San Diego Symphony Presents Virtual Preview Concerts From New Outdoor Venue The Shell®

San Diego Symphony Music Director Rafael Payare Conducts Orchestra in First Pre-Opening Preview Concert From New Outdoor Venue The Shell^® to Be Streamed on May 21

SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY’S “TO THE EARTH FESTIVAL,” RECORDED AT THE SHELL
AND COPLEY SYMPHONY HALL AT JACOBS MUSIC CENTER, TO STREAM JUNE 16-25

San Diego, CA – The San Diego Symphony announces its first preview performance from The Shell^®, the orchestra’s state-of-the-art bayside venue, will be streamed on Friday, May 21, at 7 p.m. (PDT). Conducted by Music Director Rafael Payare, the concert, titled “What’s That Sound? First Music from The Shell” will feature Wagner’s glowing Siegfried Idyll and Mozart’s regal Jupiter Symphony. The Shell will open to the public for live performances in Summer 2021. 

The following week, on Friday, May 28 at 7 p.m. (PDT), musical theater star Bryonha Marie will dazzle in classic and modern Broadway tunes from The Shell. Featuring When You’re Good to Mama from Chicago and Summertime from Porgy & Bess, Tony-award winning Rob Fisher will lead the band from the piano in favorite Broadway hits.

San Diego Symphony Digital All-Access Pass holders will have access to the performances through their pass, and single streams for these first performances from can be purchased for $25.

From June 16 through June 25, Festival Curator Steven Schick and Music Director Rafael Payare will lead the San Diego Symphony’s week-long festival celebrating our planet Earth in music, poetry and conversation. To The Earth is centered on three performances that imagine a day in the life of San Diego’s ecosystem – one filled with birds, animals and humans, stretching from the sea to the mountains and desert – and invite listeners to reflect on our shared opportunities and challenges in healing our wounded planet. High school students from San Diego county will read poems on the theme of the natural world and Spoken Word poet Gill Sotu will perform a new commissioned work. To The Earth programs will be livestreamed free to the public on the San Diego Symphony’s Facebook and Youtube channels. 

The festival begins with an opening panel discussion (date and panelists to be announced in the coming weeks) on the life-giving powers of nature that have historically inspired artists. On Friday, June 18 at 7 p.m. (PDT), the performance Morning: Birds and Light explores the glimmering magic of morning light and songbirds with works by Haydn, Messiaen, Missy Mazzoli and John Luther Adams, and spoken poetry by John Haines and Joy Harjo. The flexible properties and sounds of water are captured in Noon: The Rush of Water on Wednesday, June 23 at 7 p.m. (PDT), featuring poetry by Amanda Gorman and Mónica Sánchez Escuer, and works by Debussy, Gabriela Ortiz, Tan Dun, and Haydn. Closing the festival, Evening: The Earth Rests on Friday, June 25 at 7 p.m. (PDT) features music by Osvaldo Golijov, Lili Boulanger, Haydn and a piece for speaking percussionist by Frederic Rzewski performed by Steven Schick. San Diego's own Gill Sotu also performs a newly commissioned poem.

“I am so excited to finally be sharing our first performances from The Shell with you,” shared Music Director Rafael Payare. “To be able to present a rich variety of concert programs with our wonderful orchestra on this stage – with its superb acoustics and inspiring and beautiful location by the water – is a gift that brings hope and joy to this vibrant city, and we cannot wait to share with you in person.”

"To the Earth imagines a day in the life of the San Diego ecosystem, from the sea to mountains and the desert,” commented Festival Curator Steven Schick. “We have chosen music that mirrors our home – pieces about light and water; birds, animals and humans. By combining music with evocative poetry, this festival celebrates the richness of our Earth while inspiring change to help save our beautiful and wounded planet." 

“Every day, we learn more news that brings us closer to celebrating special moments together,” shared Martha Gilmer, San Diego Symphony CEO. “The upcoming performances from The Shell are a first-look into our new world-class venue and community park for the city of San Diego, and we cannot wait to create new memories there together in the coming months.”

The Shell is the San Diego Symphony’s new state of the art performance venue by the bay and the orchestra’s second home, opening for live performances in summer 2021. The inaugural season of The Shell will be announced in late May. 

All recordings of concert presentations will meet or exceed the safety requirements of California’s phased reopening plan. Additionally, new protocols will be implemented for everything from distanced seating for musicians, to modified stage setups and reduced touch points to ensure safety of our staff and musicians. 

Until San Diego Symphony’s return to the physical stage this summer, viewers can experience online a collection of previously shared performances on Symphony Stream. Audiences can explore music clips, rebroadcasts, and the orchestra’s in-depth conversations between San Diego Symphony musicians and CEO Martha Gilmer in the weekly “Lunch & Listen” video series.

For assistance with ticketing options, email the Ticket Office at tickets@sandiegosymphony.org or by phone at 619-235-0804 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

About the San Diego Symphony
Founded in 1910, the San Diego Symphony is the oldest orchestra in California and one of the largest and most significant cultural organizations in San Diego. The Orchestra performs for more than 250,000 people each season, offering a wide variety of programming at its two much-loved venues, Copley Symphony Hall in downtown San Diego and The Shell at Embarcadero Marina Park South on San Diego Bay. In early 2018, the San Diego Symphony announced the appointment of Rafael Payare as music director. Payare leads the orchestra’s 82 full-time musicians, graduates of the finest and most celebrated music schools in the United States and abroad. The San Diego Symphony also serves as the orchestra for the San Diego Opera each season, as well as performing at several regional performing arts and community centers. For over 30 years, the San Diego Symphony has provided comprehensive learning and community engagement programs reaching more than 65,000 students annually and bringing innovative programming to San Diego’s diverse neighborhoods and schools. For more information, visit www.sandiegosymphony.org.