CL AS SIC AL MUS IC

Projects

BY BETH WOOD

Ifall goes well health-wise, 2022promises aslate of excellent classical musicalevents. Butit’snot just what’s happening this year,it’s where

Last year,chamber music concerts were heardinthe new120-seattheater at Balboa Park’s MingeiInternationalMuseum. And the evennewerUniversity of California SanDiego @Park&MarketcomplexinEast Village will host musical events in its 225-seat black box theater

At the La Jolla Woman’s Club, Le Salon de Musiques an intimate,stage-less chambermusic concertseries launched lastfall andwillcontinue monthly through June Listen carefully,because music willbepouringout across the county and southofthe border.

San DiegoSymphony:

“Hear Us Here”

Many local choruses and chamber music groups have handled not having apermanent home venue by regularly performing in churches and halls.

Some, like the 13-year-old Art of Elan, intentionally integrate performing in avariety of venues into their organizational DNA, planningunique, siteappropriate repertoire for each event

The SanDiego Symphony —while awaiting completionofrenovations of its downtown home, Copley Symphony HallatJacobs Music Center —will be among the modern musicalvagabonds for its 2022 winter-spring season. “Hear Us Here” willinclude 31 concerts in nineSan Diego-area venues,plus one in Palm Desert. That’s the most sites in any symphonyseason in its 112 years. Opening the season at downtown’s Civic Theatre and closing at the symphony’s RadyShell at Jacobs Park, the orchestra will performinEscondido, Poway, Chula Vistaand Rancho Santa Fe, as well as in such San Diego neighborhoods as La Jolla,Del Cerroand

Rolando.

Symphony Music Director Rafael

Payare and CEO MarthaGilmer are interested in more than geographical expanse. Seven of the upcoming season’s works were composed by people of color. Tenofthe featured soloists this season are women. Andthree guest conductors are from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) communities. The less-familiar works willbepresentedalongside favorites by suchcomposers as Mozart, Beethoven Mendelssohn, Grieg, Brahms and Ravel.

Border collaborations

Two cross-border projects shouldgenerate excitement this season Ruben Valenzuela, head of San Diego’s dynamic early-music groupBach Collegium, has been working closely with musical scholarMario Montenegro, the artisticdirector of the vocalensembleatTijuana’s Cultural Center (CECUT). The project, “El Mesías:Messiah for aNew World,”appears to be the first complete Spanish-language libretto of Handel’s “Messiah.”

The worldpremierewill be presentedinCardiffand La Jolla on March 18 and 19, respectively, and in Tijuana at CECUTCentro Cultural on March 20. For more information: bachcollegium.org Camarada,the eclecticchamber music ensemble, will play in familiar venues this season and is alsoembarking on awhole new project, “Music of the Americas,” at downtown’s Park &Market

The brainchild of UC San Diego

Associate ChancellorMary Walshok, the series is designed to showcase lesser-known compos-

EDUARDO CONTRERAS U-T ers from North America, including Mexico, and from South America.

Camarada’s Beth Ross Buckley and Tijuana-based bassist/ composerAndrésMartín, an integral member of Camarada, are the co-artistic directors of the series at Park &Market. Martín, whose “Double Bass Concerto” will be performed by the San Diego Symphony in April, will also serve as liaison between Camarada and the Tijuanavenue hosting “Music of the Americas.”

The San Diego “Musicofthe Americas” performances will takeplace at downtown’sPark & Market Feb. 19 and May 14, while the Tijuana concerts will be at La CajaArte yCultura Feb. 20 and May 15. The 5:30p.m.Tijuana concerts can be attended as separate events orattendees can choose a“Full Experience Day Trip,” whichwillincludegroup rides in passengervans, wine tasting, concert andcelebration dinner.For more information: camarada.org Wood is afreelance writer.