San Diego Symphony Announces the Summer Season at The Rady Shell

San Diego Symphony Announces the 2022 Conrad Prebys Summer Season at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park™The second season at the spectacular outdoor venue—which opened Summer 2021—debuts June 24 with 38 performances over 14 weeks between June and September, with additional programming planned for October, November and December. Acclaimed artists including Common, Boyz II Men, Jennifer Hudson, Bernadette Peters and The Beach Boys, to perform alongside the San Diego Symphony. Subscriptions on sale now; single tickets for select special events go on-sale April 12; single tickets for all other concerts go on-sale May 3.

SAN DIEGO (PRWEB) MARCH 14, 2022 – The San Diego Symphony announced today its 2022 Conrad Prebys Summer Season of concerts at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, the orchestra’s new, captivating waterfront venue that opened August 2021. The exciting lineup marks the second official season at The Rady Shell, running June through the end of September, with additional programming planned through the end of 2022 — including its annual Día de los Muertos concert and holiday concerts returning December 2022. From classical concerts to Broadway, jazz, R&B, film and rock, the programmatically-diverse season will highlight the city’s world-class orchestra, showcase some of the world’s top musical talents, and further establish the venue as a vital music destination for the region.

“Opening our long-awaited venue last summer — The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park — was an indescribable moment, and it marked a new chapter for the San Diego Symphony, community and region,” said Martha Gilmer, San Diego Symphony CEO. “As we approach the 2022 Conrad Prebys Summer Season, we are ecstatic to be able to bring together Rafael Payare and the San Diego Symphony with magnificent guest artists across many musical genres, from Joyce Yang to Common, as well as Boyz II Men and Jennifer Hudson. The 2022 summer season will have more concerts than in any previous year. We can’t wait to welcome our public back to our amazing venue this June — a special place where there is truly something for everyone.”

On the heels of launching a landmark venue, the San Diego Symphony’s outdoor season at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park will kick off June 24 with Rafael Payare conducting the orchestra in a West Coast premiere piano concerto by Venezuelan American composer Reinaldo Moya featuring GRAMMY®-nominated pianist Joyce Yang and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. The weekend will continue June 25 with R&B icons Boyz II Men alongside the San Diego Symphony, conducted by Christopher Dragon and will conclude on June 26 with Straight, No Chaser: The Music of Thelonious Monk featuring Gilbert Castellanos.

“Making music at our new, iconic outdoor home is profoundly joyous and powerful,” said Rafael Payare, San Diego Symphony Music Director. “This year marks the venue’s first full season of programming, and we have some incredible works in store—from long-standing traditions of the Tchaikovsky 1812 Spectacular and Beethoven by the Bay, to performances with wonderful artists like Jennifer Hudson, as well as Flying Lotus and Hiatus Kaiyote. The momentum continues for our city and orchestra, the possibilities are endless!”

Season Highlights Include:

Acclaimed Artists with the San Diego Symphony
A full roster of world-class artists will perform alongside the San Diego Symphony this season, including GRAMMY®-award winning rapper and activist Common conducted by Damon Gupton (July 3); soul-F&B group Tower of Power with funk band Lettuce conducted by Christopher Dragon (July 7); Broadway star Megan Hilty performing songs by famed Hello, Dolly! composer Jerry Herman, conducted by Rob Fisher (July 8); legendary rock band The Beach Boys conducted by Sean O’Loughlin (Aug. 6); Broadway icon Bernadette Peters conducted by Marvin Laird (Aug. 7); multilingual fusion group Pink Martini conducted by Stuart Chafetz (Aug. 18); composer and GRAMMY®-award winning producer Flying Lotus and alt-soul band Hiatus Kaiyote, conducted by Christopher Dragon (Aug. 23); and famed actress and singer Jennifer Hudson conducted by Steven Reineke (Aug. 28).

Can’t-Miss Performances
The broad range of performances will also shine a spotlight on R&B/funk band Kool & the Gang (July 4); bluesy-rock songstress Joss Stone (July 17); the orchestral world premiere of Get Happy: Michael Feinstein Celebrates the Judy Garland Centennial with Ted Sperling (July 16); country superstar Sheryl Crow with blues star Keb’ Mo’ (Aug. 2); singer-songwriter Elvis Costello & The Imposters with special guest Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets (Aug. 31); flamenco pop group Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes (Aug. 21); soulful vocalist and guitarist George Benson, WAR and The Commodores (Aug. 27) and many more. An amazing, music-filled weekend of Classic Albums Live will include Pink Floyd – The Wall with an appearance by the San Diego Children’s Choir (Sept. 10) and The Beatles – Let it Be (Sept. 11).

