In Wednesday’s (1/7) San Diego Union-Tribune, Pam Kragen writes, “For more than 20 years, San Diego Opera has been able to hire the city’s top musicians—members of the San Diego Symphony—to perform in its season productions. Now, with the help of San Diego philanthropist Irwin Jacobs, that musical partnership is guaranteed to carry on for the next three seasons. On Monday, San Diego Opera announced that Jacobs has committed $4.5 million to establish The Joan and Irwin Jacobs San Diego Symphony and San Diego Opera Collaboration Fund. The cost of hiring the symphony musicians represents 12.1% of San Diego Opera’s annual budget, so the new Jacobs fund represents a landmark gift to the organization. The fund will also be used to expand collaboration between the two arts organizations and support artistic planning…. David Bennett, general director and CEO of San Diego Opera, [stated], ‘The gift not only furthers our artistic visions, but advances a model of collaboration that is essential to the future of the arts in San Diego.’ Jacobs—with his late wife, Joan, who died in May 2024 at age 91—has donated more than $100 million to San Diego Symphony over the past 25 years.”
