Symphony San Jose Celebrates 25 Years with New Artistic Partners
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Symphony San Jose is kicking off its 25th anniversary season this weekend, marking a significant milestone since its revival following the original San Jose Symphony’s closure. This season, the symphony is not just looking back but also forward with exciting changes.
The orchestra has introduced its inaugural class of Artistic Partners: conductors Nathan Aspinall and Tatsuya Shimono, along with pianist Jon Nakamatsu. Each has a strong connection to the symphony and the California Theatre. Aspinall will lead two concerts this season, while Shimono will conduct “Pictures at an Exhibition” in January, featuring Nakamatsu, a frequent performer with the orchestra.
These partners will collaborate with Executive Artistic Director Robert Massey and the Artistic Committee to influence the symphony’s programming for years to come. Massey emphasizes the importance of building relationships rather than focusing on a single conductor: “Nathan, Tatsuya, and Jon are artists we trust deeply, and this partnership allows us to take artistic risks and develop a unique identity.”
Although this marks 25 years for Symphony San Jose, the city’s orchestral history extends back to 1877. The original San Jose Symphony thrived for over a century but faced financial struggles in the early 2000s, leading to its closure in 2001. In its place, Andrew Bales assembled a new orchestra from the remaining musicians, creating Symphony San Jose Silicon Valley, later rebranded to Symphony San Jose.
The inaugural concert in its first season took place on November 22, 2002, featuring Dvorak’s “New World Symphony.” This season will revisit that piece with the opening concert “The New World: America at 250,” conducted by Ken-David Masur, alongside Aaron Copland’s “Billy the Kid” suite and the Bay Area premiere of Jonathan Leshnoff’s “Rhapsody on America,” co-commissioned by the symphony and featuring pianist Joyce Yang.
The season promises a variety of performances, including the popular Symphonic Spooktacular, Merry Mozart, and a special film-and-concert event with “Star Wars: A New Hope.” The finale will showcase Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, “Ode to Joy,” in June.
For the complete season schedule, visit symphonysanjose.org.
Cultural Highlights
Additionally, the Little Italy Festival in San Jose will showcase Italian sports cars and American classics, alongside live performances, including tenor Pasquale Esposito. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is dedicated to Chris Bertucelli, a community figure who recently passed away. More details can be found at littleitalysj.com.
Artistic Events
Japanese artist Kensuke Takahashi will open his solo exhibition “Yaoyorozu” with a mural celebrating Shinto deities. The reception is Saturday at Empire Seven Studios. Furthermore, the First Fridays art walk will return, featuring new exhibitions across downtown San Jose galleries. For the full lineup, check southfirstfridays.com.