Classical Works
Enjoy the sounds of Beethoven while taking in a sunset on the San Diego Bay with the Symphony’s summer favorite Beethoven by the Bay conducted by Edo De Waart (July 15). A program titled Philharmonia Fantastique (August 5) will feature a dynamic program including Valerie Coleman’s Umoja—Anthem of Unity, Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, and two works by composer and DJ Mason Bates: his Soundcheck in C Major—the first work performed at the Opening Night Celebration of The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in 2021, specifically commissioned for the Symphony and the venue—and Philharmonia Fantastique: The Making of an Orchestra, which features dazzling visuals. Audiences will revel in Music Director Rafael Payare leading the Orchestra in the 1812 Tchaikovsky Spectacular (Aug. 26), featuring works by Tchaikovsky including Francesca da Rimini and the 1812 Overture.

Movies by the Bay
As part of its film series, the San Diego Symphony will perform a variety of magical movie scores live, while the entire film plays on-screen in high definition. Marvel Studios’ global sensation and cultural phenomenon Black Panther In Concert will be shown, performed by the Orchestra and conducted by Anthony Parnther (July 1). Other notable movies include the timeless classic Toy Story In Concert conducted by Susie Benchasil Seiter (July 2); two evenings of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows™ – Part 1 In Concert conducted by John Jesensky (July 29 and July 30); and romantic tale The Princess Bride In Concert conducted by David Newman (August 12).

Holiday Traditions
Programming at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park will continue throughout October, November and December, including a special Día de los Muertos (October 30) performance, in addition to its beloved holiday programming in the month of December. This 2022 season will mark only the second time in the Symphony’s history that its holiday programming — including San Diego’s long-standing tradition Noel Noel—will be held outdoors, in a beautiful setting along the Embarcadero. The full holiday season lineup will be announced at a later date.

Free Events at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
The San Diego Symphony will present free events at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park throughout the year, including a Mother’s Day concert, conducted by Conner Covington and a Memorial Day Concert. Details for these and other events will be announced at a later date.

For the full season of concerts, visit http://www.TheShell.org.

Ticketing and Pricing
Subscription packages for the 2022 season are currently on sale, and include Friday, Saturday and Sunday packages, as well as weekday packages and a jazz package. Single tickets for subscription concerts go on sale May while single tickets for special events go on sale April 12. Tickets range from $20-$270 based on seat location and artist (prices subject to change). To view or purchase subscription packages, visit http://www.TheShell.org or call the ticket office at 619-235-0804.

Capacity + Rentals
The average capacity for concerts throughout the 2022 season (between June and October) is 4,700 – a 30 percent increase in capacity from 2021 – allowing for more approachably-priced tickets in The Rady Shell’s Bridgeview section. The average capacity for concerts between October 1 and December 31 is 3,500, while lawn capacity for all concerts is 300.

In addition to concerts the Symphony is presenting, there are a number of rental concerts at The Rady Shell including Olivia Rodrigo, Leon Bridges, Ben Platt, Norah Jones, Los Van Van, and more. Capacity for rental concerts expands to 8,500.

Food & Beverage
The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park’s culinary program, The Shell Provisions, offers an impressive range of local specialties in partnership with some of the city’s most popular purveyors including celebrity Chef Richard Blais, URBAN KITCHEN Group, Biga, Lola55, Achilles Coffee Roasters and more. In addition to top-notch food and beverage selections, The Shell Provisions at the Prebys Plaza Dining Pavilion and Market boasts new state-of-the-art kitchens and incredible dining spaces, allowing concertgoers to enjoy some of the best tastes San Diego has to offer, while taking in the beautiful sights and sounds of the city.

Sponsors
San Diego Symphony acknowledges the San Diego Union-Tribune as the official media sponsor of the 2022 Conrad Prebys Summer Season at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. Other sponsors for this year’s season include the Conrad Prebys Foundation, University of California San Diego, Illumina, Scripps Research, Pepsi, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Cutwater Spirits and Karl Strauss Brewing Company.

