The San Diego Symphony played its first concert 106 years ago in 1910. For a city that was supplied only by sea and the distant Colorado River until 1878 when the railroad arrived, that’s a pretty quick start for what would become one of the leading symphonies in the country. (The country’s oldest, the New York Philharmonic, was founded in 1842. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1891. San Francisco Symphony in 1911.) A quick glance at the San Diego Symphony’s website and you will soon realize this is not the symphony experience you may remember from childhood. Six different concert series encompass over 140 concerts this year. The concert series are aimed at different audiences within our San Diego community—everything from jazz to Broadway classics, movie play-alongs to outdoor concerts by the bay. And of course, there is a series that focuses solely on classical symphonic music. I urge you to click on their website and be amazed at how many concerts you want to add to your calendar right now.
The Symphony’s “Bayside Summer Nights” series is one of my favorites in San Diego. Perched outside on a thin strip of land known as Embarcadero Marina Park South just behind the convention center downtown, this venue gives you plenty of options for enjoying the concert. You can reserve “champagne service” at reserved tables that come with a namesake bottle of champagne, enjoy a more laid back atmosphere in the grandstands, or spread your picnic blanket right next to the water and enjoy gazing at the evening stars. Arrive a few hours early, bring your own picnic and buy a bottle of wine on your way in to make it a perfect San Diego night.
Over 10 guest conductors will grace the symphony’s stage this season as we search for a new music director. That didn’t keep last night’s audience from showing their appreciation for Sameer Patel, the symphony’s associate conductor. Multiple groups around me yelled out his name and cheered when he took the stage—a welcoming I don’t often associate with symphony concertgoers. This guy has an incredibly warm and personable onstage personality, and I could have listened to him chat about each piece indefinitely. Way to connect with your audience!
Last night’s concert was a free “community concert” and included music by Tchaikovsky, John Williams and Beethoven. A large projection screen behind the symphony showcased the equivalent of “Pop Up Video” interesting facts about the music and the symphony, and seemed to keep the audience engaged and learning throughout the performance. I have to admit I was a huge fan of the brass section, with mad props to the trombones and French horns. Come the end of the night, the audience tried (unsuccessfully though) to pull an encore performance out of the symphony. Always a good sign.
Special thanks to Heather, little Ruthie, and Jenna for cozying up with adult lemonade out of a thermos at our makeshift picnic, and coming on this San Diego adventure with me.