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First Prize, Concours International de Piano Clara Haskil in Switzerland Tchaikovsky Competition 2019, Silver Medalist With an innate musical sensitivity and naturalness to his artistry, 24-year-old pianist Mao Fujita has already impressed many leading musicians as one of those special talents which come along only rarely, equally at home in Mozart as the major romantic repertoire. About Mao Fujita| Born in Tokyo, Fujita was still studying at the Tokyo College of Music in 2017 when he took First Prize at the prestigious Concours International de Piano Clara Haskil in Switzerland, along with the Audience Award, Prix Modern Times, and the Prix Coup de Coeur, which first brought him to the attention of the international music community. He was also the Silver Medalist at the 2019 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, where his special musical qualities received exceptional attention from a jury of leading musicians. Fujita has been invited to appear in recital at major international festivals including the Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Tsinandali and Riga-Jurmala festivals, among others, and he made his highly-anticipated US recital debut at Carnegie Hall in January 2023. Recent and upcoming orchestral highlights include performances with the Gewandhausorchester, Munich Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Philharmonique de Radio France, Konzerthaus Berlin, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, RAI, Filarmonica della Scala, and Lucerne Festival orchestras, while his many conductor relationships include Vasily Petrenko, Christoph Eschenbach, Riccardo Chailly, and Andris Nelsons. In November 2021, Fujita signed an exclusive multi-album deal with Sony Classical International. The new partnership sees him explore many facets of repertoire across several releases, starting with an eagerly-anticipated studio recording of Mozart’s complete piano sonatas, which is due for release in October 2022, following an acclaimed series of performances of the complete sonatas at the Verbier Festival in 2021. Fujita has been invited to perform the same set of works, interspersed with sets of Variations, over five concerts for his debut at London’s Wigmore Hall at the end of the 2022/23 season. Starting piano lessons at the age of three, Fujita won his first international prize in 2010 at the World Classic in Taiwan, and became a laureate of numerous national and international competitions such as the Rosario Marciano International Piano Competition in Vienna (2013), Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians (2015), and the Gina Bachauer International Young Artists Piano Competition (2016).

The 3rd Annual Dia De Los Muertos Celebration is Saturday, October 28 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Watch the South Bay neighborhood transform into a beautiful and lively, cempacuchil filled extravaganza to celebrate the lives of past loved ones. The free community event is more than just an exciting experience for the entire family; it’s a cherished tradition that brings the entire community together to commemorate departed loved ones while embracing the joy that life brings. Taking place in the heart of Downtown Chula Vista, the celebration will be filled with a community altar, an altar contest, dance performances, a Catrin and Catrina Ensemble Contest for cash prizes, food vendors, and themed photo opportunities throughout the neighborhood. At the core of the cultural tradition is the community altar, a symbol signifying love and remembrance. The South Bay neighborhood encourages the community to participate in the touching tradition by bringing photos of loved ones who have passed and place them in the neighborhood’s community altar. As a holiday dedicated to celebrating the lives of those who have passed, the altar will be a collection of memories that will be cherished by all. Along with the community altar, there will be chances to win cash prizes by participating in the contests hosted by the Downtown Chula Vista Association. This year’s altar contest will feature three different categories: best altar created by school/students, best altar created by the general public, and best overall altar. Attached to claiming the victory, the winners of the contest will win cash prizes. For more information and the application form click here. Guests are also encouraged to dress up in traditional Catrin and Catrina attire or put their own twist on the traditional look. Those with the best and most creative looks will take home a cash prize ranging from $100 to $500. The categories for the contest includes best youth (12 and under), best catrín (male), best catrína (female), and best couple. To apply or to learn more click here. Fun activities will be set up for families such as a kid’s craft station, treats, delicious food, vendors, themed photo opportunities throughout the neighborhood. Towards the end of the evening, a special screening of Guillermo del Toro’s "Book of Life" will be played in the Memorial Bowl starting at 7 p.m.

