Concerts

Monday, May 4, 2026
12 PM

Peter Sprague started playing guitar when he was 12 and attended a year of study at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. Over the past decade, jazz pianist and Origin Records recording artist Danny Green has earned recognition as a bandleader and as a composer with a gift for spinning supple, absorbing narratives. Green’s growing portfolio of vibrant sounds—an enchanting mix of jazz, classical, and Brazilian rhythms—has captured the attention of critics around the world, including DownBeat Magazine, Jazziz, San Diego Union Tribune, the Boston Globe, and Public Radio International. It’s no small wonder that Green has earned two San Diego Music awards for Best Jazz Album and an additional award for Best Jazz Artist. Bassist Mackenzie Leighton is a bass player specializing in jazz and theater.

Monday, May 4, 2026
7:30 PM

Specializing in the rich and varied “sound-world” of the late 17th century, the Artifex Consort (Malachai Komanoff Bandy, Rebecca Landell, and Eva Lymenstull, bass viols; John Lenti, theorbo; Ian Pritchard, keyboards) closes our season with works showcasing the viola da gamba as an ensemble instrument outside of the English consort tradition, during the height of its later flourishing in parts of England and Germany. The program features virtuosic music for two bass viols by Christopher Simpson and Johannes Schenck, alongside lush and ingenious—though little-known—works for three bass viols by Benjamin Hely and Johann Michael Nicolai.

Monday, May 11, 2026
12 PM

Dr. Yewon Lee is a frequently sought-after conductor and collaborative pianist on the operatic and concert stage. Prior to relocating to San Diego, Lee was Assistant Music Director of Opera at Baldwin Wallace University and Adjunct Professor at Kent State University. In the operatic world, she coached at Baldwin Wallace Opera Theater, National Opera Center, Aspen Opera Theater Center, and International Vocal Arts Institute in Israel, France, Italy, and Japan. Born in South Korea, Hyun-Jeong Ahn is an accomplished soloist and chamber musician with appearances across the United States, France, Germany, Czech, Spain, and Korea. Ahn was invited to give a solo and chamber recitals at venues such as Carnegie Weill Recital Hall (New York), Brahms House (Baden-Baden, Germany), Palffy Palace (Prague, Czech), Leith Symington Griswold Hall, Goodwin Hall, Friedberg Hall in Maryland, Studzinski Recital Hall in Maine, and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Smith Recital Hall, Smith Memorial Room in Illinois, Seongnam Arts Center, Ceramic Palace Hall, Youngsan Art Center, Ewon Art Hall in Seoul.

Monday, May 18, 2026
12 PM

Folias Duo is the celebrated pairing of flutist Carmen Maret and guitarist Andrew Bergeron—a composer-performer ensemble two decades in the making. Renowned for their seamless fusion of classical, jazz, world music, and improvisation, they have developed a singular artistic voice through over 70 original compositions for their instrumentation, more than any duo of their kind worldwide. Inspired by life on the road and the beauty of the natural world, their music transports audiences with vivid storytelling.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
7:30 PM

San Diego New Music joins in the celebrations of the 100th birthday of experimental composer Morton Feldman with a performance of his 1985 ensemble work Piano and String Quartet featuring pianist Vicky Ray and the Eclipse Quartet.

Wednesday, May 27, 2026
7:30 PM

*AT THE ATHENAEUM MUSIC & ARTS LIBRARY*

Wednesday, May 27, brings the return of drummer Peter Erskine, with his new stellar trio featuring longtime artistic partner Alan Pasqua on piano and the celebrated bassist Scott Colley. One of the leading drummers in jazz, Erskine appears on 700 albums and film scores and has won two Grammy Awards and an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee School of Music. Fifty albums have been released under his own name or as co-leader. He has played with Stan Kenton’s and Maynard Ferguson’s big bands, Weather Report, Steps Ahead, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Diana Krall, Kenny Wheeler, Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Brecker Brothers, The Yellowjackets, Pat Metheny and Gary Burton, and John Scofield, among others. He has appeared as a soloist with the London, Los Angeles, Chicago, Oslo, and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. 

