualrespect relationships with such classical music luminaries as pianists Lang Lang and Emanuel Ax. He also came with a reputation for transforming good regional orchestras into respected musical contenders. All of which made Jahja Ling the right man for a most challenging job. When Ling came on board, the San Diego Symphony was still struggling with the fallout from its 1996 bankruptcy and subsequent two-year shutdown. The 2002 pledge of $120 million from local philanthropists Joan and Irwin Jacobs had put the organization on more secure footing, giving the symphony the confidence (and coffers) it needed to hire a music director of Ling’s stature. But there were many key positions in the orchestra that needed to be filled. There were also ragged nerves to soothe and doubts to banish.
The power of music Ling had to guide the orchestra toward a better, more harmonious future. His answer was to focus on the power of great music to redeem, rebuild and rejuvenate. “It was difficult. They were insecure, of course,” Ling said during a recent interview at Copley Symphony Hall in downtown San Diego. “They didn’t know what was going to happen here. My mandate was to push it to be the best possible orchestra. You have to be demanding during rehearsals, because without hard work, you cannot produce the results that will stun people. “You don’t want to be just good,” Ling said with his usual boundless enthusiasm. “You want to be excellent. You want to be phenomenal. You want to turn people’s heads.”
Seasons,” the American premiere of Tan Dun’s Violin Concerto: “The Love” and the world premiere of David Bruce’s “Night Parade.” The ensemble also recorded multiple CDs, including the world premiere of Lucas Richman’s whimsical (and kidfriendly) “Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant.”
Big show in the Big Apple And in 2013, the San Diego Symphony took on Carnegie Hall. In October of that year, the orchestra made its Carnegie Hall debut in front of a sold-out crowd, with pianist Lang Lang as a guest performer. The orchestra’s performance of “Night Parade” and works by Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev received a standing ovation. After that, Ling and the ensemble headed for their landmark tour of China. The musicians would return with a sense of confidence and camaraderie that is still palpable today. “I think Jahja is so proud of how far the orchestra has come. He talks about how inspired he is to work with them and to have them achieve their potential and then exceed that potential,” Gilmer said. “I’ll miss seeing him round the corner to go on stage. He takes a moment at the podium before the music begins, and he looks around as if to say, ‘Let’s create some magic.’ In some ways, that is the most amazing moment.” With Ling’s last concerts looming, there will be a lot of fond reminiscing going on, but not by the man himself. He has his conductor laureate duties with the San Diego Symphony, which will bring him back to the podium for performances next spring, as part of the symphony’s Jacobs Masterworks 2017-2018 season. Ling will teach and conduct at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he was recently named Distinguished Principal Guest Artist. He will also be devoting his time and considerable energy to organizing gospel rallies and conducting the orchestra and choir for Stephen Tong Evangelistic Ministries International, an Indonesia-based ministry that he co-founded. Ling is still looking ahead. Let others discuss his legacy with the San Diego Symphony. He has his eye on the future and his ears open to the music that is waiting to be made. “I love to still make music with this orchestra. The musicians still have a rapport with me. You cannot force that,” Ling said. “I love working with them and they love working with me. The product speaks for itself.”
NELVIN C. CEPEDA U-T
Jahja Ling arrived when the symphony was still struggling after its 1996 bankruptcy and subsequent two-year shutdown. He also faced having to fill many key positions in the orchestra.
EDUARDO CONTRERAS U-T
“Without hard work, you cannot produce the results that will stun people,” Ling tells musicians. As anyone who has watched him conduct could tell you, the 65-yearold Ling is a live wire who is fueled by the joy of music-making. At the podium, he is a whirlwind of motion — arms sweeping, hands coaxing, legs crouching then unfurling, face reflecting every shift in tone and tempo. During an early-May rehearsal for the orchestra’s high-wire performance of Gustav Mahler’s dizzying Third Symphony, Ling bounced on his toes, peppered his staccato instruction with Italian musical terms (“More grazioso, OK?), and hummed phrasing examples to the musicians as they penciled in notes on their sheet music. And when he heard something he liked, the praise was quick (“This is beautiful here. I love this.”), but the smile lingered. “Music is his life. To share music with the orchestra is a very joyful thing for him,” said Chang, who has performed with the orchestra on many occasions, sometimes playing dual-piano pieces with Ling at the other set of keys. “Music is in everybody and music touches people’s souls to the deep-
NELVIN C. CEPEDA U-T
Symphony CEO Martha Gilmer credits Ling for having “bold vision of what could be created here.”
