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Superstar cellist Santiago Cañón-Valencia returns to open our season with a dreamy duo program of French sonatas, unique transcriptions, and Stravinsky’s "Suite Italienne" (adapted from his ballet "Pulcinella"). Cañón-Valencia is a BBC Next Generation Artist and Tchaikovsky Competition silver medalist; his skill is hailed by The Strad as “technically flawless … totally under the skin of the composers’ idioms.” Program: Henri Duparc (1848–1933) - Lamento from "Melodies" Claude Debussy (1862–1918) - Cello Sonata Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) - “Posthume” Sonata Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) - "Suite Française" - "Pause" - "Ravel" - "Pavane pour une infante défunte" - "Pièce en forme de Habanera" Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) - "Suite Italienne" Colombian cellist Santiago Cañón-Valencia is a prolific soloist, composer, commissioner, recording artist, painter, and photographer. A 2022 BBC New Generation Artist, he was born in Bogotá in 1995 and made his debut with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá at age six before going on to win the Silver Medal at the 2019 XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition, the 2018 Starker Foundation Award, third prize at the 2017 Queen Elisabeth International Competition, and first prize at the Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition, among many other accolades. During the 2025–2026 season, Cañón-Valencia takes on an international schedule, including solo recitals in Spain and Portugal, a performance with the Macedonian Philharmonic, and a seat on the jury for the Budapest International Cello Competition. In the United States, he performs with the Kansas City Symphony, Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, and Camerata Pacifica. He also appears in recitals with pianist Victor Asuncion at Stanford and in La Jolla. His Latin American schedule takes him to the Puerto Rico Symphony, the Festival de Música de Morelia in Mexico, and the Cartagena Music Festival in Colombia. Cañón-Valencia’s solo career has taken him worldwide, with multiple world and regional premieres. In 2025–2026, he premieres Amparo Angel’s Cello Concerto at the Morelia Festival in Mexico. Previously, he performed World premieres, including Carlos Andrés Mejía’s cello concerto “Aurora” at Colombia’s Pereira Music Fest, Jorge Pinzón’s cello concerto “Rapsodia a los 4 Elementos” at the Cartagena International Music Festival, and Carlos Izcaray's commissioned cello concerto Stringmaster with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. In 2024, Cañón-Valencia released his debut single on Deutsche Grammophon, a recording of Arvo Pärt’s Fratres with pianist Naoko Sonoda. Two additional singles will follow. He has recorded four additional complete albums, the most recent being "Ascenso on Sono Luminus" (2022). Cañón-Valencia has been sponsored by the Mayra & Edmundo Esquenazi Scholarship through the Salvi Foundation since 2011. Learn more at www.santiagocanonvalencia.com. Hailed by the Washington Post for his “poised and imaginative playing,” Filipino American pianist Victor Santiago Asuncion has appeared in concert halls in Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Spain, Turkey, and the United States as a recitalist and concerto soloist. He made his orchestral debut at age 18 with the Manila Chamber Orchestra and his New York recital debut in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in 1999. In addition, he has worked with conductors including Sergio Esmilla, Enrique Batiz, Mei Ann Chen, Zeev Dorman, Arthur Weisberg, Corrick Brown, David Loebel, Leon Fleisher, Michael Stern, Jordan Tang, and Bobby McFerrin. A chamber music enthusiast, he has performed with artists such as Lynn Harrell, Zuill Bailey, Andres Diaz, James Dunham, Antonio Meneses, Joshua Roman, Cho-Liang Lin, Giora Schmidt, and the Dover, Emerson, Serafin, Sao Paulo, and Vega String Quartets. He was a member of the chamber music faculty of the Aspen Music Festival, and the Garth Newel Summer Music Festival. He was also the pianist for the Garth Newel Piano Quartet for three seasons. Festival appearances include the Amelia Island, Highland-Cashiers, Music in the Vineyards, and Santa Fe. His recordings include the complete Beethoven Sonatas with cellist Tobias Werner, Sonatas by Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff with cellist Joseph Johnson, the Rachmaninoff Sonata with cellist Evan Drachman, and the Chopin and Grieg Sonatas, also with cellist Evan Drachman. He is featured on the award-winning recording "Songs My Father Taught Me" with Lynn Harrell, produced by Louise Frank and WFMT-Chicago. Asuncion is the founder and artistic and board director of FilAm Music Foundation, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to promoting Filipino classical musicians through scholarship and performance. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts in 2007 from the University of Maryland at College Park under the tutelage of Rita Sloan. He is a Steinway artist. All concerts are preceded by a pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m. and are followed by a reception with the artists in the Sharon & Joel Labovitz Entry Hall. Athenaeum Music & Arts Library on Facebook / Instagram

