It’s not possible to go to the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park right now, but fans can enjoy the venue from home this season, with holiday webcast concerts.
Since March, the historic pavilion has been closed to in-person audiences due to the pandemic, but officials added free webcasts at 2 p.m. Sundays to bridge the gap.
Beginning this week, San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez will offer up three weeks of holiday favorites during the regular Sunday webcasts.
He’ll add a special Friday concert at 2 p.m. Jan. 1 to celebrate the New Year.
The upcoming shows include:
- Sunday – Ramírez, with vocalist Lauren Leigh, a Spreckels Organ audience favorite.
- Dec. 20 – Ramírez with tenor Marco Antonio Labastida, who will sing Mexican carols.
- Dec. 27 – Ramírez with soprano Tasha Koontz.
- Jan. 1 – Ramírez will perform waltzes and polkas by the Strauss family, plus works by Bach and Handel, introduced with presentations from settings around Balboa Park.
The Spreckels Organ is the world’s largest outdoor musical instrument. The organ, manufactured in 1914 by the Austin Organ Company, features a walk-in air chest and sits in a pavilion designed by architect Harrison Albright.
The dedication of the Spreckels Organ launched the Panama-California Exposition on Dec. 31, 1914.
– Staff reports
