Announcing the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus 2026-27 Season
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We are thrilled to announce the upcoming La Jolla Symphony & Chorus 2026-27 season!
Starting in October 2026, we will begin Forces of Nature. Our new season programming is unlike any other season in La Jolla Symphony & Chorus’ history.
With the Mainstage Subscription, you can enjoy all six mainstage concerts for a great, low price! This package does not include the Messiah Community Sing.
2026-27 Season Concerts
Confluence
October 24-25, 2026
Mandeville Auditorium
Sameer Patel, conductor
La Jolla Symphony
Amjad Ali Khan, sarod
Ayaan Ali Bangash, sarod
Amaan Ali Bangash, sarod
Program:
Dukas – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Bansal – Flash, Shimmer, Glow, Spark
Enescu – Romanian Rhapsody No. 1
Amjad Ali Khan – Samaagam
A vibrant exploration of orchestral color and cross-cultural expression, this program moves from the playful storytelling and brilliant orchestration of Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice to the flickering, luminous textures of Juhi Bansal’s Flash, Shimmer, Glow, Spark, inspired by the natural phenomenon of bioluminescence.
Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 ignites the stage with high-energy folk rhythms and virtuosic flair, before culminating in Samaagam featuring world-renowned sarod virtuoso Amjad Ali Khan. In this very special performance sponsored in collaboration with UC San Diego, Samaagam weaves together Indian classical tradition and the symphonic world in a compelling global synthesis.
Joy! Messiah Community Sing
Saturday November 28, 2026 at 2 PM
San Dieguito United Methodist Church
Arian Khaefi, conductor
La Jolla Symphony & Chorus
Program:
Handel – Messiah
*This off-campus concert is not included in our Mainstage 6-Concert Early Bird Subscription.
A beloved tradition returns as voices unite for Handel’s Messiah—a festive celebration of choral joy, community spirit, and holiday cheer. The power of choral music takes center stage in this moving and festive experience, ushering in the holiday season with a resounding ‘Hallelujah!’
There are no seating assignments in this venue; seating will be grouped by voice type.
If you need a score to follow along, please add the option “Messiah Singalong Score” at the checkout prompt. Scores will also be available for rental on the day-of. Score purchases include a $5 refundable deposit, which can be obtained upon returning the score.
Any score edition will suffice, though we will be using the Schirmer edition.
Resurrection
December 5-6, 2026
Mandeville Auditorium
Sameer Patel, conductor
La Jolla Symphony & Chorus
Tasha Koontz, soprano
Guadalupe Paz, mezzo-soprano
Program:
Mahler – Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”
A monumental work of symphonic and philosophical scope, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 traces a journey from existential struggle to transcendent renewal. Expansive in scale and vision, it unites orchestra, chorus, and soloists in a profound meditation on life, death, and transformation.
Eternal Memory
February 6-7, 2027
Mandeville Auditorium
Sameer Patel, conductor
La Jolla Symphony
Program:
Biber – Battalia
Haihui Zhang – 2026-2027 Nee Commission World Premiere
Shostakovich – Symphony No. 11, “The Year 1905”
From the vividly imaginative world of Biber’s Battalia—a striking 1673 portrait of soldiers’ lives that experiments boldly with texture and polytonality—to a compelling new voice in Haihui Zhang’s world premiere, this program draws a clear line across centuries of musical narrative and historical reflection.
Biber’s flair for musical drama and innovative use of sound finds a natural counterpart in Shostakovich’s sweeping vision, both composers pushing the boundaries of how music can depict human conflict. The journey culminates in Symphony No. 11, “The Year 1905,” a gripping masterpiece of program music that captures the tragedy, unrest, and collective memory of the Russian Revolution.
Beyond the Veil
March 13-14, 2027
Mandeville Auditorium
Arian Khaefi, conductor
La Jolla Symphony & Chorus
Amanda Olea, Soprano
Alexandra Rodrick, Alto
Aaron Humble, Tenor
Joshua Arky, Baritone
Program:
Anna Clyne – Masquerade
Rachmaninoff – Isle of the Dead
Mozart – Requiem
A meditation on mortality and transcendence, this program pairs the brooding intensity of Isle of the Dead with the luminous solemnity of Requiem. From shadow to light, it traces a profound arc of reflection, grief, and spiritual release.
Prism
May 1-2, 2027
Mandeville Auditorium
Sameer Patel, conductor
Claire Chase, flute
La Jolla Symphony
Program:
Stravinsky – Feux d’artifice
Webern – Im Sommerwind
Saariaho – Aile du Songe
Grace – Evangeline Mason – Ablaze the Moon
Strauss – Der Rosenkavalier Suite
A study in orchestral color and transformation, this program opens with the glittering brilliance of Stravinsky’s Feux d’artifice—a dazzling early work that helped spark his collaboration with Diaghilev—alongside the lush, pastoral lyricism of Webern’s Im Sommerwind. The sound world deepens in Saariaho’s Aile du songe, a luminous flute concerto performed by Claire Chase that explores the connection between the earthly and the spiritual. After intermission, poetry and nostalgia come to the fore in Grace-Evangeline Mason’s Ablaze the Moon, before culminating in the elegance and Viennese charm of Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier Suite.
A Sea Symphony
June 5-6, 2027
Mandeville Auditorium
Arian Khaefi, conductor
La Jolla Symphony & Chorus
Program:
Vaughan Williams – A Sea Symphony
A sweeping celebration of nature, humanity, and the cosmos, A Sea Symphony unites orchestra, chorus, and soloists in this four movement work that uses the different timbres of instruments and voice to aurally paint the colors and textures of the sea. From serene expanses to jubilant climaxes, it’s a transcendent exploration of life, poetry, and the natural world.