The James Beard Foundation is kicking off the San Diego Food + Wine Festival Grand Weekend with the best of the best: poured and plated. Grand Decant is a massive exploration into the world of luxury and award-winning wine and spirits with special guest culinary power houses from near and far, including some of your favorite James Beard award winners and nominees. Global wine and spirits producers break out their best bottles in a limited release tasting of their most award-winning or highly coveted products. Taste some of the best wines produced in the world from distinguished wine regions like Paso Robles, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Lodi, Temecula, San Diego, Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, and many more! San Diego Food + Wine Festival on Facebook / Instagram

California is often cited as one of the top tourism destinations in the country, with a wide variety of attractions from Disneyland to the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe and everything in-between.

San Diego Italian Film Festival Presents: "Gospel According to Maria (Vangelo second Maria)," 2023 Thursday October 16, 7 p.m. La Paloma Maria is a girl from Nazareth, who has the same love for the stories in the Bible that Don Quixote has for adventure stories. As a female she is not allowed to do anything, not even learn to read and write. But, from the audacity of the prophets, who demand explanations from God, she learns disobedience. She dreams of freedom, knowledge, adventure, and escape. And she rebels. Joseph is her teacher and accomplice, a charming and powerful man, very different from the hunched old fellow of the holy paintings. In Italian and Sardinian with English subtitles. SD Italian Film Festival on Facebook / Instagram

The San Diego Seniors Community Foundation (SDSCF), in collaboration with the FBI San Diego Citizens Academy, are hosting an Elder Fraud Prevention seminar at the La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center (8450 La Mesa Blvd. in La Mesa) on Friday, Nov. 7 at 12:30 p.m. Supported by the Wells Fargo Foundation, this event will educate seniors and their families about preventing fraud and scams. The entire community is invited and encouraged to bring an older adult. Elder fraud is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the country, surging 84% nationwide in one year. Seniors lose more than $3 billion annually to scams, and in San Diego County, cases have risen by more than 30% in the last two years. Isolated seniors are at especially high risk—making prevention efforts, not just helpful but urgent. Scams using AI, video, and social media are exploiting seniors – targeting even highly educated professionals. Common frauds regularly affecting individuals over age 60 include: • Confidence/Romance Scam: Criminals pose as interested romantic partners through dating websites to capitalize on their elderly victims’ desire to find companions. • Tech Support Scam: Criminals pose as tech support representatives and offer to fix nonexistent computer issues, gaining remote access to victims’ devices and, thus, their sensitive information. • Cryptocurrency Scam: Scammers convince targeted individuals to withdraw large sums of cash and deposit it into cryptocurrency ATMs or kiosks at locations provided by the scammers. Once cash is deposited and converted into cryptocurrency, the scammer transfers it to other cryptocurrency accounts. • Investment Scam: Investment fraud involves complex financial crimes often characterized as low-risk investments with guaranteed returns. They include advanced fee frauds, Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, market manipulation fraud, real estate investing, and trust-based investing such as cryptocurrency investment scams. The FBI National Citizens Academy Alumni Association (FBICAAA) recently awarded the Excellence in Community Partnerships, a national recognition, to the FBI San Diego Citizens Academy Alumni Association for their work with SDSCF in educating more than 500 San Diego seniors on fraud prevention. To register, visit fbisdcaaa.org/elderfraud. For more information, visit www.sdscf.org or www.fbisdcaaa.org/elderfraud.

