Recently, Villa Musica ran an ENCORE! Symphonic Discoveries program at Los Arcos Senior Housing thanks to the support of the City of SD and the San Diego Symphony. Through this program, the San Diego Symphony provides tickets to one of their upcoming concerts, while a Villa Musica faculty member gives a presentation on the concert program. The residents of the Los Arcos community shared this thank you note with us, as well as the following pictures of their experience:
Los Arcos residents had a wonderful opportunity to receive free tickets to a symphony in Jacobs Music Center in downtown San Diego. The concert was called “Vanska Conducts Sibelius and Beethoven” on Friday, February 28, 2025 at 11 am. In partnership with the San Diego Symphony, participants in the Symphonic Discoveries ENCORE! and Villa Musica presented two 1-hour workshops here at Los Arcos. Participants gained an understanding of the cultural and historical context of symphonic music prior to attending this performance. Villa Musica’s faculty member, Brooks Salloum, led participants in this program through a varied curriculum discovering common forms and structures of music so that listeners could connect more deeply with the music they listened to. The symphony provided tickets for all students enrolled in the class. Nicole Olsson,Villa Musica Community Programs Manager, provided transportation to and from Los Arcos to Downtown San Diego. Tickets for the first three rows, where we sat, normally cost $99-$120! In our classes we learned about the music we were about to hear: Tapiola, Op. 112, a Tone Poem by Jean Sibelius, and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73, Emporer, with Paavali Jumppanen, Guest Pianist, as well as Symphony No. 5 in E-flat Major,Op. 82.
Los Arcos residents with Villa Musica Faculty Brooks Salloum and Nicole Olsson
Los Arcos residents waiting for the concert to begin
Nicole Olsson providing transportation to the concert
Photo shared from before the concert
Photo shared from their seats
Villa Musica offers ENCORE! programming for older adults at 20 locations in San Diego County. If you’re interested in coordinating a Symphonic Discoveries workshop at your organization or in your community, please reach out to:
ENCORE! Program Coordinator:
Nicole Olsson – nolsson@villamusica.org
