What's New

Nova sells out in November

Orchestra Nova sold out their performances at Qualcomm Hall and Sherwood Auditorium for the second month in a row. The Coronado Performing Arts Center was added as a venue for Bach, Baroque, Beatles and All That Jazz, and was over two thirds full. The lobbies were filled with laughter and music as guests listened and danced to the Dave Scott jazz combo while partaking of food and drink from the Baroque and jazz eras. For the full story, read more here.

The Nova Experience continues in November

We want to give you an inside look into the fun we have in store for Bach, Baroque, Beatles and All That Jazz.

The Nova Experience will begin the minute you enter the lobby, and here are just some examples of what you’ll find when the doors open at 6:00 p.m.:

• Dave Scott from KUSI performing with his jazz combo in our “speak-easy”

• Jim Bates’ jazz watercolors and Beatles art on display

• Leave the food and drinks to us! German sauerbraten and New Orleans style jambalaya are on the evening’s menu, with bread pudding for dessert.

• Get jazzed up with the life-sized faux Jung-Ho and have your photo taken (available online for printing later)

…and many more surprises in store!

Food and drink tickets will be available for sale at 6:00 p.m. – so join us for a light supper (kids are welcome, of course!) before the performance. Prices are $10 for a small plate of food, $3 for coffee, water and/or dessert. Wine is available at Qualcomm Hall and Sherwood Auditorium for $5.

***The Nova Experience begins at 6:00.  The Orchestra Nova performance begins at 7:30.

Friday, November 18: Coronado Performing Arts Center - 650 D Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118

Saturday, October 22: Qualcomm Hall, 5775 Morehouse Dr., San Diego, CA 92121

Monday, October 24: Sherwood Auditorium, 700 Prospect St., San Diego, CA 92037

***The entrance to Sherwood Hall will be different this year – enter through Axline Court (main lobby of the Contemporary Museum of Art San Diego in La Jolla.)

Arrive to the Nova Classics at 6 p.m. for the complete Nova Experience

We want to give you an inside look at what Nova 2.0 will mean for you at our season opening performances on October 22nd and October 24th.

First of all, leave the food and drinks to us! Lobby doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and we will have plenty of delicious fare available for purchase. The theme of the evening is, of course, Mozart Loves Prague – and the Nova Experience will begin the minute you enter the lobby.

Some examples of what you’ll find:

• Minuet dance lessons

• Exhibit of Czech glass and beads

• A chance to pick up a musical instrument and get photos taken standing next to a life-sized faux Jung-Ho (available online for printing later)

• Plates of beer-braised short ribs with caramelized mashed potatoes, wild mushroom strudel with German potato salad, apple strudel, Viennese desserts – even sausages in a blanket for the young or young-at-heart

• Viennese coffees and teas, wine and German beer

• Opportunities to use your SmartPhones to tweet responses to our Nova “Twivia” questions, shown on monitors inside and outside the hall

Food and drink tickets will be available for sale at 6:00 p.m. – so join us for a light supper and fun lobby activities before the performance.  

***The Nova Experience begins at 6:00.  The performance begins at 7:30.

Saturday, October 22: Qualcomm Hall, 5775 Morehouse Dr., San Diego, CA 92121

Monday, October 24: Sherwood Auditorium, 700 Prospect St., San Diego, CA 92037

***The entrance to Sherwood Hall will be different this year –enter through Axline Court (main lobby of the Contemporary Museum of Art San Diego in La Jolla.)



Nova Sails into Coronado!

Due to imminent sell outs at Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall and Sherwood Auditorium, Nova adds a new venue!  Coronado School of the Arts is located at Coronado High School – only minutes away from the shops and restaurants of Downtown Coronado.  This state of the art facility will be a perfect new home for the Orchestra. We look forward to seeing you there on November 18, 2011 and May 11, 2012! Buy Tickets

Announcing Nova 2.0

Nova 2.0 – What It Is
Our Nova Classics concerts for the 2011-2012 season, performed at the state-of-the-art Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall in Sorrento Valley and the ever-popular Sherwood Hall in La Jolla (plus one concert at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts in March), will include lobby activities prior to the concert and during the intermission associated with the music theme of the evening to provide a "Nova experience" that extends beyond the music itself.

Examples – possible lobby and outside activites
 Nova Goes Green, featuring Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony (No. 6)

• a leading-edge new “green” technology demonstration
• an artist featuring artwork with an ecological theme
• organic food
• an electric car

A Taste of Spain, featuring Spanish classics

• a flamenco dancer giving dance lessons
• a tapas bar and Spanish wine
• musicians strolling through the crowd
  

Pre-concert receptions will be replaced with high-quality wine bars and refreshments available for sale prior to the concerts and during intermission.