Robert Spano, conductor Conrad Tao, piano San Diego Symphony Orchestra ADAM SCHOENBERG: Cool Cat JOHN ADAMS: Century Rolls RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44 An exuberant celebration of music by three composers, all of whom came from elsewhere to live in California. The youngest, Massachusetts-born Adam Schoenberg, is famous for his ability to meld popular idioms into energetic pieces for classical audiences and Cool Cat is no exception. This delightful fanfare of an overture celebrates the life of P-22, the world-famous mountain lion who lived for a decade in the hills above Los Angeles. John Adams, one of the most renowned American composers, wrote his piano concerto Century Rolls in the 1990s as a celebration of the great age of American player-piano recordings a century ago by artists such as Jelly Roll Morton and Gershwin. Russian-born Rachmaninoff himself spent much of the last quarter century of his life in the US, becoming a citizen and owning homes in New York and Los Angeles. Rachmaninoff was a huge admirer of American popular music and in the last movement of his Third Symphony we can hear his delight in Hollywood film-music and especially the movies of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. San Diego Symphony on Facebook / Instagram

Embark on a guided tasting that uncorks the soul of one of France’s most storied wine regions. From the steep, misty hillsides of the Northern Rhône to the sun-drenched vineyards of the South, this immersive seminar showcases the incredible diversity of styles, grapes, and terroirs that make up the Côtes du Rhône. Led by Rhône Valley expert Christophe Tassan, you’ll taste through a hand-selected lineup of wines from across the region—each bottle telling a distinct story of place, tradition, and winemaking philosophy. Along the way, you’ll gain insight into how climate, soil, and history shape the bold reds, vibrant whites, and aromatic rosés that define the Rhône’s signature character. Whether you’re new to Rhône wines or looking to deepen your knowledge, this seminar offers a compelling journey through the flavors and landscapes of one of the world’s most dynamic wine regions. Visit: San Diego Food + Wine Festival: A Tasting Tour Of The Côtes Du Rhône San Diego Food + Wine Festival on Instagram and Facebook

Discover the wines of one of the world’s oldest winemaking regions in this guided tasting experience that bridges 8,000 years of tradition with a bold, modern revival. Often referred to as the cradle of wine, Georgia is home to indigenous grape varieties, distinctive winemaking techniques like qvevri fermentation, and a wine culture deeply woven into its history. This seminar will explore what makes Georgian wines so unique, approachable, and worth adding to your rotation. What’s Included: – A tasting of diverse wines from across Georgia’s key wine regions – Intro to native grape varieties and traditional winemaking methods – Cultural insights that highlight Georgia’s place in global wine history Perfect for adventurous palates and curious wine drinkers Come sip your way through a region where ancient tradition meets fresh discovery. Visit: San Diego Food + Wine Festival: Wines Of Georgia, Ancient Roots, Modern Sips San Diego Food + Wine Festival on Instagram and Facebook

We are excited to share that the Mother, Child, and Adolescent HIV Program (MCAP) at UC San Diego will be hosting a Drag Brunch Fundraiser on Sunday, October 19, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This lively and inclusive event will feature incredible queens from across San Diego, great food, and on-site testing — all in support of women, children, and youth living with HIV. Join us in celebrating community and raising critical funds! MCAP is dedicated to providing compassionate, comprehensive care for women, children, and adolescents affected by HIV. According to the CDC, nearly 19% of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. are among women, and youth ages 13–24 account for 20% of all new HIV diagnoses. Many of these individuals face unique challenges, including stigma, unstable housing, food insecurity, and limited access to mental health services — all of which can affect their ability to remain in care and achieve viral suppression. Additionally, this year the U.S. has cut more than $450 million from HIV research and proposed eliminating over $1.5 billion in prevention funding—jeopardizing decades of progress and putting thousands at risk of new infections. And this is just the beginning. Your support ensures that women, children, and youth living with HIV are not left behind, providing the life-saving care and support they need to thrive.

What: Hand-Tied Flower Arranging + Hapazome Workshop When: Sunday, November 2, 5:30-8 p.m. Where: Native Poppy, Solana Beach, 142 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075 Limited Spots Available! Join us for a NEW collaborative workshop, merging the art of floral design and Hapazome - where flowers are pounded with a mallet onto fabric! Start the night by learning our professional tips on design, color theory, and flower care while making a beautiful hand-tied flower bundle wrapped in paper. Then, explore the Japanese natural dyeing technique of Hapazome with Violet of Botanical Spells. Make two beautiful floral napkins to take home and enjoy! Ticket Includes: - All tools and supplies to make a hand-tied bundle of wrapped flowers - Professional instruction from Native Poppy florists - All tools and supplies to make two floral napkins - Professional Hapazome instruction from Violet of Botanical Spells Complimentary beverages -Your handmade hapazome floral napkins and flower bundle wrapped in paper to take home (or gift to a loved one!) Native Poppy on Facebook / Instagram