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Athenaeum Jazz
Athenaeum Jazz returns to the Scripps Research Auditorium for a special 30th anniversary season. This fall, we celebrate 30 years of Athenaeum Jazz at Scripps Research with a lineup that brings together new and familiar voices. The fall series showcases the talents of three extraordinary artists who have each brought their distinctive voices to the world of jazz: Joshua Redman on Tuesday, November 3; David Sánchez on Sunday, November 15; and Gabrielle Cavassa on Thursday, December 3. Redman and Sánchez perform at the Scripps Research Auditorium as part of the anniversary celebration, while Cavassa brings the series to a close at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla.
Become a Friend of Jazz: Call us at (858) 454-5872, or send your partially tax-deductible membership to the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library at 1008 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA 92037
The Athenaeum is pleased to announce this three-concert series featuring internationally acclaimed jazz artists. The series opens with two concerts commemorating the 30th year of Athenaeum Jazz at Scripps Research, in the acoustically-pristine Scripps auditorium, located at 10620 John Jay Hopkins Drive just north of the UCSD campus. Seating is limited—so, order soon! For tickets and information, click below or call (858) 454-5872.
WHEN:
Tuesday, November 3, 7:30 PM—Joshua Redman Quartet (Scripps Research)
Sunday, November 15, 7:30 PM—David Sánchez “Tambó” (Scripps Research)
Thursday, December 3, 7:30 PM—Gabrielle Cavassa (Athenaeum Music & Arts Library)
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Scripps Research Auditorium,
10620 John Jay Hopkins Drive
San Diego, CA 92130
JOAN & IRWIN JACOBS
MUSIC ROOM
Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
1008 Wall Street
La Jolla, CA 92037
CONCERTS BEGIN AT 7:30 PM.
DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 PM.
SERIES OF 3 CONCERTS:
$185 member / $200 nonmember
INDIVIDUAL CONCERTS:
$65 member / $70 nonmember
Online ticket sales are subject to ticketing fees.
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The concerts will be in person at Scripps Research Auditorium (10620 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, CA 92130) and the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library (1008 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA 92037). There are no physical tickets for these events. Your name will be on an attendee list at the front door. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. Priority seating will be given to Donor level members and above.
These events will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each concert.
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Payment must be received in order to reserve a spot at a concert.
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.
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All ticket sales for Athenaeum Music & Arts Library events are final. Cancellations made within 48 hours of the scheduled event start time are not eligible for a refund, regardless of the reason for cancellation.
Guests who are unable to attend may:
Transfer their ticket to another individual, or
Request that the ticket price be converted into a tax-deductible charitable contribution to the Athenaeum, provided no goods or services (e.g., meal, entertainment) were received.
For cancellations made more than 48 hours prior to an event, please contact Anira Abreu, Program and Administrative Associate, to discuss options: aabreu@ljathenaeum.org
We appreciate your understanding and support. Ticket proceeds help sustain the Athenaeum's cultural programming and enable us to present exceptional performances, lectures, and events throughout the year.
Banner image: Joshua Redman Quartet
Special Jazz Concert: All-Star New Year’s Tribute to Mike Wofford
Wednesday, December 30
Two separate sets, 6:30-7:45 PM and 8:15-9:30 PM
Location: Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
Members $60/Nonmembers $65
Please join us for this special New Year’s celebration of the music of Mike Wofford. Mike earned the designation as the Athenaeum Jazz series’ all-time Most Valuable Player, having been featured at least 20 times over the years as either a leader or a sideman, beginning with the second-ever Athenaeum Jazz concert in the summer of 1989 and running through his final performance at the library in the summer of 2022.
A longtime San Diego-resident and mainstay of our city’s music scene, Mike’s career spanned seven decades before he passed away in 2025. He recorded and performed with a long list of major artists, including Sonny Stitt, Stan Getz, Joe Pass, Quincy Jones, Benny Carter, Ray Brown, Lee Konitz, Chet Baker, Art Pepper, Joe Henderson, Benny Golson, and James Moody, among many others. He was also conductor and pianist for both Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. With this stellar list of creative accomplishments, it is no wonder that DownBeat recognized him as “one of the outstanding pianists of our time.”
Curated in collaboration with Mike’s wife and musical partner, Holly Hofmann, this tribute features some of Mike’s favorite musicians in a series of solo, duo, trio, and quartet performances of Mike's original compositions and his favorite standards. On piano, Bill Mays, Josh Nelson, and Joshua White. On guitar, Larry Koonse. On bass, John Clayton and Rob Thorsen. And on drums, Jeff Hamilton and Duncan Moore.
The concert takes place in the Music Room of the Athenaeum, which houses Mike’s favorite piano, the library’s Hamburg Steinway B. Audience members can choose between two separate sets.
Athenaeum Jazz
Fall 2026 Series
“This thoughtful series presents jazz with the seriousness and dignity becoming the art form.”
“One of the west coast’s more discerning jazz concert series…”
“The intimate and acoustically pristine Athenaeum Library was packed with fans primed for the event.”
(Photo by Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune)
“What is even more impressive than the many stellar musicians who have appeared there is that the Jazz at the Athenaeum series has endured—and thrived—for three decades. Moreover, its jazz programming has been guided the entire time by a single curator, Daniel Atkinson, whose longevity equals that of the series.”