Monday, June 1, 2026
12 PM

Sheer passion for chamber music drives Aviara Trio. Comprised of pianist Ines Irawati, violinist Robert Schumitzky, and cellist Erin Breene, this exciting ensemble has been making an indelible impression on the musical landscape of Southern California for the past ten years. Most recently, the trio was invited to perform on Celebrate LA, Los Angeles Philharmonic's 100-year anniversary celebration, at the Hollywood Bowl. With performance degrees from the Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, Yale University, and Rice University, Ms. Irawati, Ms. Breene, and Mr. Schumitzky have studied and performed with some of the world’s finest musical pedagogues including Paul Katz, Claude Frank, Timothy Eddy, Fred Sherry, Joseph Silverstein, Jacques Israelievitch, Sally Thomas, Miriam Fried, Peter Oundjian, and the Juilliard, Miró, American, Tokyo, Cleveland, Borromeo, and Alexander Quartets.

Monday, June 8, 2026
12 PM

Acclaimed for his “powerful and eloquent” performances (New York Times), by the Washington Post for his “expert performance, sensitivity, virtuosity, and imagination,” pianist John Blacklow has been presented as a soloist and chamber musician in venues such as the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.; Carnegie's Zankel Hall; in Amsterdam at the Concertgebouw; in Paris at Salle Gaveau, Louvre Auditorium and Cité de la Musique; the Konzerthaus in Berlin; in London at Royal Albert Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Wigmore Hall; in Vienna at the Musikverein and Konzerthaus; in Brussels at the Palais des Beaux Arts and Royal Conservatoire; and the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Recently Albany Records released a disc of the complete Schumann sonatas for violin and piano with violinist Jennifer Frautschi, as well as an American Duos album consisting of five works by living American composers. Cellist Jonathan Karoly is a native of Chicago, where he began studying the cello at the age of three. He has been a prize-winning cellist, pianist, and composer from an early age.

Sunday, June 14, 2026
7:30 PM

*AT THE ATHENAEUM MUSIC & ARTS LIBRARY*

The series opens on Sunday, June 14, with a local debut by the Rodriguez Brothers Quintet, who will play their own Afro-Cuban in honor of Miles Davis’s 100th birthday. Davis constantly pushed boundaries and absorbed global traditions. In this heartfelt tribute, the Rodriguez Brothers carry the tradition forward, reinterpreting the legend’s iconic works through today’s Afro-Cuban jazz language—blending Havana’s rhythmic fire with the spirit of innovation that Davis embodied. The band features brothers Michael Rodriguez on trumpet and Robert Rodriguez on piano, Carlitos Del Puerto on bass, Jimmy MacBride on drums, and Luis Conte on percussion.

Sunday, June 14, 7:30 PM » Rodriguez Brothers Quintet—Miles 100: A Celebration in Afro-Cuban Jazz

Sunday, June 21, 7:30 PM » Emilio Solla and Antonio Lizana

Friday, August 21, 7:30 PM » Sean Jones/Billy Childs/Ben Williams

*AT THE ATHENAEUM MUSIC & ARTS LIBRARY*

The Athenaeum is pleased to announce this three-concert series featuring local debuts and return visits by internationally acclaimed jazz artists. All performances take place in the library’s intimate Joan & Irwin Jacobs Music Room (at 1008 Wall Street in La Jolla). Seating is limited—so, order soon! For tickets and information, click below or call (858) 454-5872.

Sunday, June 21, 2026
7:30 PM

*AT THE ATHENAEUM MUSIC & ARTS LIBRARY*

The series continues Sunday, June 21, at the Athenaeum with a local debut by the duo of Emilio Solla and Antonio Lizana. Latin Grammy–winner and six-time Grammy nominee, Argentina-born and New York–based pianist, composer, and arranger Solla teams up for his 15th album with rising-star Spanish flamenco-jazz vocalist and saxophonist Lizana. Together they have created a highly original album, El Siempre Mar, where old Argentine folk songs by foundational composers, such as Atahualpa Yupanqui and Astor Piazzolla, live together with original compositions from both Solla and Lizano. In this new take on the cantes de ida y vuelta (“roundtrip songs”), these two artists have managed to find a unique and contemporary meeting point between the music of Argentina, the south of Spain, and jazz.

