Symphony San Jose Celebrates 25th Anniversary
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Symphony San Jose opens its 25th anniversary season this weekend, marking a significant milestone since its “rebirth” following the closure of the original San Jose Symphony. This season, the orchestra is not only reflecting on its history but is also making bold strides into the future.
This month, Symphony San Jose announced its inaugural class of Artistic Partners: conductors Nathan Aspinall and Tatsuya Shimono, and pianist Jon Nakamatsu. All three artists are well-acquainted with the orchestra and its home at the California Theatre. Aspinall will conduct two concerts this season, while Shimono will lead the performance of “Pictures at an Exhibition” in January, featuring Nakamatsu, who has performed with the orchestra over 15 times.
These Artistic Partners will collaborate with Executive Artistic Director Robert Massey and the symphony’s Artistic Committee to help shape the orchestra’s future programming and identity. Massey emphasized the importance of relationships in building a successful orchestra, stating, “Nathan, Tatsuya, and Jon are three artists we already trust deeply.”
Orchestra’s Rich History
While this marks a quarter-century for Symphony San Jose, the city’s orchestral traditions date back to 1877. The original volunteer orchestra enjoyed a prosperous run for over a century but struggled with debt in the early 2000s. It ceased operations in October 2001 and was formally dissolved by bankruptcy in December 2002.
However, Andrew Bales of Ballet San Jose combined the ballet’s orchestra with displaced symphony musicians, thus forming Symphony San Jose Silicon Valley. After a rebranding to Symphony San Jose in 2021, the orchestra continues to thrive.
The inaugural concert season began on November 22, 2002, featuring Dvorak’s “New World Symphony.” This year’s opening concert, titled “The New World: America at 250,” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, conducted by Ken-David Masur. The program includes a suite from Aaron Copland’s “Billy the Kid” and the Bay Area premiere of “Rhapsody on America” by Jonathan Leshnoff, featuring Joyce Yang on piano.
Upcoming Events
The season will boast a variety of exciting performances, including:
- Symphonic Spooktacular (Oct. 24-25) with conductor Peter Jaffe.
- Merry Mozart (Dec. 5-6) conducted by Aspinall.
- Collaborations with New Ballet, featuring “The San Jose Nutcracker.”
- A film-and-concert of “Star Wars: A New Hope” on April 10-11, 2027.
- A season finale showcasing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, “Ode to Joy,” on June 5-6.
For a complete list of the season’s events, visit symphonysanjose.org.
Cultural Connections
In addition, the Little Italy Festival in San Jose on Sunday will feature classic Italian supercars, including Ferraris and Lamborghinis, as well as American classics courtesy of Goombah’s Car Club. The festival promises live entertainment, including Italian tenor Pasquale Esposito at 3:15 p.m. and plenty of food, wine tasting, and family-friendly crafts. This year’s festival is dedicated to Chris Bertucelli, co-owner of La Villa deli.
For details on the festival, visit littleitalysj.com.
Artistic Weekend
Japanese artist Kensuke Takahashi will open his first solo exhibition in Northern California this Saturday, with a reception at Empire Seven Studios at 6 p.m. The exhibition, “Yaoyorozu,” features a stunning mural of Shinto deities and will run through Nov. 29.
Additionally, this week marks the return of First Fridays, an art walk in downtown San Jose, showcasing new exhibitions at various galleries. For the full lineup, check out southfirstfridays.com.