Celebrating its 3rd year, The Halloween Town Costume Party is set to top last year and present Spooktacular festivities that San Diegans of all ages can partake in! Event Highlights: Dance party with dance games, Beetlejuice as our fun host, carnival games with prizes, a costume parade along the boardwalk, a costume contest with a chance to win a PlayStation 5, a raffle with exciting prizes, local food pop-up, delectable Halloween-themed desserts from Seaport Fudge Factory, and the renowned Dole Soft Serve ice cream at their booth. Explore custom ice cream cones by Game of Cones, sip on local brews from Mike Hess Brewery, savor ice cream flavors from Ben & Jerry’s, enjoy San Pasqual Winery’s drinks, and shop at Island Fashion for local products. Seaport Village on Facebook / Instagram

🎃 Join us for a Spooktacular Family-Friendly Halloween Event at The Shout! House Dueling Pianos! 📅 Date: Sunday, October 29 🚪 Doors Open: 2 p.m. 🎹 Piano Show Starts: 2:30 p.m. Get ready to put on your most creative and fun costumes because we’re turning The Shout! House into a Halloween haven for the whole family! This is a Halloween celebration like no other, where ghouls and goblins of all ages are welcome. 👗 Costume Contest: Show off your amazing Halloween costumes and stand a chance to win fabulous prizes! Whether you’re a spooky ghost, a superhero, a magical creature, or anything in between, your costume could be the star of the show. 🎹 Family-Friendly Dueling Piano Show: Our talented pianists are here to entertain you with high-energy, family-friendly music that will get everyone clapping, singing, and dancing along. Request your favorite tunes, and watch as the pianos come alive with music and laughter. 🍔 Delicious Food and Drinks: We have something for every taste bud. Perfect for both kids and adults. 🎈 All Ages Welcome: This event is designed with the whole family in mind, so no matter the age, everyone can have a blast together. We believe Halloween should be fun for everyone! 🪙 Table Reservations: Due to the popularity of our family-friendly events, we highly recommend making a table reservation in advance. Secure your spot today to ensure the best seats in the house for your family. 📍 Location: The Shout! House Dueling Pianos 655 4th Ave, San Diego CA 92101 Come in your spookiest, silliest, or most creative costumes, and let’s make this Halloween unforgettable! We can’t wait to see you there!🎃👻🎶 The Shout! House San Diego on Facebook / Instagram

We learn a lot when we enter the perspective other people and even objects of the natural and unnatural world. This class will discuss a series of persona poems…written in the voice of the “other”…in order to arrive at a new and deeper understanding of others’ experience. Pulitzer Prize winner Louise Gluck has an entire book, "The Wild Iris", in which the poems are all written in the voice of plants. The purpose of our session will be to practice entering into another’s experience and searching for a deeper meaning that we can apply to own lives. Both poets and prose writers can benefit from this experience.

This weekend in the arts, a west coast premiere of Mason Bates' latest composition, futuristic art from Pinar Yoldas, photography and beauty through a Black lens, Labyrinth-inspired music and dance, live music picks and more local arts and culture.

Two scientists who are fast friends, one Nigerian and one American, have won the MacArthur Foundation's 100&Change competition for their network to catch the next disease with pandemic potential.

On Thursday, October 19th, Mavericks Beach Club will be hosting their biggest charity event of the year, the SDFD Mustache Madness. The event includes live music, mustache contests, passed apps and drinks, one-of-a-kind silent auction items, raffle prizes, and much more, all in support of Firefighter Aid. Firefighter Aid’s mission is to provide charitable assistance to firefighters and their families in times of need and to promote awareness of firefighter health and safety issues, and the impacts they have upon their families and communities. The event takes place from 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Tickets, which are $20 with 100% of proceeds going to Firefighter Aid, can be purchased here!