The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park 2022 Season
*San Diego Symphony does not appear on these programs
† San Diego Symphony Special Concerts – Single Tickets on-sale April 12, 2022

FRI, JUNE 24: Opening Night – Orchestral Technicolor
SAT, JUNE 25: Boyz II Men
SUN, JUNE 26: Straight, No Chaser: The Music of Thelonious Monk*
FRI, JULY 1: Black Panther In Concert†
SAT, JULY 2: Toy Story In Concert
SUN, JULY 3: Common
MON, JULY 4: Kool & the Gang: 4th of July*†
THUR, JULY 7: Tower of Power & Lettuce
FRI, JULY 8: The Best of Times: Megan Hilty Sings Jerry Herman
SAT, JULY 9: Uptown Nights with Byron Stripling, Carmen Bradford, Leo Manzari
SUN, JULY 10: The Midtown Men – Stars from the original Broadway cast of Jersey Boys*
FRI, JULY 15: Beethoven by the Bay
SAT, JULY 16: Get Happy: Michael Feinstein Celebrates the Judy Garland Centennial (Orchestral Premiere)
SUN, JULY 17: Joss Stone*
FRI, JULY 29: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows™ – Part 1 In Concert†
SAT, JULY 30: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows™ – Part 1 In Concert†
TUES, AUG 2: Sheryl Crow featuring very special guest Keb’ Mo’*
FRI, AUG 5: Philharmonia Fantastique
SAT, AUG 6: The Beach Boys: Sixty Years of the Sounds of Summer
SUN, AUG 7: Bernadette Peters
FRI, AUG 12: The Princess Bride In Concert
SAT, AUG 13: The Music of John Williams: 90th Birthday Celebration
SUN, AUG 14: Trombone Shorty’s Voodoo Threauxdown*
THUR, AUG 18: Pink Martini
FRI, AUG 19: Disco Inferno – A ‘70s Celebration
SUN, AUG 21: Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes*
TUES, AUG 23: Flying Lotus and Hiatus Kaiyote
FRI, AUG 26: 1812 Tchaikovsky Spectacular
SAT, AUG 27: George Benson, WAR and The Commodores*
SUN, AUG 28: Jennifer Hudson†
WED, AUG 31: Elvis Costello & The Imposters with special guest Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets*
SAT, SEPT 10: Classic Albums Live Performs Pink Floyd – The Wall*
SUN, SEPT 11: Classic Albums Live Performs The Beatles – Let it Be*
FRI, SEPT 16: Broadway Sings… and Swings! Conducted by Rob Fisher with Bryonha Marie*
SAT, SEPT 17: Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra: Fandango at the Wall*
SUN, SEPT 18: CeeLo Green as Soul Brotha #100: A Tribute to James Brown with special guest Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe*
TUES, SEPT 27: Bonnie Raitt: Just Like That…Tour 2022*
MON, OCT 3: Aida Cuevas with Mariachi Juvenil Tecalitlán and special guest Mariachi Los Camperos*

Additional programming to be announced at a later date. Most concerts for the 2022 season begin at 7:30 p.m., but start times will be indicated online.

About The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
The centerpiece of the 3.7-acre public Jacobs Park developed and managed by the San Diego Symphony on the city’s scenic Embarcadero, The Rady Shell is the first permanent outdoor venue in the San Diego Symphony’s century-long history, designed to host more than 100 concerts and events year-round. The venue has been developed in partnership with the Unified Port of San Diego with 96% of the $85 million cost raised privately by the Symphony. As innovative in design as it is spectacular in setting, offering 360 degrees of year-round music, sky and sea, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park is an unprecedented resource for the Symphony’s expanded schedule of diverse outdoor concerts, including classical concerts and an exciting roster of commissioned works and premieres programmed by San Diego Symphony Music Director Rafael Payare as well as performances by international touring artists and free programs. The venue will be available year-round for non-profit community groups, schools and individuals. Jacobs Park, owned and managed by the Symphony, surrounds the performance space with walkways, dining pavilions and recreational facilities in the heart of the Embarcadero and is accessible to the public for free on most days of the year. For more information, visit http://www.theshell.org.

About the San Diego Symphony
Founded in 1910, the San Diego Symphony is the oldest orchestra in California and one of the largest and most significant cultural organizations in San Diego. The Orchestra performs for more than 250,000 people each season, offering a wide variety of programming at its two much-loved venues, Copley Symphony Hall in downtown San Diego (now under renovation) and The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park on San Diego Bay. In early 2018, the San Diego Symphony announced the appointment of Rafael Payare as music director. Payare leads the orchestra’s 82 full-time musicians, graduates of the finest and most celebrated music schools in the United States and abroad. The San Diego Symphony also serves as the orchestra for the San Diego Opera each season, as well as performing at several regional performing arts and community centers. For more than 30 years, the San Diego Symphony has provided comprehensive learning and community engagement programs reaching more than 65,000 students annually and bringing innovative programming to San Diego’s diverse neighborhoods and schools. For more information, visit http://www.sandiegosymphony.org.