For more than 20 years, San Diego Opera has been able to hire the city’s top musicians — members of the San Diego Symphony — to perform in its season productions.
Now, with the help of San Diego philanthropist Irwin Jacobs, that musical partnership is guaranteed to carry on for the next three seasons. On Monday, San Diego Opera announced that Jacobs has committed $4.5 million to establish The Joan and Irwin Jacobs San Diego Symphony and San Diego Opera Collaboration Fund.
San Diego Opera’s Principal Conductor Yves Abel conducts San Diego Symphony musicians onstage during a dress rehearsal for the company’s 2024 production of “Don Giovanni” at the San Diego Civic Theatre. (Karli Cadel)
The cost of hiring the symphony musicians represents 12.1% of San Diego Opera’s annual budget, so the new Jacobs fund represents a landmark gift to the organization. The fund will also be used to expand collaboration between the two arts organizations and support artistic planning.
“Dr. Jacobs’ extraordinary generosity reflects his ongoing deep belief in the power of the performing arts and importance of partnerships that enrich our community,” said David Bennett, general director and CEO of San Diego Opera, in a statement. “The gift not only furthers our artistic visions, but advances a model of collaboration that is essential to the future of the arts in San Diego.”
Jacobs — with his late wife, Joan, who died in May 2024 at age 91 — has donated more than $100 million to San Diego Symphony over the past 25 years. He said in a statement that he is pleased to support San Diego Opera with this collaborative gift.
“Both San Diego Opera and the San Diego Symphony were very important to my late wife, Joan, and I am delighted to be able to carry on her philanthropic vision with a gift to the Opera to benefit these two remarkable cultural institutions,” he said. “The performing arts are vital to making San Diego a great place to live, and the outstanding collaboration between the Opera and the Symphony make both organizations stronger and better.”
San Diego Opera’s 2025-26 season continues this year with two Symphony-supported productions at the San Diego Civic Theatre, Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” from Feb. 13-15 and Bizet’s “Carmen” from March 27-29. The company is also presenting the national touring production of the opera “Fellow Travelers” from July 10-12 at the Balboa Theatre.
Argentine baritone Germán Enrique Alcántara at a dress rehearsal with San Diego Symphony musicians for San Diego Opera’s 2024 production of “Don Giovanni,” where the musicians were onstage with the actors.(Karli Cadel)