In Sunday’s (2/1) San Diego Union-Tribune, George Varga writes, “It has been three years since the San Diego Symphony soared to new heights following the [renovation] of its downtown home, the Jacobs Music Center. But anyone wondering if this 116-year-old orchestra … is considering kicking back even a tiny bit with its upcoming 2026-27 season … should think again…. Nine soloists and six conductors will give their San Diego Symphony debut performances between October and next June.” Rafael Payare is the orchestra’s music director. “The orchestra’s repertoire will include 15 concertos and 13 symphonies … and the ninth symphonies by Beethoven, Bruckner and Dvořák. No fewer than 15 pieces of music will be performed by the symphony for the first time. Four of them are by living composers, including the world premiere of Symphony No. 6, ‘Monarch,’ by the orchestra’s composer-in-residence Jimmy López, which was co-commissioned by the San Diego Symphony…. The 2026-27 lineup includes a varied mix of new and returning guest artists, including cello great Alisa Weilerstein (who is Payare’s wife) and piano stars Yefim Bronfman and Daniil Trifonov. Three of the soloists are longtime symphony members: concertmaster Jeff Thayer, principal English horn player Andrea Overturf and harpist Julie Phillips.” The article lists the entire 2026-27 classical season.
