Symphony San Jose opens season with Masquerade Fantastique

Masquerade Fantastique

Symphony San Jose is planning a Masquerade Fantastique for its 2025-26 season opening program, set for Oct. 4-5 at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose.

Saturday night’s concert begins with a red-carpet welcome and an exclusive VIP pre-concert reception with wine, food and live entertainment.

VIPs can also enjoy refreshments in the Baton Society Lounge during intermission alongside Symphony San Jose leadership and donors. After the performance, continue the celebration at a courtyard dessert reception and mingle with conductor Nathan Aspinall, soloist Jon Nakamatsu and Symphony San Jose musicians.

San Jose native Nakamatsu will be the piano soloist for Rachmaninoff’s 1934 “Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini.” The program also includes Anna Clyne’s “Masquerade” and Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique.”

Concerts are Saturday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 5, at 2:30 p.m. at the California Theatre, 345 South First St. Tickets are $35-$115 at 408-286-2600 or www.symphonysanjose.org.

Coastal Cleanup Day

Valley Water joined forces with the Creek Connections Action Group on Sept. 20 to remove litter and debris from creeks across Santa Clara County. Local cleanups were part of the larger effort organized by the California Coastal Commission, where volunteers were on the hunt for litter in creeks and rivers statewide.

This year’s cleanups in Santa Clara County saw 1,539 volunteers at 56 cleanup sites collect about 25,885 pounds of trash and recyclables along 74.5 miles of waterways. Interesting items found include a boombox, a mini-fridge, a message in a bottle and a 3D-printed lizard.

Apart from the annual Coastal Cleanup Day, volunteers in Valley Water’s monitor trash in their adopted creek segments and organize at least two cleanups annually. For more information, visit https://www.valleywater.org/adopt-a-creek.