And we are happy to announce that we have formed a partnership with San Diego's renowned WineSellar & Brasserie so guests who want that extra-special dinner/concert evening at Qualcomm Hall can have it all! You will be hearing more about that later…and we’re investigating some partnerships in La Jolla too!

Special donor events are also planned. And all guests will be treated to a little surprise when    they arrive for the performance.

Stay tuned!  Follow our plans on our web site.



Revolutionary New Pricing Structure Paying Off Big for Nova

Orchestra Nova’s new pricing structure, along with its exciting programming and rollout of Nova 2.0, is already paying off big - with a record number of subscriptions for next season (over 100% increase from the same timeframe a year ago).

More information on the pricing.

Announcing Nova Partnership with MemberCard

Membership in Club Nova has been significantly enhanced. Orchestra Nova is announcing a partnership for the 2011-2012 season with MemberCard, nationally renowned for providing special member privileges, including 2-for-1 offers, at over 200 local participating museums, arts, cultural, dining and lodging venues.

A new Club Nova web page with all offers will be unveiled this summer

Here’s how you can become a Club Nova member:

• Subscribe to the 2011-2012 season Nova Classics series  OR
• Donate $100 or more to Orchestra Nova

You’ll receive an engraved Club Nova MemberCard that will entitle you to benefits galore.

If you haven’t resubscribed, you can purchase the tickets online or call 858-350-0290 with your credit card information or send us a check.

More information about concerts, venues and pricing.

Hunter Family “Music Bee” A Fantastic Success!
Three Schools with Perfect Scores!

The Birch North Park Theatre was bustling with excitement as nearly 100 students, grades 3-6 participated in Orchestra Nova’s Hunter Family “Music Bee” on Wednesday, May 18. These students were finalists from 6,000 San Diego County students who had participated in the program during the year, based on a listening-based program during which they learned 16 pieces of classical music.

The orchestra, under the direction of associate conductor Dana Zimbric, performed short snippets of a selection, after which the students had 30 seconds to identify the title and the composer.

Three schools achieved perfect scores after listening to 20 selections: The Cambridge School, Digueno Country School and the Sycamore Ridge Elemtentary School.



Diane Lekven and Jordan Perez Join Forces with Nova in Keeping Dreams Alive

Diane Lekven and Jordan Perez hosted a Nova FUN-raising event at the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club in Rancho Santa Fe on May 15 dedicated to raising money for Orchestra Nova’s music education programs, Keeping Dreams Alive for thousands of San Diego County students who are benefitting from the programs. Artistic director and conductor Jung-Ho Pak and CEO Beverly Lambert welcomed the guests and talked about the orchestra’s programs - the most extensive music education programs in San Diego County by an arts organization. Orchestra Nova musicians and students from La Jolla Country Day School performed as guests enjoyed silent and live auctions, lunch with champagne and had lots of fun with the “Roarin’ 20s” theme of the day. The event raised $20,000 for the orchestra!

Diane Lekven, Host Keeping Dreams Alive

Nova's Own Star Rises to the Challenge

The Orchestra Nova family is pleased to announce that our own Beverly Lambert has been appointed CEO. In the past six months Beverly has proven her business acumen, exhibiting superwoman-like qualities as she juggled the responsibilities of interim executive director while continuing in her fourth year as director of marketing and communications.

Lambert is known as the marketing guru responsible for guiding the organization's re-branding from "San Diego Chamber Orchestra" to the fresh and vibrant look of today's "Orchestra Nova." Her Midas touch is evident in everything from the web site's beautiful design to Inspire magazine's eloquent articles.

If you've ever talked to Beverly Lambert you know that her enthusiasm for Orchestra Nova is contagious. Her dedication and passion for everything Nova is perhaps matched only by that of her good friend and colleague, Jung-Ho Pak. But she is more than marketing prowess and winning personality - Beverly has spent time in the trenches, reviewing the finances, operations and anything else thrown her way. Needless to say, we feel confident knowing the organization's future rests in her capable hands.

Read More About Our New CEO in the Press Release



Nova FUN-raising Event A Big Success



FUN was “the name of the game” Saturday evening, January 22, as the fantastic violinist Lindsay Deutsch entertained and the guests nibbled on yummy hors d’oeuvres and sipped wine while surveying and bidding on silent auction items, then settled in their seats as auctioneer Steve Hamann encouraged big bids for such live auction items as a South American holiday, dinner with Jung-Ho in La Jolla’s Little Korea restaurant, and even a chance to rehearse and perform with the orchestra. 

