San Diego Symphony's Jacobs Masterworks with Augustin Hadelich

On October 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th the San Diego Symphony hosted Jacobs Masterworks 13-14 with a special performance by violinist Augustin Hadelich. Beautifully directed by Jahja Ling the overall performance was full of exciting peaks and valleys that kept the audience in suspense. As the Barber Violin Concerto blazed through pieces at a lightning pace one could almost see the sparks fly in a crazed display of artistic fury.

Director Jahja Ling is originally of Chinese descent but has migrated to the U.S. His experience is broad and he has received acclaim in Europe and America. Much time was spent being a guest conductor at a large range of different locations and places. At present he is settled in the San Diego Symphony and is drawing large crowds. You may listen to his numerous recordings on his official page HERE 

Violinist Augustin Hadelich was born of German descent in Italy. His family has a long history in music. A family fire burned a great portion of his upper body but he soon moved to playing music with even more passion than before. He plays on a loaned 1723 Ex-Kiesewetter Stradivari violin that is seen as one of the sweet sounding violins in the world. Augustin’s experience is wide, even at his young age, and is in high demand. You may learn more about him and his music HERE 

The San Diego Symphony has been serving the San Diego population for over a hundred years. Like its years in service it also provides over 100 shows within any given calendar year. Like all great theaters it doesn’t simply offer music but also other productions. Of particular interest is the upcoming Phantom of the Opera (1925) production. You may learn and purchase tickets HERE 

COPLEY SYMPHONY HALL TICKET OFFICE
750 B Street
San Diego, CA 92101

The San Diego Symphony Presents the Royal Family of Guitar

The San Diego Symphony presents The Romeros: Royal Family of Guitar from May 16^th to May 19^th, 2013. The Romero Quartet started in the 1960 based upon the idea of the father Celedonio Romero and his sons. After the group’s father passed away in 1996 he was replaced by his grandson to keep the family tradition alive.  The Romeros are a beautiful example of classical guitar that provides sweet sensation to the ears. You almost feel as though you are in Spain. Tapas anyone?

The Romeros are also known as The Royal Family of Guitar as their music delves into traditional Spanish style of strings. The New York Times states their opinion of the classical guitar group as "Collectively, they are the only classical guitar quartet of real stature in the world today; in fact, they virtually invented the format." They have traveled the world and sold out a great many performances.  Admirers include thousands of people ranging from Ed Sullivan to Pope John Paul II.

JahJa Ling was the music director of the evening. He is now an American citizen of Chinese descent. He began playing the piano in his toddler years, earned the Rockefeller grant to study music thereafter earning a master’s degree.  He founded the San Francisco Youth Orchestra as well as the Cleveland Youth Orchestra. At present, he is the music director at the San Diego Symphony. You can see his seasoned skill by the graceful movements of his baton.

The history of a quartet is an interesting one that ranges back to old Europe. Symphonies were designed for public consumption while chamber music was more for private audiences in wealthy aristocratic homes. At the end of the Eighteenth Century, string quartets emerged as a leading chamber music form. The use of string instruments was easy to transport as well as easy to manage.

Using string music avoided problems with blending multiple instruments into a single music chord. Having less than four players limited the types of music that could be played while using more than four players created acoustic blending problems. It helped to avoid monotonous tones stemming from using the same instrument over and over.  The quartet is more common today for public audiences as well as background music in restaurants.

You can see the presentation at the beautiful Copley Hall. It is worth visiting at least once in your lifetime. It maintains its old world charm with artistic design, style, and artisanship being apparent. Tiles in the ceiling, large hanging paintings, and an acoustically designed auditorium are part of its charm. If you seek a flutter of musical mastery then purchase your tickets for new shows.

Pepe Romero

San Diego Symphony Calendar

Music Anthology

The San Diego Symphony-The Story of Scheherazade

San Diego Symphony

The concert Scheherazade is about the legendary Persian queen who saved her life and the soul of the king in the story of One Thousand and One Nights.  Every day the Shahryar (King) would marry a new virgin and every night he would send the last virgin to be beheaded.  Out of anger at the unfaithfulness of his first wife the king sent a thousand women to such a fate until he met Scheherazade. With her wit she would tell him a thousand and one night’s worth of stories until the king fell in love with her and made her his queen. Each night she ended the story half way through in order to keep the kings interest in hearing the rest.

Perhaps some people may find a little wisdom in this performance. The charm of a person is not in the trinkets they buy, the clothes they wear, or how popular their Facebook page is. The true charm of a person is their qualities as a human being. A thousand young ladies, following the same path, were sent to their demise until a single one with the right personality and charm was able to win the heart of the king. Scheherazade was known as a kind and soft-hearted lady that listened as much as she spoke. The wisdom of yesteryear applies as much today for both genders as it did in the past.

The conductor Mei-Ann Chen is a Taiwanese-American who currently works for the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. She holds a double master’s degree and a doctorate of Musical Arts from University of Michigan. Even though her parents discouraged her from taking this route she self-taught herself music and earned a number of positions at various symphonies. She has a promising career and is considered a talented and young conductor with a strong future in the music industry.

San Diego Symphony

The San Diego Copley Symphony Hall originally opened as the Fox Theater in 1929 and didn’t have a home until the 1980’s. The San Diego Symphony Society was developed in 1910 but soon came under hardship due to the financial stress of WWI. In the 1920’s the San Diego director of music education in the San Diego Public School system and the alumni members of his San Diego High School Alumni began symphony concerts and received considerable fame. The San Diego Orchestra Association was formed to support and encourage such concerts and has been named ever since the San Diego Symphony.

The symphony orchestra started approximately 400 years ago during the Renaissance. A small orchestra is called a chamber orchestra and larger ones of with approximately a hundred pieces are called symphony orchestras.  Generally, such orchestras have a four part combination of woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings. Modern orchestras may also include new electronic equipment to help complement their sounds. 

The orchestra is seen as a culmination of artistic musical expression and high culture in society. The modern orchestra was modeled in part after Beethoven’s platform. As a cultural expression typically only larger communities can afford to maintain orchestras as many of the members are full-time professional musicians with benefits. The orchestra hall is specifically designed to offer the best surround sound and acoustic experience that far outweighs recorded versions.  

If you are seeking information on upcoming events and tickets you may visit The San Diego Symphony Orchestra Hall

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