Jacobs Music Center — Attraction in San Diego

I attended Brahms x Radiohead at Jacobs Music Center on March 8, 2025, and unfortunately, it was a pretty disappointing experience.

The Venue:

I sat at the back of the Parterre section, and the sound quality was surprisingly poor. The orchestra sounded distant, muted, and lacked any real dynamics—there was little differentiation between quiet moments and crescendos. For a venue that hosts orchestral performances, I expected a much better acoustic experience. It was difficult to truly appreciate the composition because so much detail was lost in the muddled sound. If Jacobs Music Center can’t deliver a full, rich sound to all areas of the theater, it really diminishes the experience.

The Performance:

While I appreciated the concept behind Brahms x Radiohead, the execution left a lot to be desired. The orchestral composition itself had potential, but it never really came through due to the poor sound quality. On top of that, the vocal arrangements felt out of place—cheesy and more like something from a Broadway musical rather than a well-integrated fusion of classical and modern music. The singing wasn’t necessary and didn’t mesh well with the orchestra, making the entire arrangement feel disjointed. By intermission, I’d had enough and decided to leave.

I was really hoping for a much better performance and a better listening experience. Unfortunately, both the venue and the musical...

Wonderful symphony and amazing venue.

The concert hall is beautiful has amazing acoustics.

We saw a delicate but powerful performance of some Saint-Saens pieces and some more contemporary composers. All solidly performed by incredible musicians.

Volunteers are top notch professionals. Not sure why they use volunteers to run this place as they are making plenty of money, but the volunteers are dedicated and seem to add to the special nature of the concert hall. Also, if I could hear the beautiful music in exchange for my time, I suppose this is an amazing place to volunteer. They really are sweet, dedicated and helpful.

The audience has a good decorum, with only a few exceptions. Occasionally some clap out of turn, and some need to keep their noisy candy silent during the performance, but the clientele seem to be some of the finest San Diego has to offer. A fine group of people to enjoy excellent music with.

Must mention that the bathrooms are amazingly clean and...

Amazing indoor concert auditorium! They recently completed a renovation, and the decore is detailed and beautiful. The sound is excellent. There is no bad seat in the venue as you can see and hear from any location, even from the upper rows of the balcony (where we enjoyed a performance of the San Diego Symphony, which was equally impressive). Speaking of seats, all are new and comfortable. The lobbies and staff are welcoming. If you have a chance to enjoy a performance here, please do! ...