Sundays, July 6, 13, 20 & 27, 2025
4 PM
We are pleased to announce the dates for the 26th Athenaeum Summer Festival, a series of four concerts that will feature virtuoso pianist Gustavo Romero. Continuing a beloved tradition, this summer Gustavo Romero will celebrate and focus on the piano music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, including his preludes, etude-tableaux variations, and sonatas, accompanied by select pieces by his Russian contemporaries. For 25 years, the Athenaeum has presented unforgettable festivals featuring Gustavo Romero performing the complete piano repertoire of a specific composer. Whether you have been with us all 25 years or have yet to experience the wonder of this artist—who plays from memory—you will not want to miss our upcoming 26th Summer Festival.
Romero, a native San Diegan, with a heritage in Guadalajara, first performed at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library as a young boy, and it was with him that the Athenaeum planned its first Summer Festival in 1999, the organization's 100th anniversary. Each year, Romero chooses composers to study in depth, sharing the full range of their artistry.
Dinners will be offered at the Athenaeum after the first and last concerts (July 6 and 27), providing a unique opportunity for concertgoers to socialize, meet Mr. Romero, and share a delicious meal, catered by Girard Gourmet. All concerts begin at 4 PM at the Athenaeum. Priority seating will be given to Donor-level members and above, and to dinner guests.
About Gustavo Romero: Concert pianist Gustavo Romero is internationally renowned for his exceptional technical brilliance and interpretive depth and has gained acclaim for his commitment to in-depth exploration of a wide variety of composers.
Romero discovered his love and gift for the piano at age 5 and gave his first public performances at the age 10, when he also won his first piano competition. By age 13 he was performing with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. Rudolf Serkin recognized his exceptional talent, and at age 14 Romero began attending The Juilliard School.
Romero has won many prizes, including first prize in the prestigious Clara Haskil International Piano Competition in Switzerland, the Avery Fisher Career Grant, and Musical America’s Young Artist Award. He has performed with the world’s leading orchestras—including the New York, Los Angeles, New Japan, Shanghai, Cape Town, and Liège Philharmonics; Atlanta, Houston, Pittsburgh, Honolulu, and New World Symphonies; and Boston Pops, English Chamber, Radio France, Russian Symphony, and Thailand Philharmonic Orchestras. With the Philharmonia Hungarica Orchestra he performed in a concert internationally televised from the United Nations.
Sunday, July 6, 2025
Program:
Dietrich Buxtehude (1637–1707)
arr. S. Prokofieff
Organ Prélude and Fugue in D Minor, BuxWV 140
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)
Morceaux de fantaisie, op. 3
No. 3: Mélodie
No. 2: Prélude in C-sharp Minor
No. 1: Élégie
No. 4: Polichinelle
Alexander Scriabin (1872–1915)
Feuillet d’Album, op. 45, no.1
Poème, op. 32, no. 1, in F-sharp Major
2 Poèmes, op. 69
Sonata no. 4 in F-sharp Major, op. 30
Andante
Prestissimo volando
Intermission
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Variations on a Theme by Chopin, op.22
Dinner Menu:
Appetizers:
Duck mousse pate phyllo cups
Belgian endive served with shrimp and avocado
Crab cakes with garlic aioli
Salad:
Summer Salad with cranberry, glazed pecans, blue cheese, and a citrus vinaigrette
Entrée:
Chicken Marsala with rice pilaf and assorted roasted vegetables
*Pescatarian and vegetarian options are available upon request*
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Program:
J.S. Bach (1685–1750)
arr. Alexander Siloti
Bach-Siloti Prélude in G Minor, BWV 535
Pyotyr Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, op. 19, no. 4
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)
Moments Musicaux, op. 16
No. 1: Andantino in B-flat Minor
No. 3: Andante cantabile in B Minor
No. 5: Adagio sostenuto in D-flat Major
Prelude op. 23, no. 5: G Minor
Études-Tableaux, op. 33
No. 2: C Major
No. 8 (9): C-sharp Minor
No. 6: E-flat Major
Intermission
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Préludes
Op. 32, no. 5: G Major
Op. 32, no. 10: B Minor
Op. 32, no. 12: G-sharp Minor
Sergei Prokofieff (1891–1953)
Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83
Allegro inquieto
Andante caloroso
Precipitato
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Program:
J.S. Bach (1685–1750)
arr. Alexander Siloti
Prélude in E Minor, BWV 555
Anton Rubinstein (1829–1894)
Rêve angélique, op. 10, no. 22
Alexander Scriabin (1872–1915)
Préludes
Op. 11, no. 21, in B-flat Major
Op. 16, no. 1, in B Major
Op. 11, no. 20, in C Minor
Op. 17, no. 3, in D-flat Major
Op. 22, no. 1, in G-sharp Minor
Op. 11, no. 14, in E-flat Minor
Op. 15, no. 4, in E Major
Op. 11, no. 8, in F-sharp Minor
Op. 11, no. 12, in G-sharp Minor
Op. 11, no. 7, in A Major
Études
Op. 2, no. 1, in C-sharp Minor
Op. 8, no. 1, in C-sharp Minor
Op. 8, no. 2, in F-sharp Minor
Op. 8, no. 8, in A-flat Major
Op. 8, no. 11, in B-flat Minor
Op. 8, no. 12, in D-sharp Minor
Intermission
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)
Études-Tableaux, op. 39
No. 2, in C Major
No. 7, in E-flat Major
No. 8, in C Minor
No. 9, in C-sharp Major
Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)
arr. Guido Agosti
The Firebird Suite
Danse infernale
Berceuse
Finale
Sunday, July 27, 2025
Program:
J.S. Bach (1685–1750)
arr. Alexander Siloti
Air, from the Orchestral Suite in D Major, BWV 1068
Prélude in B Minor, BWV 855a
Anton Arensky (1861–1906)
Élégie in G Minor, op. 36, no. 16
Nikolai Medtner (1880–1951)
Canzona Serenata, op. 38, no. 6
Modest Mussorgsky (1839–1881)
Pictures at an Exhibition
Promenade I
Gnomus (Gnomes)
Promenade II
The Old Castle
Promenade III
Tuileries
Bydlo
Promenade IV
Ballet of the Chicks in their Shells
Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle
Limoges: The Market Place
Catacombae (Catacombs)
Con mortuis in lingua mortua
The Hut on Fowl’s Legs (The Hut of Baba Yaga)
The Great Gate of Kiev
Intermission
Pyotyr Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
Romance in F Minor, op. 5
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sonata no. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 36
Allegro
Non allegro—Lento
Allegro molto
Dinner Menu:
Appetizers:
Pissaladière savory tartlet
Salmon bites with toasted sesame seeds
Boursin cheese rolled grapes with toasted almonds
Soup:
Tomato gazpacho
Entrée:
Braised short ribs with scalloped potatoes and roasted asparagus
*Pescatarian and vegetarian options are available upon request*
The concerts will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for these events. Your name will be on an attendee list at the front door. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. Priority seating will be given to Donor level members and above.
Ticket Confirmation Notice:
Your reservation is not complete until you receive an email confirmation. If you do not receive a confirmation email, your tickets have not been reserved. Please check your inbox and spam/junk folder or contact us at info@ljathenaeum.org or (858) 454-5872 to ensure your booking is finalized.
Thank you!