Opening Night with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra

Rafael Payare, conductor
Stefan Jackiw, violin
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

SHOSTAKOVICH: Festive Overture, Op. 96
PROKOFIEV: Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 54

The San Diego Symphony launches its Summer 2026 season at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park with Music and Artistic Director Rafael Payare leading a program of sweeping drama and brilliant virtuosity. Dmitri Shostakovich’s electrifying Festive Overture sets a jubilant tone before Stefan Jackiw – one of America’s foremost violinists – takes center stage in Sergei Prokofiev’s lyrical and rhythmically incisive Violin Concerto No. 2. The evening culminates in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, a deeply expressive journey from brooding introspection to triumphant resolve. Brimming with color, passion, and orchestral brilliance, Opening Night promises an exhilarating start to the summer season on the San Diego waterfront.