La Jolla Music Society’s 58th Winter Season rolls into October with an incredible lineup, spanning free courtyard jazz concerts, world-class classical performances, and a Día de Muertos celebration you won’t want to miss.

With eight standout performances packed into one month, there’s a show worth planning around no matter what kind of music you love. From intimate recitals to full-scale tributes, this is a season that proves La Jolla Music Society is only getting started.

Kick Off the Month With Free Jazz

Kicking things off is the Allison Adams Tucker Quartet, led by versatile jazz vocalist Allison Adams Tucker, whose multilingual performances have taken her to stages around the world.

Her debut album earned a Best Jazz Album nomination from the San Diego Music Awards, and she’s since shared the stage with names like Peter Sprague and Kamau Kenyatta.

This one’s a free Wu Tsai QRT.yrd Concert, first come, first served, with RSVPs requested.

📆 Friday, October 2, 2026 | 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Poetry and Music Come Together on Stage

This San Diego premiere brings together Joyce DiDonato & Time For Three, uniting Emily Dickinson’s poetry with Kevin Puts’ 24-part song cycle, created for Metropolitan Opera star Joyce DiDonato and GRAMMY-winning ensemble Time For Three.

Stage and lighting design by Andrew Staples wraps the whole performance in a striking, ethereal atmosphere that pulls the audience further into Dickinson’s world.

📆 Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Prizewinning Talent Takes the Stage

Fresh off winning First Prize at the 2025 Banff International String Quartet Competition, the Poiesis Quartet makes its LJMS debut with a thrilling matinee spanning an energetic Prokofiev masterpiece to Beethoven’s deeply moving final quartet.

The New York Times has already taken notice, calling the quartet “brilliantly idiomatic,” and this program gives San Diego audiences a firsthand look at why.

It’s a rare chance to catch a rising ensemble before the rest of the world catches on too.

📆 Sunday, October 11, 2026 | 3 PM – 5 PM

A Jazz Pairing You Won’t Want to Miss

The Rob Thorsen Quartet feat. Gilbert Castellanos takes over the Wu Tsai QRT.yrd for this free concert, led by acclaimed bassist Rob Thorsen and joined by six-time San Diego Music Award winner Gilbert Castellanos on trumpet.

Thorsen has spent years performing alongside some of the city’s most celebrated jazz artists, and this pairing brings that same chemistry to a free, open-air setting.

Bring a blanket, grab a spot in the courtyard, and settle in for an evening of world-class jazz right in your own backyard.

📆 Thursday, October 22, 2026 | 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Montero’s Tribute to Spanish Music

Internationally acclaimed pianist Gabriela Montero returns with a richly expressive recital of Spanish and Spanish-inspired music, bringing together works by Albéniz, Granados, Liszt, and rarely heard miniatures by Alicia de Larrocha.

It’s a program that spans well-known favorites and hidden gems alike, giving longtime fans and newcomers something to discover. Montero’s expressive playing style makes even the most familiar pieces feel brand new.

📆 Friday, October 23, 2026 | 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

A Heartfelt Nod to Tony Bennett

John Pizzarelli Presents “Dear Mr. Bennett” finds the GRAMMY-winning guitarist honoring Tony Bennett’s centennial with a tribute rooted in his own family’s history with the singer.

It’s a warm, swinging celebration of the Great American Songbook from an artist the Boston Globe has praised for reinvigorating the genre.

Pizzarelli’s father, Bucky, frequently performed alongside Bennett, making this tribute feel deeply personal rather than just a nod to a legend. Expect plenty of warmth, humor, and swing throughout the evening.

📆 Saturday, October 24 – Sunday, October 25, 2026 | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Lila Downs Brings Día de Muertos to Life

GRAMMY- and Latin GRAMMY-winning artist Lila Downs brings Día de Muertos | Cambias mi Mundo to the Balboa Theatre, a deeply personal set of rancheras and original songs exploring love, loss, and reconnection on both sides of the border.

Come dressed in your most imaginative Día de Muertos attire to join the celebration. Downs has built a career on blending Mexican and American musical traditions, and this performance promises to honor both with equal parts joy and reflection.

📆 Thursday, October 29, 2026 | 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Three Decades of Musical Partnership

Cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras and pianist Alexandre Tharaud, two of France’s most celebrated musicians, mark three decades of collaboration with a program spanning Renaissance influences to modernism, including Brahms, Schubert, Britten, Fauré, and Debussy.

Their decades-long partnership brings a rare chemistry to the stage, the kind that only comes from years of playing together. It’s a fitting way to close out the month with a program as rich in history as it is in artistry.

📆 Friday, October 30, 2026 | 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

See you there!

With jazz legends, classical debuts, and a Día de Muertos celebration all in one month, La Jolla Music Society’s October lineup has something for every kind of music lover.

📍 7600 Fay Ave, La Jolla
ℹ️ For the full list of performances, click here

See you there, San Diego!