Eight Friday nights will start your weekends off right at The Rady Shell this summer. You'll hear everything from Tchaikovsky and Judy Collins to Beethoven and Broadway, and much more!

Summer 2023 Opening Night: RAFAEL PAYARE and PACHO FLORES
Friday, June 30, 7:30pm
Rafael Payare, conductor
Pacho Flores, trumpet
San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Roberto Sierra: Salseando for Trumpet and Orchestra
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances, Op. 45
Trumpeter Pacho Flores joins Rafael Payare and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra to open the Summer 2023 season at The Rady Shell with a night of dancing and iconic melodies. Flores will perform the West Coast Premiere of Roberto Sierra’s Salseando. Written for him in 2020, the concerto blends jazz improvisation with salsa rhythms and melodies.
The concert opens with Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, and features Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances.

Apollo 13 in Concert
Friday, July 7, 7:30pm
Nicholas Buc, conductor
San Diego Symphony Orchestra
“Failure is not an option...”
Hailed by critics and audiences alike, Universal Pictures’ Apollo 13 tells the incredible story of one of the most thrilling and suspenseful missions in the history of the American space program. Directed by Ron Howard and nominated for nine Academy Awards®, the film stars Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton as astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, who were selected to fly NASA’s third moon landing mission.
While en route, an explosion causes a critical systems failure, forcing Mission Control to abort the lunar landing. As the astronauts struggle to come to grips with their perilous situation, and with oxygen and electrical supplies dwindling aboard the ailing spacecraft, Flight Director Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) and his team mount a desperate attempt to bring the three men home safely.
Apollo 13 is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA of the United States of America
Friday, July 28, 7:30pm
Sir Andrew Davis, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America
Valerie Coleman: New Work [Commission by Carnegie Hall]
Samuel Barber: Violin Concerto, Op. 14
Hector Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14
Experience the music of some of the United States’ finest young musicians as they end their tour of the country in San Diego at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, joining forces with Sir Andrew Davis – one of the world’s most recognized and acclaimed conductors – and the inimitable violinist Gil Shaham.
Note: The San Diego Symphony does not appear on this performance.

Beethoven by the Bay
Friday, August 4, 7:30pm
Johann Stuckenbruck, conductor
Eric Lu, piano
San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven: Overture to Fidelio, Op. 72c
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58
Symphony No. 3 in E-flat minor, Op. 55, "Eroica"
Celebrate this annual favorite with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and the music of arguably the greatest composer of all time. Led by Johann Stuckenbruck, enjoy this summer evening on the Bay with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with soloist Eric Lu, Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” and the Overture to Fidelio.

JUDY COLLINS and MADELEINE PEYROUX Performing with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Friday, August 18, 7:30pm
Judy Collins, vocalist
Madeleine Peyroux, vocalist
Sean O’Loughlin, conductor
San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Grammy® award-winning songstress Judy Collins and international singer/songwriter and recording artist Madeleine Peyroux will perform a selection of hits with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sean O'Loughlin.

Broadway Romance
Friday, August 25, 7:30pm
Rob Fisher, conductor
Mikaela Bennett, vocalist
Ross Lekites, vocalist
San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Join the San Diego Symphony Orchestra for an evening of notable romantic Broadway melodies with conductor Rob Fisher, vocalists Mikaela Bennett and Ross Lekites. From West Side Story to Brigadoon, come hear all the beautiful music Broadway lovers sing to each other.

Tchaikovsky Spectacular
Friday, September 1, 7:30pm
Christopher Dragon, conductor
Steven Lin, piano
San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Piotr Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 23
Piotr Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty Suite, Op. 66a
Piotr Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, Op. 49
The last classical concert of the 2023 Summer Season features Tchaikovsky’s iconic 1812 Overture and audience favorite and frequent Rady Shell guest conductor Christopher Dragon.

Classic Albums Live Performs Creedence Clearwater Revival: Chronicle, Vol. 1
Friday, September 22, 7:30pm
Creedence Clearwater Revival was America’s greatest band…their music reached out and got an entire continent rocking. Hit after hit, no other band delivers that big a collection of instantly recognizable, toe tapping songs. Classic Albums Live will honor the legacy of CCR by performing their Chronicle, Vol. 1 album with joy and dedication, note-for-note, cut-for-cut.
Classic Albums Live takes classic albums from the 60s and 70s and recreates those albums live onstage – note-for-note, cut-for-cut – using the world’s best musicians. Fans are treated to an exact replication of the album, followed by a second set of the featured artist’s greatest hits. Whatever it takes, the musicians treat these revered albums like a score-the way a symphony orchestra treats Mozart.
Please note: the San Diego Symphony does not appear on this program.