La Jolla Music Society launches Resident Companies @ The Conrad

La Jolla Music Society has done something new to broaden and deepen one of the organization’s key goals: It’s in the process of establishing The Conrad as a go-to place for cultural and community activities.

LJMA, as owner and operator of The Conrad at 7600 Fay Ave. in La Jolla, has launched Resident Companies @ The Conrad, welcoming four of San Diego’s premier performing arts organizations into an inaugural three-year residency beginning in the 2025-2026 winter season.

The first residencies will be Art of Elan, Bach Collegium San Diego, Camarada, and Mainly Mozart. Each organization is celebrated for its distinctive artistic voices and significant contributions to San Diego’s cultural landscape, particularly in chamber and classical music.

The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center is a concert hall that opened in 2019 and serves as the permanent residence of the LJMS.

In May 2014, LJMS purchased a $10 million, 30,760-square-foot parcel of land in La Jolla Village using $50 million from 11 donors, including $15 million from philanthropist Conrad Prebys. With increased funds, construction on The Conrad began in 2017 and was completed in 2019.

The concert hall is named after Brenda Baker and Steve Baum, who donated $10 million to LJMS. The venue’s JAI 140-seat theater is named after Joan and Irwin Jacobs.

The Resident Companies initiative was developed by LJMS artistic director Leah Rosenthal and director of artistic rentals and partnerships Juliet Zimmer.

“[Resident Companies] is something we’ve been thinking about for quite some time,” said Rosenthal. “[The Conrad] has had a successful rentals program from other arts organizations using the space for conferences, high school graduations, and proms, etc.

“In our strategic plan, one of the goals was for The Conrad to become a cultural hub of activity for the region. We wanted classical music and arts organizations to have a deeper partnership and connection with us, and, at the same time, to shine more light on this incredible venue, especially the concert hall and our smaller-scale musical performance spaces.”

In support of the Resident Companies program, LJMS will provide a range of benefits to its partner organizations, including marketing support, early access to the booking calendar, and a fixed venue rental rate for the duration of the three-year partnership.

Of how Resident Companies fits into the overall scheme of things at The Conrad, Leventhal said: “It aligns our rentals program with our mission of bringing extra music and world-class art to San Diego. We will continue to rent the hall to organizations outside the Resident Company program. But this program solidifies that we have this incredible cohort of great art organizations creating and presenting beautiful work here.”

LJMS president and chief executive officer Todd Schultz agreed that the new program is off to a great start. “The Resident Company program champions a ‘rising tides lift all boats’ philosophy in fostering a thriving chamber music ecosystem in San Diego,” he said. “At the heart of collaboration is the idea that working together, we all benefit — including our audiences.”

Regarding Resident Companies moving forward, Leaventhal pointed out: “This is the inaugural cohort. But by no means does this mean that these are the only four organizations that will be using. We have other incredible dance and jazz organizations and other companies that could be a resident company. This was just the start. We wanted to start with arts and music organizations that we had already established relationships with previously.”

Bach Collegium San Diego: Founded by artistic director Ruben Valenzuela in 2003, Bach Collegium brings dynamic programming and performances with historical considerations to performance practice. It has garnered national and international recognition. BachCollegiumSD.org.

Camarada: Founded in 1994 by flutist Beth Ross Buckley, it is a cornerstone of San Diego’s chamber music scene, celebrating 30 years of captivating performances across a spectrum of styles – including classical, Latin, jazz, and tango. Camarada.org.

Mainly Mozart: Since 1988, Mainly Mozart has brought San Diego together to experience the finest in orchestral music, intimate concert experiences, and extraordinary music education for young people. MainlyMozart.org.

Art of Elan: It has been pioneering unique events and bringing exciting classical music to diverse audiences for over 17 years through innovative partnerships and bi-national initiatives that have cultivated curious audiences on both sides of the border. Art of Elan continues to engage and energize audiences in new ways. ArtOfElan.org.

La Jolla Music Society: LJMS owns and operates The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, a state-of-the-art performance venue opened in 2019 in the heart of downtown La Jolla. TheConrad.org.