The San Diego Symphony at the Rady Shell in 2021. Photo credit: San Diego Symphony, via Facebook
It’s time to get those summer pops plans in place – the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park opens the season in just over a week with a taste of classical, pop and jazz.
The San Diego Symphony leads off on Friday June 24, followed by Boyz II Men the next day and a salute to Thelonius Monk to end the opening weekend.
The symphony’s vibrant Music Director Rafael Payare, will conduct, and host guest pianist Joyce Yang with Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition in a show called Orchestral Technicolor.
Boyz II Men, the popular ’90s balladeers, had four Billboard Hot 100 hits and five that topped the R&B charts. Their hits include “End of the Road” and “I’ll Make Love to You.”
The show, Straight, No Chaser: The Music Of Thelonious Monk includes guest performers Gilbert Castellanos, Charles McPherson, Gerald Clayton and more to honor the jazz great.
Each concert starts at 7:30 p.m. The season lineup, which includes stars from Common and Jennifer Hudson to Elvis Costello and Wynton Marsalis, continues through Oct. 3.
Other events during the season include nights focused on the music of several popular films – in July, Black Panther, Toy Story and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Two other nights, in September, focus on classic albums – the Beatles’ “Let It Be” and Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.”
The symphony is embarking on its second summer season at the Rady Shell, which opened last year.