Hodgins: Pacific Symphony's New Assistant Conductor Finds Plenty to Do Despite the Pandemic

Imagine taking on a prestigious job that requires you to appear regularly in large, crowded public spaces — something that has been an impossibility for over a year now. How would you feel? What would you do?

If you're Jacob Sustaita, Pacific Symphony's new assistant conductor, you figure out new ways to rise to the occasion and make yourself useful.

"I've definitely gone through a spectrum of feelings, but mostly I've been excited from the very beginning despite all this craziness," said the San Antonio native in a recent interview with Voice of OC. "Early on, a lot of my colleagues would check in with me. They asked me, 'Are you happy that you're here at this point? We feel so sorry for you.' But right away I was doing virtual meetings and a lot of planning. And as I learned more about (the orchestra's) plans, I was getting more and more excited."

One Year Late, Pacific Symphony's Season Finally Arrives

As the pandemic eases its grip on California, the performing arts are coming back to life with surprising vigor. The latest sign: Pacific Symphony is announcing an ambitious and robust 2021-22 season that assumes live concerts will be unrestricted in the fall. But it comes with a caveat.

College Art Programs Hope to Bring Back the Live Experience

Orange County is in Tier 3 of the California Re-Opening Plan, aka the Orange Tier, which allows for many local arts and culture venues, including museums and movie theatres, to re-open on a limited basis; although full re-opening for live events is still in the future. Arts Orange County will include re-opening businesses in its recommendations while continuing to spotlight virtual and streaming offerings. While the news is worth celebrating, we encourage everyone to keep their lives enriched by the arts safely! Save lives by wearing masks, respecting social distancing protocols, and, as soon as eligible, securing a vaccination appointment 

Laguna Beach Music Festival at Irvine Barclay Theatre

This beloved annual celebration has been able to add live, in-person concerts back into its lineup, with the Irvine Barclay ready to play host using advance ticketing, reduced seating, and other safety measures  DETAILS »

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Film Series

Santa Ana's independent cinema, The Frida, re-opens with a month-long tribute to Asian and Pacific Islander achievements in the world of film, from classics like "Tokyo Story" and "In the Mood for Love" to this year's Oscar winners "Nomadland" and "Minari"  DETAILS »

Art + Jazz with Elena Gilliam

MUZEO presents a virtual showcase combining two great creative forms with this program of live musical performances, interviews, and a showcase of visual arts  DETAILS »

Sing with Sonia de los Santos

This fun and festive musical workshop by the Latin Grammy nominated recording artist weaves together her favorite songs along with the stories that inspire her to create  DETAILS »

Opera Through the Seasons

Guests walking the beautiful gardens of Casa Romantica will also get a musical tour of the four seasons, featuring live performances of great arias at each station of the tour  DETAILS »