Looking ahead to 2023 in classical music: In the coming year, we see a vibrant return
San Diego Symphony’s return home, women composers share the spotlight and local organizations shine
By Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego’s already lively classical music scene ought to be even more vibrant in 2023. The year ahead is brimming with premieres, unearthed gems, brilliant musicians and works by female and male composers alike. With the COVID-19 pandemic caveat always in mind, 2023 should offer aural excellence in a wide range of styles and a variety of venues. The biggest venue news? The San Diego Symphony will open its 2023-24 season in its dramatically renovated Copley Symphony Hall at Jacobs Music Center downtown.
In the meantime, the orchestra has been presenting its annual Jacobs Masterworks series in various county venues — a great way of reaching out to the region. But it will be good to have the symphony back home. The $125 million renovation will result in a state-of-the-art concert hall, while keeping some of the 94-year-old building’s historical elements. Expect much fanfare at the November opening, with many high-profile musicians participating in the celebration and throughout the season. This spring and summer, the symphony will again perform under the stars at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park.
Up the coast, the University of California San Diego’s new Epstein Family Amphitheater will host a cutting-edge ArtPower concert on April 26. The Dream House Quartet — renowned French pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque alongside composer-guitarists Bryce Dessner (of The National) and David Chalmin — will perform contemporary works. In June, the amphitheater will host Mainly Mozart’s All-Star Orchestra Festival, following its performances at Del Mar Surf Cup Sports Park. If music director Michael Francis and the orchestra are as sublime as they were last year, they should not be missed.
Talented and notable
Art of Elan’s Kate Hatmaker has for years explored the intersectionality of visual art and music by collaborating with various museums. This season’s theme is creative expression as an agent of change. Art of Elan will kick off a series at Encinitas’ Institute of Contemporary Art North Jan. 13 with visual artist Shellie Zhang and composer Lei Liang. They will explore the idea of “home” and what that means to displaced and diasporic communities.
Le Salon de Musiques founder and director Francois Chouchan will showcase his piano skills Thursday [Jan. 5] when he performs Schubert’s “Winterreise” with stellar baritone Matthew Worth. Chouchan is already working on Le Salon’s upcoming third season of French-style concerts featuring conversations with musicians, a buffet and Champagne at the La Jolla Woman’s Club.
The chamber music collective Camarada continues its adventures in classical genres, Latin American and tango, as well as jazz-tinged works by San Diego guitar great Peter Sprague. On March 12, soprano Tasha Koontz will join Camarada at La Jolla’s Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center for a concert of Bach and Brahms.
Also at The Conrad, Camarada Tango Quartet will perform “Tango Bajo el Agua,” a world premiere by talented Tijuana composer/bassist Andrés Martín. The quartet, which includes Martín, follows that up with a short Southwestern tour, as well as a trip to Argentina in May.
La Jolla Music Society, whose home is at The Conrad, will present an array of high-profile musicians this season. Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and international cello star Alisa Weilerstein will present unique programs during the society’s ProtoStar Innovative Series.
Another La Jolla Music Society event well worth anticipating is SummerFest. It will be held July 28-Aug. 26. with pianist Inon Barnatan continuing his imaginative, genre-blurring tenure as its music director.
Women in the spotlight
After centuries of neglect and recent sporadic attention, it’s encouraging to see full programs devoted to women composers. In March, Camarada presents “Music She Wrote.” In June, Le Salon de Musiques showcases works by three female composers from the romantic era, including two U.S. premieres and a piece by Fanny Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn’s music will also be featured in March when ArtPower brings the Esmé Quartet here for Women’s History Month.
In November, Mainly Mozart’s Anne-Marie McDermott curates concerts featuring a commissioned world premiere by Brazilian composer Clarice Assad and works by other women.
La Jolla Symphony & Chorus has long included works by women composers. Steven Schick, who is now the nonprofit’s music director emeritus, will conduct in February, which should be a treat. Through the season, the symphony has been featuring guest conductors (who may or may not be in the running to replace Schick). In May, San Diego Youth Symphony Artistic Director Sameer Patel will guest-conduct a La Jolla Symphony concert highlighting compositions by British composer Anna Clyne.
After a strong start in the fall, San Diego Early Music Society is continuing its 40th anniversary season with the local debut of acclaimed Trinidadian soprano Jeanine De Bique. In March, she and the Concerto Köln ensemble will perform selections from their award-winning 2021 album “Mirrors.” Closing the society’s season in May will be Prague’s all-female Tiburtina Ensemble, specialists in medieval music.
Project [Blank] will present its annual three-day “Working Title” event Thursday. Visual artists, musicians and other creatives will transform St. Paul’s Cathedral in Bankers Hill. Project [Blank]’s ongoing weekly “Salty Series” at Bread & Salt features a range of artists, including improvisational baritone Jonathan Nussman in May. This year, supported by a California Arts Council grant, the intrepid presenters will be working on Carolyn Chen’s “The Robots,” an opera to be premiered in spring 2024.
It would take another article to cover the many educational and outreach programs that many of these organizations offer. From free concerts and youth orchestras to workshops and pre-event talks, these endeavors help keep the music alive.
Wood is a freelance writer.