Monday, June 22, 2026
12 PM

Dr. Yana (Zixuan) Yan is a passionate performer and educator who has given numerous concerts as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States and in China. Yana taught at Augustana College and Black Hawk College, IL as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Flute, and she was a Flute Instructor at Quad City Symphony. She was recognized as a successful director of the Augustana Flute Choir and recruited highly qualified flute students to the college. She has worked closely with K–12 school music directors and local youth orchestras and has given frequent master classes to high schools and colleges. She has appeared as a presenter at National Flute Association, Upper Midwest Flute Association, San Diego Flute Guild, and Florida Flute Association. She has also served as a judge in major competitions including Charleston International Music Competition, Young Artist Competition of Upper Midwest Flute Convention, LVMTA Bushell Competition, and major competitions in Illinois and Iowa. Her students have received academic and music scholarships and various accolades for their accomplishments. One of her college students recently won the annual Augustana Concerto Competition. Her pre-collegiate students have served as principal players in youth orchestras, youth bands, and have been selected to play with All-State Honor Orchestras. 

Monday, June 29, 2026
12 PM

From the city where they sun shines through the mist, Temecula, California, comes the jazzy folk duo Nathan & Jessie. Born of the individuals, Nathan Rivera and Jessie Andra Smith, this duo is a unique blend of jazzy folk and blues on resonator guitars and accordion, along with interesting interplay between male and female vocals. Often joined on tour and on recordings by their friends, Trevor Mulvey on Upright Bass, and Blake Armstrong on Drums.

Sunday, July 5, 2026
4 PM

Program:

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Sundays, July 5, 12, 19 & 26, 2026
4 PM

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Monday, July 6, 2026
12 PM

Known for her expressivity, virtuosity, and versatility, Indonesian-born pianist Ines Irawati is in demand both as a solo recitalist and a collaborative pianist. Ms. Irawati is currently serving as the music and artistic director of San Diego Opera's Young Artist Training Program, as well as its community outreach concert series, Opera Exposed! Concerts. She has served as a vocal coach and pianist at the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices, and she was the head vocal coach and collaborative piano faculty at Point Loma Nazarene University from 2004–2017.

Sunday, July 12, 2026
4 PM

Program:

TBA

Monday, July 13, 2026
12 PM

Adam Wolff has been playing the piano for most of his life. Starting at the age of 8, he spent ten years studying classical piano performance, music theory, and creative music expression. Raised in New York and Chicago, he returned to New York City in the 80s and spent many years playing music full-time in Manhattan. While living in New York, Wolff studied with several great pianists: Barry Harris (Keeper of the Bebop Flame), Mike Longo (Musical Director for Dizzy Gillespie), and Kenny Werner (Author of Effortless Mastery and a global music legend).

Sunday, July 19, 2026
4 PM

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Monday, July 20, 2026
12 PM

The Stanton Street Duo is a chromatic harmonica and 7-string guitar ensemble based in San Francisco. Since their participation as finalists in the CAG Elmaleh Competition in NYC, the duo has performed across the US and Mexico. Praised for their virtuosity, intensity, and musicality, the Stanton Street Duo continues to attract a diverse range of audiences through their dynamic and electrifying live performances. Beyond their focus on elevating and reimagining traditional Latin American music styles, the Stanton Street Duo demonstrates their versatility and range in their performance of classical and film composers as well as their own original compositions. 

Sunday, July 26, 2026
4 PM

Program:

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Monday, July 27, 2026
12 PM

Long ago four people used to meet every year under a tree on top of Mount Palomar to sing madrigals. In 2003, it suddenly occurred to them that they could meet more frequently outside the context of the San Diego Early Music Society Workshop, and so they arranged to get together "down the mountain". They were joined by two more friends, and Courtly Noyse was born. This lively mix of personalities soon developed the blend of humor, imagination and versatility in the performance of Renaissance music that has become their trademark.

Monday, August 3, 2026
12 PM

Award-winning pianist Dr. Xiao Chen is actively engaged as both a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, China, and Europe. Her performances have been praised internationally; New York Concert Review praised her, stating that “she has a strong interest in communicating, and that urge is apparent in performances of expressiveness and purposefulness,” while Shanghai Youth Daily said, “her energetic and breathtaking performance impressed the audience.” Her concerts have been frequently broadcast live on radio stations, including Classical KUSC FM 91.5 and Classical KING FM 98.1. She has regularly appeared as a soloist with orchestras and performed solo recitals in major concert series.

Friday, August 21, 2026
7:30 PM

*AT THE ATHENAEUM MUSIC & ARTS LIBRARY*

The series concludes on Friday, August 21, with a special collective of three of today’s most celebrated jazz artists: Sean Jones on trumpet, Billy Childs on piano, and Ben Williams on bass. Childs and Williams are known to Athenaeum audiences from many past performances; Jones makes his Athenaeum debut in this concert.