“Enhancing the Concert Experience” 
The history of classical music spans centuries, and each period has contributed new concepts, new vocabulary, and new methods of music making. Younger audiences may not immediately see the historical references in music from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries and older concert goers often struggle with the ‘language’ used by living composers. These patrons appreciate getting insights into the process of making music, be it by the artists, the composers themselves or hired lecturers, through various aspects of the Audience Education Program.
Pre-concert Lectures and Prelude Performances
La Jolla Music Society presents a pre-concert activity, the Prelude, on each of its series. A devoted following arrives early to each concert to hear musical and historical insights prior to the Celebrity, Revelle, Piano and Jazz Series, presented by carefully selected scholars and musicologists. A lecturer may be chosen for his strength in a particular style of music or through a particular musical or cultural focus in the programming. SummerFest Preludes often feature hosted conversations with the Music Director or composers in residence, supporting the sense of community for which the festival is known. Prelude performances in the Discovery and North County Series introduce our audiences to young San Diego musicians.
Coaching Workshops, Open Rehearsals, and Encounters
The festival atmosphere and resident artists during SummerFest allow many opportunities for La Jolla Music Society audiences to learn directly from artists. The Coaching Workshops pair a group of young musicians selected by the Music Director with some of the most talented performers in the music world. These master classes happen regularly during the festival and the public is invited to observe. The same fans who attend the Workshops also appreciate the Open Rehearsals, when they can interact with the artists in an informal context. The Open Rehearsals are hosted and feature ten minute introductions, giving context to the work. SummerFest Encounters have also become part of the festival’s educational landscape. An Encounter delves further into a related topic, with invited guests, often not directly related to programming. Topics can be as varied as Richard Tognetti’s foray into film music to conversations with composers and the famed luthier Sam Zygmuntowicz.
These educational activities have reached a much wider audience including local and national broadcast through targeted partnerships including UCSDTV Arts and Humanities programming, KPBS Radio and Television, National Public Radio and nationally syndicated programming produced by WFMT radio in Chicago. Local collaborations in support of reaching new audiences have included the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center, the San Diego Natural History Museum and the San Diego Museum of Art, as well as arts and culture organizations like the Birch Aquarium, the San Diego Children’s Museum, San Diego Book Arts, and the San Diego Black Storytellers Association.
For more information about La Jolla Music Society’s Education Programs, please contact Hannes Kling, Production and Education Manager, at (858) 459-3724, ext. 218.
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Audience Education
