Classical Event Details

An Organ and Orchestra Celebration

Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Southern California | Monday, August 17, 2026 at 7:30 PM PDT

When

Monday, August 17, 2026 at 7:30 PM PDT

Where

Spreckels Organ Pavilion
San Diego, Southern California

Address

2125 Pan American East Road, San Diego, CA 92101

An Organ and Orchestra Celebration! An Organ and Orchestra Celebration! at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion About our Artists Conductor and violinist Alejandro Gómez Guillén is known for an energetic and thoughtful approach to music-making, with a focus on performances that are compelling and educational. He has appeared with orchestras across the United States and abroad, among them Phoenix Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, Illinois Symphony, New Mexico Philharmonic, and Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá. He has also performed at the Oregon Bach Festival and collaborated with conductors such as Robert Spano, Tito Muñoz, and Ankush Kumar Bahl. Alejandro previously served as Assistant Conductor of Omaha Symphony, where he participated in the premiere of Andy Akiho’s Grammy-nominated Sculptures. He was also Artistic Director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, conducting the Indiana premiere of Florence Price’s Symphony No. 4. As Associate Conductor of Fort Worth Symphony, he led community, pops, and educational performances and collaborated with artists including Time for Three and mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte. He is also Music Director of Sphere, a Colorado-based string collective known for adventurous programming across genres and eras, including a recent recording featuring music by Grammy-nominated composer Carter Pann. He currently serves as Director of Orchestras at Arizona State University, where he leads one of the nation’s largest collegiate orchestral programs and directs a dynamic performance program for emerging artists. Recent performances there include the Arizona collegiate premiere of William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony. Born in Colombia and a proud U.S. citizen, Gómez Guillén studied violin and conducting at Texas Christian University and the University of Colorado Boulder. Away from the podium, he enjoys trail running, singing, and sharing music with family and friends. @alejandromusick Violinist Jeff Thayer holds the Deborah Pate and John Forrest Concertmaster Chair of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Thayer is also a founding member of the Camera Lucida chamber music ensemble, formerly in residence at UCSD’s Conrad Prebys Music Center. Previous positions include assistant concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, associate concertmaster of the North Carolina Symphony and concertmaster of the Canton (OH) Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Thayer was also formerly on the violin faculty of the Music Academy of the West where