La Jolla Music Society is Closing Out its 57th Season With a Lineup Worth Catching
The final stretch of La Jolla Music Society’s 57th season is here, and it’s going out strong.
From free outdoor concerts to jazz phenoms and a once-in-a-generation Afro-Cuban jazz reunion, the May and June calendar at The Conrad is stacked with performances that span classical, jazz, and everything in between.
The Free Shows on the Calendar
Two performances in the Wu Tsai QRT.yrd Concert Series are free and open to all, and both are worth showing up for.
Ali Paris brings his mastery of the qanun blending Middle Eastern music with jazz and Western classical influences. He has performed everywhere from the Kennedy Center to Lincoln Center.
Later in the month, San Diego’s own Rebecca Jade takes the outdoor stage – a singer/songwriter with nearly two decades of experience who has toured with Sheila E., performed with Sir Elton John at the Academy Awards, and appeared on the Emmy-nominated Grammy Salute to Prince.
The Jazz Acts Closing Out the Season
Shenel Johns opens the jazz run with two shows at The JAI. A winner of the Riga Jazz Stage Vocal Competition, she blends gospel, jazz, and diasporic influences with a stage presence that has taken her from Shanghai to Mexico City and most recently to the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Following her is the Jihye Lee Orchestra – a 13-piece band led by Brooklyn-based Korean-born jazz composer and bandleader whose 2024 album Infinite Connections earned widespread praise for its integration of traditional Korean rhythms into large ensemble jazz.
She has performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, and holds the BMI Foundation’s Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize among her many accolades.
The Reunion Nobody Saw Coming
The season closes with something genuinely rare. For the first time in over 40 years, Arturo Sandoval and Chucho Valdés – two living legends of Afro-Cuban jazz – reunite on stage at the Baker-Baum Concert Hall for a quintet performance.
Sandoval’s trumpet virtuosity alongside Valdés’ groundbreaking piano work in an intimate setting is the kind of concert that doesn’t come around twice. This one is worth clearing your schedule for.
Still More to See Before it’s Over
The Music 101 Lecture Series wraps up its season with a session on what came after sonata form – exploring how composers stretched and reinvented classical structure to fit new expressive needs. A great option for anyone looking to deepen their appreciation for classical music.
And rising classical stars Stella Chen on violin and Gilles Vonsattel on piano perform works by Schubert, Stravinsky, Crawford Seeger, and Strauss at the Baker-Baum Concert Hall.
See you there!
A strong close to a strong season – whether you’re a longtime LJMS follower or just looking for a great night out, the May and June lineup gives you plenty of reasons to make it to The Conrad.
📍 7600 Fay Ave L to, La Jolla
ℹ️ Take a closer look here
See you there, San Diego!