est core. I think it is a necessity of life, and I think he thinks that, too.” He is also a teacher who relishes the chance to discover and shape young musicians, just as his mentors — including the legendary Leonard Bernstein and Kurt Masur — shaped him. “I consider myself to be a very determined boss,” said Ling, who was picking out tunes on the piano by the age of 3½ and went on to study at the Julliard School before pursuing conducting at Yale University. “I don’t like compromise in musical terms. I want the orchestra to have musical integrity. But as a human, I always think of my orchestra as human. “When I’m not on stage, my door is always open, and we can discuss things as friends. When I step on the podium, you cannot question me. My philosophy is, be firm without being mean. Respect is gained. It is not forced.” Ling was the founding music director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, and he has conducted orchestras at Juilliard and Yale. After becoming the San Diego
Symphony’s music director, Ling was immediately faced with filling 24 vacancies. Eventually, he brought more than 40 new, mostly young musicians into the 82-member orchestra, infusing the symphony with a welcome rush of energy. “He was always quite talkative. He would talk to the musicians, to board members and members of the community,” said Irwin Jacobs, still one of the symphony’s most ardent supporters. “He communicated his love of music, and that became infectious. He raised the level of interest in symphonic music in the city just by his own example and sense of excitement.”
Uncertainty lifts After Ling’s arrival and subsequent hiring spree, the cloud of uncertainty that had hovered over the orchestra since the bankruptcy began to lift. And the unease about the unknown was replaced by an eagerness to join the new maestro in a collective leap into the next musical chapter. “I remember speaking to Jahja briefly after my audition, and he was very warm and congratu-
latory,” said principal bassist Jeremy Kurtz-Harris, who was 27 when he made his San Diego Symphony debut in 2004. “I remember being very excited about joining the orchestra. It seemed like it was back on the map, and it was a viable place that people were willing to move across the country to join. “All of us who joined during his tenure have grown in many ways. We have definitely learned from Jahja and also learned from our colleagues who weathered the various storms that the organization went through.” After all those chaotic years of money worries, staff layoffs and unpaid bills, the fact that the San Diego Symphony was alive and thriving was something of a miracle. But survival was not enough for the maestro or his ambitious musicians. During Ling’s 13-year tenure, the orchestra performed more than 85 works for the first time. In addition to classics by Mozart, Schubert and Bach, Ling and the increasingly flexible orchestra took on Philip Glass’ modern “American Four
karla.peterson@ sduniontribune.com Twitter: @karla_peterson
Keep your inner road warrior
safe and sound To help MKC perform at its best in all conditions, the Intelligent AWD system constantly monitors and predicts traction, adjusting torque between the front and rear wheels as needed. It’s designed to effortlessly enhance handling and maximize traction.★
M ★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ 2017 LINCOLN MKC LUXURY CROSSOVER ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ COMPACT SPORT UTILITY ★ ★ ★ PICK A PAYMENT
319 269 219
$ A.
$
$
B.
PER MONTH PLUS TAX 36 MONTH LEASE
ZERO
CUSTOMER CASH
$
C.
PER MONTH PLUS TAX 36 MONTH LEASE
1795
CUSTOMER CASH
PER MONTH PLUS TAX 36 MONTH LEASE
3595
$
CUSTOMER CASH
Discover the Witt Way 588 Camino Del Rio North, San Diego, CA 92108 888.414.5522 | www.wittlincoln.com | #WittWay
A m M f C r = l * A 3
http://www.kusi.com/story/35527400/jahja-ling-begins-his-final-weekend-forthe-san-diego-symphony
http://www.kusi.com/story/35527400/jahja-ling-begins-his-final-weekend-forthe-san-diego-symphony
KNSD-‐SD (NBC) -‐ San Diego, CA NBC 7 News Today at 5 pm
KNSD-‐SD (NBC) -‐ San Diego, CA NBC 7 News Today at 6 pm