May and June bring classical superstars, jazz greats and Grammy winners to La Jolla Music Society

In May and June, La Jolla Music Society will present eight classical and jazz music performances by Grammy-winning musicians and artists from across the globe.

Audiences can expect a range of performances, from silent films accompanied by renowned ensembles to vintage Mexican bolero ballads.

Mutter, a German violinist and four-time Grammy winner, will perform at Balboa Theatre on May 3, joined by internationally renowned pianist Yefim Bronfman and rising cello star Pablo Ferrández.

Grammy-winning husband-and-wife duo Diaz and Gaddis will make their La Jolla debuts on May 10 at the JAI with their child-friendly indie music compositions. The duo is acclaimed for their work on the PBS show Lishy Lou and Lucky Too.

Cameron Carpenter, the first organist to have a solo album nominated for a Grammy, will visit La Jolla May 16 to give a performance at St. James-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church.

Carpenter tours using his International Touring Organ, a first-of-its kind digital organ, performing hits on his latest album, recorded at the Berlin Konzerthaus, that includes his own rendition of Bach’s Goldberg Variations as well as Hanson’s Symphony No. 2.

Carpenter will follow up his recital with a May 17 performance of Metropolis—Fritz Lang’s 1927 science fiction classic silent film—on the solo organ as the film is projected on a big screen.

Audiences can expect a unique live jazz performance by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, who will be joined by renowned classical pianist Cecile Licad and an 11-piece jazz ensemble conducted by Andy Faber, on May 18 at the Balboa Theatre.

The live music will accompany the presentation of “Louis,” a silent film that pays homage to Louis Armstrong, Charlie Chaplin, and the birth of jazz.

To close out May, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason will join his sister and renowned pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason for a May 31 classical performance at the Baker-Baum Concert Hall.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason’s self-proclaimed mission is to make music accessible to all. After winning the BBC Young Musician competition in 2016, his performance at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor Castle in 2018 was watched by two billion people worldwide.

Isata Kanneh-Mason is in great demand internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, offering recital programmes encompassing music from Haydn and Mozart via Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann, Chopin and Brahms to Gershwin and beyond.

Los Angeles musical trio Tres Souls will kick off June, with vintage sounds and bolero ballads from the 20th century era of Mexican cinema.

Rocio Mendoza, Roberto Carlos, and Jesus Martinez will deliver cumbias, huapangos, and bachatas at the JAI on June 1.

South Korean cellist Jaemin Han will close the series at the Baker-Baum Concert Hall on June 15.

Han came to international attention in May 2021 when he was awarded the Grand Prix of the George Enescu International Competition as the youngest prize winner in the history of the competition. Later in the same year, he won the third prize at the Geneva International Music Competition.

The acclaimed 18-year-old has collaborated with several eminent orchestras and conductors and given concerts around the globe.

The performances precede the Music Society’s SummerFest, a four-week music festival each summer in July and August featuring world-class artists and ensembles.

Details and tickets are available at the La Jolla Music Society box office by phone at 858-459-3728 and online at TheConrad.org.