John Legend to Jason Mraz: San Diego Symphony announces summer season

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park will be hosting a star-studded season of shows this summer with the San Diego Symphony.

San Diego’s premier orchestra will be joined on the Rady Shell stage by the likes of Grammy Award-winning artists John Legend and Jason Mraz, Broadway powerhouse Audra McDonald, reggae icon Ziggy Marley and more during the 2024 summer season, announced on Monday.

It will mark fourth summer of music at the bayside Jacobs Park since it opened to the public in 2021.

“As we begin our fourth summer season at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, I reflect back on the promises we made at its opening,” said San Diego Symphony CEO Martha Gilmer. “Chief among these is that The Rady Shell would become a place where all of San Diego, including our visitors, would feel that they belonged.”

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“In 2024 we hope that even more people will experience the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park – for the first time or the 50th time,” Gilmer continued. “We welcome you all and please know that The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park belongs to each of you!”

The San Diego Symphony will kick off the season with its annual open night concert on June 28 with guest conductor Gemma New. The program will feature Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnole,” Copland’s timeless “Rodeo” and John Adam’s “Short Ride in a Fast Machine.”

From there San Diego audiences will be treated to a slew of unique concert experiences, including two world premieres and multiple debuts at the venue.

Audra McDonald will join forces with the San Diego Symphony for a night of her top classics on June 30.

On July 3, the orchestra will debut the performance, “An Evening with Marc Shaiman and his Music” with Steven Reineke on the conducting podium, featuring the composer’s works from “Sleepless in Seattle,” “SMASH,” “Hairspray” and more.

Up next, eight-time Grammy Award-winner reggae artist Ziggy Marley will perform his only concert alongside an orchestra this summer on July 5 with a career retrospective musical experience supported by the San Diego Symphony.

Local legend Jason Mraz will be returning to the Rady Shell on Aug. 11 for a performance alongside San Diego Symphony.

“EGOT” winner John Legend will also be returning to Jacobs Park this summer on Aug. 15 following a sold-out concert last year. He will be performing alongside the San Diego Symphony, featuring conductor Anthony Parnther.

Outside this summer’s collaborative events, the Rady Shell will be hosting a dazzling array of solo talent in the summer season, including Kool & the Gang with Sister Sledge, Harry Connick Jr., Jewel and Melissa Etheridge, The Beach Boys, Trombone Shorty and more.

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The San Diego Symphony will also be bringing to life a selection of classic films in concert, including “Field of Dreams,” “Disney in Concert: The Sound of Magic” and “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.”

A full schedule for the season can be found on the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park website.

“As we begin to prepare for our 2024 Rady Shell summer season, I am excited for the great promise and excitement this year will bring,” said Rafael Payare, music director for the San Diego Symphony. “The Rady Shell has become a beloved venue with audiences in Southern California and beyond, and I’m very honored to be a part of yet another wonderful year of music-making on the San Diego Bay, with our world-class orchestra, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra.”

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