Experience Best-in-Class Music, Opera, Dance and More at One of The More Intimate Venues In La Jolla
Celebrate the season with the La Jolla Music Society at their exquisite venue, The Conrad! This magnificent performing arts center is the permanent home of La Jolla Music Society and is the heart of cultural, arts education and community events in La Jolla. Over the next few months, there is a lot you’ll want to check out—from performances by Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott to the return of Nat Geo Live! Speaker Series and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Here’s a sneak peek at the history of the La Jolla Music Society and what’s in store this winter season.
Dating back to the time of World War II, the Musical Arts Society of La Jolla was founded by Nikolai Sokoloff, who most notably was the former composer of the Cleveland Orchestra. Throughout his career, Sokoloff reportedly insisted that his orchestra include women and receive the same pay as men, and he was also an advocate for sharing the art of classical music with public school children.
By 1968, Sokoloff’s Musical Arts Society became the La Jolla Chamber Music Society, carrying a mission to showcase the world’s best-in-class music and musicians. Their first season presented soloists and sponsored the La Jolla Chamber Orchestra, setting a precedent for its current reputation as a leading presenter of classical music not just in San Diego County but throughout the western US. In the decades that followed, they began incorporating dance and jazz into their offerings and eventually updated their name to the La Jolla Music Society.
Since then, LJMS has also become a key influencer within its community. In line with the values of its original founder, LJMS actively serves more than 10,000 people through their extensive learning and engagement programs—from feature performances by the music program at Mission Bay High School to having their own musicians visit and work with students at various San Diego public schools.
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One of LJMS’s most notable contributions to the community is SummerFest. Launched by Artistic Director Heiichiro Ohyama in 1986, SummerFest is one of the leading performing arts festivals in the world, showcasing the finest local and international artists every August.
In 2019, LJMS parted ways with the Sherwood Auditorium at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego to open The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, featuring four state-of-the-art performance and activity spaces: The Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The JAI, The Atkinson Room and the Wu Tsai QRT.yrd. Simply known as The Conrad, the venue was meticulously designed in collaboration with Epstein Joslin Architects, Inc. and Yasuhisa Toyota of Nagata Acoustics, the latter having worked on LA’s Walt Disney Concert Hall. All their detailed expertise is apparent in The Conrad’s crown jewel–the Baker-Baum Concert Hall, which encapsulates its audience in an all-immersive audio and visual experience.
There’s no better time than now to check it out for yourself because this year, La Jolla Music Society is offering a robust Winter 2022-23 season that includes 62 events featuring 47 diverse artists and speakers. Celebrate milestones like renowned violinist Midori’s 40th Anniversary and the farewell tour of the Emerson String Quartet or expand your horizons with co-productions by the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Opera along with the return of the Nat Geo Live! Speaker Series.
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If you love dance, you’ll want to catch “Star Dust from Bach to Bowie” by Complexions and other performances by modern dance companies, such as Alvin Ailey. There will also be a recital by Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott, which is so highly anticipated that this special performance will be held at the larger San Diego Civic Theatre.
For more information on upcoming events and other offerings from La Jolla Music Society at The Conrad, visit www.theconrad.org!
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
7600 Fay Ave
La Jolla, CA 92037
858.459.3728
