San Diego Symphony | The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park and Jacobs Music Center

Orchestrate an evening out enjoying world-class performances by the San Diego Symphony. From April through October, the symphony presents classical favorites, film scores, jazz, R&B, Broadway and rock at its premier outdoor venue: The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park.

The summer season officially kicks off on June 28, 2024, with Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, as well as Copland’s “Four Dance Episodes” from Rodeo (including the well-known “Hoe-down” movement) and Rimsky-Korsakov’s fiery Capriccio espagnol, based on Spanish folk melodies.

Opening Night will be followed the next evening by the iconic music of composer John Williams. Hear selections from the movie scores of Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws and more. Rounding out the opening weekend on June 30 will be award-winning actress and singer Audra McDonald, who joins the symphony for a special evening of Broadway favorites by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, George Gershwin, and many others, with songs from her latest album, Sing Happy.

The festive atmosphere on San Diego’s picturesque waterfront continues all summer long. Dynamic concerts sure to satisfy the soul and/or get the toes tapping include the symphony’s celebration of the work of film, TV and theatre composer/lyricist Marc Shaiman (July 3); reggae icon Ziggy Marley, who plays his only concert with an orchestra this year (July 5); “Kodachrome: The Music of Paul Simon” featuring powerhouse singers Morgan James and Ryan Shaw performing Simon’s legendary songs (July 7); the glorious sounds of “Beethoven by the Bay” (July 12); the world premiere of “Field of Dreams in Concert” (July 19); a medley of hits celebrating artists George Michael, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Blondie, Huey Lewis & The News and others in “Totally ’80s With the San Diego Symphony” (Aug. 16); “Sondheim Tonight! A Celebration of Genius,” a tribute to the beloved Broadway composer and lyricist (Aug. 23); and over Labor Day weekend, the rousing “1812 Tchaikovsky Spectacular” (Aug. 30). View the complete 2024 Conrad Prebys Summer Season at TheShell.org.

Beginning Sept. 28, 2024, the Symphony celebrates the grand reopening of its newly renovated and revitalized indoor home: Jacobs Music Center. Improved sight lines, acoustics, new seating and finishes, and restored architectural details will combine to create an experience of rich sound and intimacy for the audience and musicians in the nearly 100-year-old hall.

Opening Weekend on Sept. 28 will feature a gala concert. The opening-night repertoire will showcase works by Ravel, Rossini, Rachmaninoff, Paganini and the world premiere of Korean-born San Diego composer Texu Kim’s titled Welcome Home!!

The 2024-25 season will run through May 31, 2025, and will feature the most extensive programming in the orchestra’s history. Along with its Jacobs Masterworks classical repertoire, the Symphony will reintroduce its indoor Jazz @ The Jacobs, its Family Concerts; and debut three new series:
• Currents contemporary classical music that explores timely social and civic issues
• Friday Matinee Masterworks, which will have an 11 a.m. starting time
• Symphony Kids – interactive, family-friendly programs

Jazz @ The Jacobs will celebrate some of the genre’s most original and influential figures: “A Tribute to Ella, Billie, and Sarah” (Nov. 23); “Piano Paragons: The Music of Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Art Tatum and Chick Corea” (March 22); and “Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn,” featuring trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos, vocalist Johnaye Kendrick and tenor saxophonist Billy Pierce (April 26).

Concerts for families will include “Philharmonia Fantastique,” featuring conductor Conner Gray Covington (March 15); and composer Caroline Shaw’s musical adaptation of Alice McLerran’s story The Mountain that Loved a Bird (April 26).

The Symphony rings in the 2024 holiday season with joyful “Noel Noel” concerts Dec. 13-15 with Orchestra, the San Diego Master Chorale and the San Diego Children’s Choir. Audiences will also love the holiday presentations of “Elf in Concert,” featuring a screening of the iconic holiday film, with John Debney’s musical score performed live to the movie. The concerts set for Dec. 21-22 will be led by conductor Bruce Kiesling.

Both The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park and Jacobs Music Center offer beauty, unparalleled sound and musical delights for all. Order tickets at sandiegosymphony.org or by phone at (619) 235-0804.