Monday, May 11, 7:30 p.m. - Sherwood Auditorium, La Jolla

Wednesday, May 13, 7:30 p.m. - Del Mar Country Club, Rancho Santa Fe (wine and hors d'ouevres reception at 6:30 p.m.)

Friday, May 15, 7:30 p.m. - St. Paul's Cathedral, Downtown

Sunday, May 17, 4:00 p.m. - Opera Delights - California Center for the Arts, Escondido

Maestro Jung-Ho Pak says, “Words fail me when I consider Beethoven’s third symphony, “Eroica” (Heroic). He broke all of the rules with this symphony, creating new rules and ushering in the Romantic era as no other composer could have done. The human emotions that it evokes are phenomenal."

Ironically, nearly seventy-five years after Beethoven wrote Symphony No. 3, one of the great Romantic era’s composers, Piotr Tchaikovsky, composed Variations on a Rococo Theme, looking backward through history to the early Classical era, just as Beethoven had looked forward from that era.

The Orchestra will be joined for this beautiful composition by one of the most captivating young artists of her generation, cellist Denise Djokic. She has thrilled audiences and critics worldwide with the vigor, passion and sensitivity of her playing. “What I love about performing is the opportunity to communicate with and to touch others,” explains Denise.

Beethoven and Tchaikovsky are both composers who followed their own unique paths – forging extremely individual voices – but they had one thing in common, their belief in the power of humanity. This concert will explore how they expressed that belief.

Buy your tickets now!

The Orchestra will also perform Opera Delights in its Pops at the Center series, featuring exceptionally talented young opera singers, on Sunday, May 17, 4:00 p.m. at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. This concert will feature some of the most unforgettable moments of opera, including beautiful arias and orchestral music from Carmen, Madame Butterfly, The Merry Widow, Aida, La traviata, and much more! Perfect for the first-time opera visitor or for the true opera lover.

The Pops at the Center series of concerts are generously sponsored by Bob and Jean Will. Tickets: www.artcenter.org or 800-988-4253

For just $10, all students and educators can attend a concert at the Sherwood Auditorium in La Jolla or at St. Paul's Cathedral downtown for the remainder of the season, through May 2009.

Call 858-350-0290 to order tickets.

The San Diego Chamber Orchestra will be making two major announcements soon! Watch for your eNotes.

It's all good news!