A VIP reception at WineSellar & Brasserie capped the unforgettable evening.  Best of all, the orchestra raised $60,000 to support its music education and other programs. The event was sponsored by American Airlines and Valenti International. 

Nova Offices Hit by Floods

Orchestra Nova’s storage area on the first floor of the administrative offices was flooded on December 23, destroying most of our Pops music and some classical music (some irreplaceable), marketing materials (including the Inspire magazine, signage and brochures).

The entire first floor of the bulding at 11772 Sorrento Valley Road has been destroyed and is in the process of being reconstructed. The staff worked hard all week trying to salvage as much as possible, loading a U-Haul truck and transporting it to a storage rental.

It is anticipated that it will be 30-60 days before the original space will be ready for occupancy again.

Destroyed music	Drying out	Nova staff don masks instead of holiday hats – with their new best friend Jamie from Belfor Restoration
Everything has been moved to the dumpster or U-Haul truck	Destroyed marketing materials

FUN-raising Nova Style!
January 22, 2011

It's destined to be the party of the year - a one-of-a-kind evening of fun and music, featuring the dazzling violinist Lindsay Deutsch in concert and lots, lots more! The fun will include silent and live auctions with fantastic items, wine auctions and raffles, pre-concert and post-concert receptions and music you won't soon forget.

Tickets are available now at three levels – all proceeds will benefit Orchestra Nova's extraordinary programs.

Enthusiast - $75
• Pre-concert reception with hors d'oeuvres and cash bar

Aficionado - $125
• VIP seats, pre-concert reception with hors d'oeuvres, open bar, autographed CD

Conneusseur - $250
• VIP seats, pre-concert reception with hors d'oeuvres, open bar, autographed CD PLUS
• Post-concert reception with Lindsay Deutsch at the renowned WineSellar & Brasserie

Official Airline Sponsor	Event Sponsor

More information about the evening's music.

More information about Lindsay Deutsch.

More information about WineSellar & Brasserie.

Concert Raffle Funds Two New Schools for “Take Five for Music” Program

Concert guests at the three Nova Classics venues last month eagerly responded to a raffle for the Mozart Concert Poster (with Jung-Ho Pak's signature) that benefitted Orchestra Nova's new Take Five for Music program in the San Diego Unified School District.

Enough raffle tickets were sold during intermission and after the concert to fund two new schools. Those schools will be announced during the November concerts. The raffle will continue throughout the season, with a goal of funding at least eight more schools.

And the winner for the Mozart poster is…………Susan Wolf!
“Wow! I'd love for the maestro to dedicate the poster to Ben Wolf, my 14 year old
grandson. He's first violinist for the Quad Cities Youth Orchestra in Moline,
Illinois. As a former teacher, I think the Take Five program is outstanding!” – Susan Wolf.

Pak and Jarman in Conversation: Art and Music during Mozart's Time

Jung-Ho Pak will join Alexander Jarman, Public Programs Manager, at the San Diego Museum of Art for a conversation about the common threads of art and culture in music and the visual arts during the time of Mozart on Thursday, October 14, at 7:00 p.m. in the James S. Copley Auditorium at the museum.

Through recorded music and archived footage Jung-Ho will discuss the classical period of music and how Mozart contributed to it. Alexander will share stories and images from the museum's permanent collection of 18 th -century art

Club Nova members: $7; non-members $12

www.sdmart.org

Orchestra Nova Announces Revolutionary Ticket Pricing

Orchestra Nova San Diego has announced a revolutionary ticket pricing program for the 2010-2011 season in its quest to provide an affordable extraordinary classical music experience to all who want it.

The special pricing program for the Nova Classics concerts consists of three components:

1. Free tickets for all active military personnel and their spouse/significant other (ID required)
2. $10 tickets for all educators and students (elementary through college – ID required)
3. Access San Diego : A block of $10 tickets available online two weeks prior to each concert on a first-come, first-serve basis (online at orchestranova.org or call 858-350-0290)

Orchestra Nova Awarded Grants

It's been a good month for Orchestra Nova with the announcement of funding from three grants.

• $50,000 Community Enhancement Grant
  Funded by the County Board of Supervisors at the recommendation of Supervisor Pam Slater-Price.
  
