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Athenaeum Mini-Concerts
Every Monday at 12 noon
Free concerts at noon every Monday year-round . . . no wonder the Mini-Concerts are the longest-running and one of the most popular classical music series at the library! This series was founded by Glenna Hazleton in 1970 at the Athenaeum, and has been going strong ever since. The concerts feature both local and touring musicians, prize-winning students, university music faculty members, local chamber ensembles . . . and the repertoire also includes jazz, folk, and world music. There are no reservations, no tickets . . . just line up at the side door of the Athenaeum (near the Rotunda) before noon. Seating is first-come; first-served. Mini-Concerts take place every Monday at noon and last about an hour. Donations are always welcome!
For more information, call us at (858) 454-5872.
The Mini-Concerts are supported, in part, by David and Joyce Abrams, Janet Allison, Jack L. Brown and Jan Chatten-Brown, Joseph and Carol Danks, Florence Riford La Jolla Community Fund, Edwin and Ruby Gin, Ronald Heller, Daniel and Mary Kelley, Laura and John Killmer, Luisa and Paul Larson, Rod Innes and Mary Jo McCall, Catherine and Bob Palmer, Rick Rand, Marit Roman, Jack and Patti Schwellenbach, David and Marcia Sleet, Sleet Music Performance Fund, Mina Taylor, Richard Vande Noord, Gianangelo Vergani, and Ann L. Zahner (in memory of Mary Ellen Fleischli).
JOAN & IRWIN JACOBS MUSIC ROOM
Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
1008 Wall Street
La Jolla, CA 92037
CONCERTS BEGIN AT 12 NOON.
DOORS OPEN AT 11:40 AM.
LAST ENTRY AT 12:10 PM OR ONCE CAPACITY IS REACHED.
Free admission.
Reservations are not necessary, but seating is limited.
Banner image: Yana Yan
Monday, June 15, 2026
There will be no mini-concert on Monday, June 15 due to a private event. Thank you for understanding, and see you next Monday!
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. Ming-Jui Liu is a Taiwanese guitarist and composer whose work spans performance, composition, and pedagogy. His performances and compositions have been featured in Taiwan, the United States, and internationally across South America, Europe, and Asia.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Monday, August 10, 2026
12 PM
Joanne Stohs is a freelance violist who play in chamber groups and orchestras in the San Diego area. She is also a piano teacher and accompanist. She has a bachelor's degree in piano and viola performance from BYU and a master's degree in piano performance from Washington University in St. Louis. Robert Zelickman, clarinetist, has been teaching and performing in San Diego since 1982. He is a member of the bass clarinet quartet JAMB and co-director of Second Avenue Klezmer Ensemble. Robert was a member of Orchestra Nova for 23 seasons and has performed with the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Opera. Alyze Dreiling is an award-winning conductor, and accomplished violinist and violist in San Diego.She is the conductor of the New City Sinfonia, the CYO (Civic Youth Orchestra) Symphonic Orchestra, the North Coast Strings and the Grossmont College String Ensemble where she is an adjunct faculty member. In addition to her title as Conductor Emeritus of the YPO Soloists Ensemble, Festival Orchestra and Sinfonietta, she was also the founding Artistic Director and Conductor of Classics for Kids, a fully professional orchestra performing specialty youth concerts in the San Diego area. Ms. Dreiling maintains a private teaching studio and is a member of the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC) the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), and the National Piano Guild. She also serves as an adjudicator for the MTAC Certificate of Merit program.
Monday, August 24, 2026
12 PM
Throughout his baseball career, Tim Flannery had his guitar in hand. Flan writes songs about his family roots, love, and the surrender that comes when you understand some things are out of your control. He writes about baseball and being on the road, the call of the highway, and the beacon of home. He has an ace band, the Lunatic Fringe, that bring his songs roaring to life in various musical genres like bluegrass, country, and rock.