Classical Ballet With a Twist, Renée Fleming, and More at The Conrad

La Jolla Music Society (LJMS) is pulling out all the stops in February at The Conrad, showcasing the wide variety and depth of artistic offerings carefully curated each season by Artistic Director Leah Rosenthal.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

February 2 | Balboa Theatre

Appearing for the first time ever in San Diego, the world’s foremost all-male comic ballet company performs top-notch ballet that’s also uproariously funny! Famed for performing en travesti and on pointe, LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO’s program spoofs some of your favorite works with virtuosity and technical prowess.

These dancers amaze even as they exaggerate the foibles, accidents, and underlying incongruities of serious dance. They celebrate their 50th anniversary this year with their first-ever San Diego show in the Dance Series on Friday, February 2, 2024, at 7:30 PM at the Balboa Theatre.

Balourdet Quartet

February 4 | The Baker-Baum Concert Hall

The BALOURDET QUARTET, based in Boston, MA, currently in residence at the New England Conservatory’s Professional String Quartet Program, has received many accolades, including Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and in international competitions, including the Banff, Paolo Borciani, and Carl Nielsen competitions.

They were also awarded the Gold Medal at the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the 2021 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition. Now they bring their stellar excellence to the Discovery Series on Sunday, February 4, 2024, at 3 PM in The Baker-Baum Concert Hall.

The Blue Note 85th Anniversary Celebration Tour

February 10 | The Baker-Baum Concert Hall

On Saturday, February 10, 2024, the BLUE NOTE 85TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR comes to town starring THE BLUE NOTE QUINTET, at 7:30 PM in The Baker-Baum Concert Hall as part of the Jazz Series. This group was brought together to honor the Blue Note label’s rich history and pave the way for the eclectic artists of today’s roster. Six-time GRAMMY Award nominee Gerald Clayton leads the band as musical director and pianist, with vibraphonist Joel Ross, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, drummer Kendrick Scott, and bassist Matt Brewer.

Renee Fleming

February 14 | The Baker-Baum Concert Hall

It’s truly a special event in February when America’s greatest living soprano, RENÉE FLEMING, makes her LJMS debut, accompanied by SummerFest Music Director INON BARNATAN on the piano, in The Baker-Baum Concert Hall.

On Valentine’s Day, 2024, these two musical luminaries will perform an all-new program inspired by Fleming’s 2022 GRAMMY Award-winning album, Voice of Nature: the Anthropocene. This special multimedia performance spans the classical, romantic, and contemporary eras, with beloved songs and new commissions exploring nature as both inspiration to and victim of humanity.

For the performance’s second half, the National Geographic Society provides an original video, with awe-inspiring glimpses at the creatures, plants, and landscapes of our planet to accompany the musical selections. This extraordinary event is the centerpiece of LJMS’ WinterFest Gala.

Clarice & Sergio Assad

February 16 | The JAI

Two members of the renowned Assad musical family make their LJMS debuts on Friday, February 16, 2024, at 6 PM and 8:30 PM in The JAI. A powerful communicator renowned for her musical scope and versatility, CLARICE ASSAD is a significant artistic voice in the classical, world music, pop, and jazz genres. A GRAMMY-nominated composer, celebrated pianist, inventive vocalist, and educator, she is renowned for her evocative colors, rich textures, and diverse stylistic range.

The idea for their collaborative venture came from SÉRGIO ASSAD, who dreamt of introducing multiple generations of the family on stage together, performing a century of Brazilian music of disparate styles. It will be an evening to remember!

Arod Quartet

February 17 | The Baker-Baum Concert Hall

The AROD QUARTET returns to La Jolla after their sensational Discovery Series debut in 2022. Based in Paris, the quartet first came to international attention when they won first prize at the 2015 Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition and the 2016 ARD International Music Competition.

Praised by Gramophone for their “expressive flexibility and delicacy of detail and keen ear for balance and harmonic flux” and hailed by Le Monde as a “luxury instrument that many composers dream to seize,” the quartet performs on Saturday, February 17, 2024, at 7:30 PM in The Baker-Baum Concert Hall as part of the Revelle Chamber Music Series.

Ambrose Akinmusire

February 23 | The JAI

The newly named Artistic Director of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance, AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE has paradoxically situated himself in both the center and the periphery of jazz throughout his career, masterfully weaving inspiration from other genres, arts, and life in general into compositions that are as poetic and graceful as they are bold and unflinching.

His unorthodox approach to sound and composition makes him a regular in critics’ polls and has earned him grants and commissions from the Doris Duke Foundation, the MAP Fund, the Kennedy Center, The Berlin Jazz Festival, and the Monterey Jazz. Catch this phenom with his trio in their local debuts on Friday, February 23, 2024, at 6 PM and 8:30 PM in The JAI.

Andy Mann

February 29 | The Baker-Baum Concert Hall

Experience the wonder of our underwater world through riveting stories by Emmy Award-nominated director, Nat Geo photographer, and accomplished musician ANDY MANN. For the past decade, Mann has traveled the seven seas to show the interconnectedness of our planet.

His work has enabled the protection of large sections of wilderness, including the world’s largest Arctic National Park in Franz Josef Land. “Making Waves: Summit to Sea,” a Changemaker Production, comes to The Baker-Baum Concert Hall as part of the Speaker Series on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 7:30 PM.