The San Diego Youth Symphony plans a free evening concert in Balboa Park to give local residents a taste of the music planned for the orchestra’s upcoming tour of China.
The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 18, in the Plaza de Panama.
The free concert will feature internationally acclaimed pianist Jessie Chang, the wife of the San Diego Symphony Music Director Jahja Ling, who will also travel to China with the youth symphony.
Eighty-two of the youth symphony’s most advanced students, accompanied by professional musicians from the San Diego Symphony, will tour China June 23 to July 5. They will be led by Music Director Jeff Edmons, who is celebrating his 20th year leading the youth symphony. The tour is sponsored by Qualcomm.
Concerts are scheduled in Beijing, Shanghai and Yantai, which is San Diego’s sister city. The repertoire will include Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
“The concert kicks off a milestone year for our organization and a great launch for our historic trip to China,” said Edmons. “We’re excited to be able to provide experiences to these talented young musicians that will create lifetime memories.”
VIP seating for the free concert and a reception afterward at the San Diego Museum of Art are available for $250 per person.
The San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory is the 6th oldest continuously operating youth symphony in the United States, and serves over 600 students annually in eleven ensembles from its home in Balboa Park.