• $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grant
  Funding for recording and broadcasting performances on the Internet.
  
• $2,000 Community Enhancement Grant
  Funded by the County Board of Supervisors at the recommendation of Supervisor Ron Roberts.

Earlier this year, the orchestra was awarded the highest rating possible (“4”) from the City of San Diego's Arts and Cultural Commission, indicating that it is considered a "model" organization and meets all review criteria to the highest degree possible.



Orchestra Nova is Off to the Races!

Supporters of Orchestra Nova will celebrate A Day at the Races on Wednesday, September 1, at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and the public is invited to join in the fun.

The afternoon will begin at 12:30 and will include lunch, musical entertainment by members of the orchestra, mingling with friends and, of course, the races! Proceeds will benefit Orchestra Nova. More information. Buy tickets.

150 Finalists Compete in Orchestra Nova’s 2nd Annual “Music Bee”

With their cheering sections behind them, finalists from 18 San Diego county schools competed in Orchestra Nova’s 2nd annual Hunter Family Music Memory competition at Brown Chapel, Point Loma Nazarene University, on May 20. The “Music Bee” competition was the culmination of a year of intense listening studies of 16 pieces of classical music for over 6,000 3rd-6th grade students in the San Diego, Del Mar and National City Unified School Districts and at The Cambridge School and the Harriet Tubman Village Charter School. More information

Nine-year old Umi Garrett wowed San Diegans

Nine-year old Umi Garrett wowed San Diegans just as she had wowed audience members of NBC’s The Ellen DeGeneres audience a year ago with her sparkling personality and exceptional talent as a pianist when she performed a benefit concert for Orchestra Nova on May 21 at the Neurosciences Institute Auditorium.

Hei-ock Kim, a finalist in Orchestra Nova’s The Next Star talent competition held in March 2010 made a special appearance performing Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in a stunning performance which brought the audience to its feet.

Kyoto Prize Symposium Opening Ceremony and Gala A Big Success – Jung-Ho Pak Directed Entertainment

The San Diego Kyoto Prize Symposium Opening Ceremony and Gala event on April 20 was a big success, highlighted by spectacular entertainment under the direction of artistic director Jung-Ho Pak. Eighteen of Orchestra Nova's principal musicians performed with a wonderful array of guest artists.

More information.

4Arts - Group of Four Arts Organizations Join Forces

Four San Diego entrepreneurial arts organizations in different genres have formed a collaboration that will involve cross-promotions of their events for the remainder of this season and the 2010-2011 season.

Cygnet Theatre, Malashock Dance, the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA) and Orchestra Nova San Diego are breaking new ground with this announcement of their partnership.

Members or subscribers from each organization are offered 2-for-1 tickets to all events of the Group of Four organizations on an “if available” basis.

More information.

The San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau is offering a special 20% discount on all tickets to the 4Arts organization through June 2010 in their “Bang for the Buck” program. More Information

A Star is Born

Soprano Maria Lozano, a graduate student at SDSU, was announced as the winner of Orchestra Nova’s The Next Star talent competition Monday night, March 8, at the Sherwood Auditorium in La Jolla. After surviving two rounds of competition with Internet voting and an Orchestra Nova panel of judges, the three finalists, Gorden Cheng, Hei-ock Kim and Maria discovered what life as a professional musician is like with a week of media interviews and appearances, rehearsals with the orchestra and, finally, three concerts where they performed with the orchestras.

The final judges were Internet voters, audience members at each concert and the orchestran’s musicians. Reflective of one of the closest races possible for a talent competition, Jung-Ho Pak said, “They’re all winners in my book and we intend to support each of them in whatever path they choose to make their dreams come true.”

More information and videos.





Orchestra Nova is on a Roll

Orchestra Nova ended 2009 on a positive note

• All three Masterpiece Messiah concerts sold out and were enthusiastically received. 


• Our year-end fund-raising appeal broke records for year-end donations (nearly $20,000), doubling the amount of year-end donations in 2008. Over one-third of the donors were new donors to our orchestra.

Good things happening in 2010

• The Parker Foundation has awarded Orchestra Nova a $30,000 Challenge Grant – stay tuned for more news on this.
  
• Orchestra Nova recently received the highest ranking from the San Diego Arts and Culture Commission, indicating that we are considered a "model" organization and meet all review criteria to the highest degree possible

Challenges ahead -- but a determination to meet them head on

• As with most arts organizations during these troubled financial times, we are facing financial challenges but our dedicated team of staff, board and supporters is determined get through them and to keep the positive momentum going