CONNECT with the CityCentral Library Concert Series
The San Diego Central Library is pleased to announce the Fall 2024 Concert Series schedule!
Now entering its 69th season, this signature program of the San Diego Central Library continues to provide free concerts for the downtown community and will feature some of San Diego's finest musicians.
After last season's successful theme highlighting the anniversary of the library's Steinway piano, we are excited to offer a new theme to kick off the 2024-25 Season: All About That Bass (Clef)! Many Fall Series concerts will include lower range instruments rarely featured as solo instruments. Musicians will demonstrate the melodic spectrum of instruments such as the double bass, contrabassoon, Hutchins violins, and more. Highlights of the Series include performances by members of the San Diego Symphony, a Tango-themed program by Camarada, and the return of the Odeum Guitar Duo. And in our annual tradition, the season will commence with the Toy Piano Festival, in partnership with UC San Diego Library.
In addition to Concert Series events, the Library will continue its collaboration with the highly acclaimed Hausmann Quartet to present more concerts as part of The CINEMA + SOUND SERIES! Join us for the first program of this series on September 29th.
Plus, don't miss San Diego Youth Symphony's Concerto Competition in November, now in the 3rd year hosted by the Central Library.
Please visit the Events Calendar for more information and updates.
Upcoming Concerts: Fall 2024 Concert Series
24th Annual Toy Piano Festival
In partnership with UC San Diego Library
Sunday, August 18, 2024 | 2:30 p.m. | Neil Morgan Auditorium
Scott Paulson, Festival Director | Kay Etheridge | Kenneth Herman | Christian Hertzog | Barbara Scheidker | Samara Rice | Alex Segal | Sue Palmer
The Fall Series celebrates the 24th Annual Toy Piano Festival! Hosted by Festival Director Scott Paulson, this year’s event will feature exciting new works for toy piano, traditional lullabies from many lands, and various centuries of chiming clock tunes. PLUS: The musicians will perform Leopold Mozart's "Toy Symphony" in a special arrangement for two toy pianos and toy instruments made exclusively for the Toy Piano Festival!
Jeremy Kurtz-Harris, double bass, and Ines Irawati, piano
Sunday, September 15, 2024 | 2:30 p.m. | Neil Morgan Auditorium
Longtime collaborators Kurtz-Harris and Irawati will kick of the Fall Series and the "All About That Bass (Clef)" theme with a performance of works by J. S. Bach, Amy Beach, Brahms, and more.
CINEMA + SOUND SERIES
Join us for the second season of live music paired with film screenings.
Sunday, September 29, 2024 | 2:30 p.m. | Neil Morgan Auditorium
The Hausmann Quartet presents: Nosferatu: An abridged version of the classic silent horror film (1922) paired with live music! The Hausmann Quartet will perform a musical score compiled by Jory Herman that features music by Schoenberg, Bartok, Shostakovich, and more.
Camarada Tango Quartet
Sunday, October 20, 2024 | 2:30 p.m. | Neil Morgan Auditorium
“Tango Buenos Aires”
Beth Ross Buckley, flute | David Buckley, violin | Andrés Martin, double bass | Dana Burnett, piano
The Camarada Tango Quartet presents Tango Buenos Aires - a powerful program of tango through time - highlighting several famous tango composers: Eduardo Rovira, Pedro Maffia, Aníbal Troillo, and the unequivocal Astor Piazzolla, featuring rich arrangements and commissioned original works by Andrés Martín.
Leyla Zamora & Friends
Sunday, October 27, 2024 | 2:30 p.m. | Neil Morgan Auditorium
Leyla Zamora, Baroque bassoon, modern bassoon, contrabassoon | Andrea Overturf, oboe | William Propp, piano | Andrew Watkins, bendir
The Concert Series continues the “All About That Bass (Clef)” theme with a concert featuring the bassoon! Leyla Zamora and her colleagues from the San Diego Symphony will perform works by Telemann, Besozzi, and Lalliet as well as compositions by contemporary composers. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear both Baroque and modern bassoon, as well as the rarely featured contrabassoon!
The Hutchins Consort
Sunday, November 17, 2024 | 2:30 p.m. | Neil Morgan Auditorium
The Hutchins Consort is an innovative violin chamber ensemble which performs on the rare and beautiful Hutchins violins. Led by founder Joe McNalley, members of the Hutchins Consort will performs works to showcase these unique instruments and especially those crafted for the lower ranges.
San Diego Harmony Ringers
Sunday, December 8, 2024 | 2:30 p.m. | 9th floor Shiley Events Suite
"Celebrating the Holidays with Handbells"
Formed in September 1999, San Diego Harmony Ringers is an advanced, auditioned community handbell ensemble. SDHR performs a wide range of sacred and secular music on five octaves of Schulmerich handbells and five octaves of Malmark choirchimes. Their vision is to bring the art and enjoyment of handbell music to the community through excellence in performance and musicianship.
The Odeum Guitar Duo
Sunday, December 15, 2024 | 2:30 p.m. | Neil Morgan Auditorium
"Masterworks for Two Guitars”
Fred Benedetti and Robert Wetzel, guitars
The Odeum Guitar Duo will conclude the Fall Series with solo and duo performances, featuring a transcription of “Concerto in D” by Antonio Vivaldi/arranged by J.S. Bach and two multi-movement “Serenades” originally composed for two guitars by Ferdinando Carulli.
PLUS: Back for a third year!
San Diego Youth Symphony's Concerto Competition
November 2024 | Tuesday, November 12th at 6:00pm.| Neil Morgan Auditorium
SDYS Concerto Competition finalists will perform for the audience and a panel of judges, and the winner will be announced at the conclusion of the concert.
Please browse our Encore Concert Series YouTube page for recordings of previous concert performances.
The Central Library Concert Series has been a San Diego Public Library signature program since the 1950s and features local, national, and international chamber musicians.
The Concert Series is made possible by the Friends of the Central Library, the San Diego Public Library matching fund program, the San Diego Library Foundation, and public and private donations. All programs are FREE and open to the public. Most Concert Series programs are approximately one hour long with no intermission and are held at the Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., downtown in East Village, San Diego. For more information, call the Central Library's Art, Music and Recreation Section at 619-236-5800.
Artists and programs are subject to change.
Where: Neil Morgan Auditorium, unless otherwise noted, San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd. The Auditorium is across the courtyard from the library entrance.
When: Sundays at 2:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Programs usually last one hour with no intermission.
Cost: Programs are free and open to the public.
Parking: Two hours of free parking with validation are available at the library, and additional parking is available at public spaces within walking distance of the library. The Central Library is two blocks from the Park & Market trolley stop.