With her personal touches on every aspect of this unique evening, award-winning New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck embraces the role of director for Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends, turning up the heat with innovative, handpicked repertoire performed by some of today’s most exciting talent including fellow NYCB dancers and the reigning diva of tap dance, Michelle Dorrance. The virtuosic program includes Thousandth Orange, set to live music composed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw; an electric pas de deux choreographed by Alonzo King; and a dynamic finale reflecting Peck’s creative partnership with choreographer William Forsythe, set to music by James Blake. While different in so many ways, all four pieces share a captivating joyfulness—joy for dance, for music, and for the inspiration that comes from surrounding oneself with creative and inspirational friends. Regarded as a “dance luminary” (Washington Post), “pure joy in toe shoes” (Los Angeles Times) and “the ballerina who can stop time (and re-start it too)” (New York Times), Tiler Peck is widely recognised as one of the top American ballerinas of our time. A Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet (NYCB), an actress, choreographer, author and designer, Peck continues to evolve as an artist and add to her extensive repertoire. She added the title of curator when she launched and starred in the Los Angeles Music Center’s presentation of BalletNOW. She was the subject of the Hulu feature documentary, Ballet Now, and also choreographed the box office smash action movie, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Tiler starred in CLI Studios’ A New Stage and the world premiere of William Forsythe’s The Barre Project (Blake Works II), and was Executive Producer on both. She appeared in Season 7 of Ray Donovan opposite Liev Shreiber and the Netflix series Tiny Pretty Things. The first ballerina ever to appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, she guested on Dancing with the Stars for three seasons and on Julie Andrews’ Netflix series, Julie’s Greenroom. She also starred in the film Ballet 422. Born in Bakersfield, California, Tiler began her dance training at the age of two at her mom’s dance studio. At 14, she entered the School of American Ballet. The same year, she became an apprentice with NYCB and within a few months was asked to join the corps de ballet. Tiler was promoted to Soloist in 2006 and to Principal Dancer in 2009 where she remains to this day. At 11, Tiler made her Broadway debut in The Music Man and later appeared on Broadway as Ivy Smith in the Tony-nominated On the Town. She played Louise in the Emmy-nominated production of Carousel (New York Philharmonic, Live From Lincoln Center) and more recently played the title role in Susan Stroman’s musical, Little Dancer (Kennedy Center). She is due to star in the production (now called Marie) on Broadway. Tiler had the honour of performing for President Barack Obama at the 2012 and 2014 Kennedy Center Honors. She was the 2004 Mae L. Wien Award winner, the Janice Levin Honoree for 2006–07, winner of the Leonide Massine’s Positano Premia La Danza for International Emerging Artists, and a 2004 recipient of a Princess Grace Foundation–USA Dance Fellowship. In 2013 she was named in Forbes’ “30 under 30 in Hollywood Entertainment” and won the Princess Grace Statue Award. She also received the 2016 Dance Magazine Award. Tiler developed and produces a daily ballet class, #TurnItOutWithTiler, initially aimed at helping people stay connected and moving during the pandemic. The show’s down-to-earth tone coupled with its very necessary purpose attracted the attention of enthusiasts like Jennifer Garner, Sarah Jessica Parker, Leslie Odom Jr, and Josh Groban, who all guested on the show. Tiler curated and directed the inaugural Artists at the Center for New York City Center. Marking her NYC choreographic debut, it also featured premieres from William Forsythe, Alonzo King, Jillian Meyers and Michelle Dorrance. With a passion and keen eye for fashion, Tiler designed the “Love, Tiler” collection for Só Dança and the capsule collection, Tiler Peck X STATESIDE, in collaboration with the popular Los Angeles-based sportswear company. Her second capsule collection was released in early 2023. Her first children’s book, Katarina Ballerina (Simon & Schuster) was published in 2020, and Katarina’s adventures continue in Katarina Ballerina & The Victory Dance (2022), in which she helps a fellow ballet dancer follow his dreams.

Brightfeather is a dynamic and immersive violin-piano duo founded by violinist Benjamin Hoffman and pianist Irene Kim. Through deeply personal performances, Brightfeather is committed to bringing the light, hope, and strength of music to audiences across the globe. The duo has performed throughout the United States as well as in Europe, Asia, and Oceania, and presents repertoire spanning an extensive range of time periods and musical languages. Violinist Benjamin Hoffman has been heard across Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania, performing with artists such as Ani Kavafian, Wolfram Christ, Jorja Fleezanis, John Adams, and Gary Hoffman. He has appeared at Yellow Barn, Chamber Music Northwest, Aspen, the Ojai Music Festival, and Music Academy of the West, and has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Wiener Konzertverein, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Seoul Arts Center, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts Beijing. Hoffman is an enthusiastic concertmaster and has led much of the symphonic repertoire both with and without conductor. He has also performed as a guest musician with the New York Philharmonic, the London Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, and the San Diego Symphony. He holds degrees from the Yale School of Music and Indiana University, studying with Ani Kavafian and Alexander Kerr. Pianist Irene Kim, a critically acclaimed prizewinner of international competitions, has performed across the globe in Europe, Asia, North America, and Australasia, appearing at venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Library of Congress. She is known for her versatility as an artist and for her powerful and authoritative performances, which range from the rare feat of performing Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto without a conductor to performing at Coachella alongside Danny Elfman. Continuously fascinated by the music and art of her contemporary surroundings, she works frequently with living composers and collaborates with visual artists and dancers. Her additional training as a conductor and piano technician informs her performance practice and instruction. She holds a doctorate from the Peabody Conservatory where she studied with Boris Slutsky, Benjamin Pasternack, and Leon Fleisher.