It wasn’t just extraordinary music with a few surprises tucked in, as fans of Jung-Ho Pak and the San Diego Chamber Orchestra have come to expect. The November Classics Series concert, “Baroque Pearls,” featuring the most loved and well-known melodies of all time and played in authentic Baroque style, was already delighting the audience members when Maestro Pak and the Orchestra introduced a new Baroque overture and asked the audience to guess the country of origin.

Last year, the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, now in its second year under Artistic Director, Jung-Ho Pak, created a sensation by performing Handel’s Messiah with forces that were lighter and more transparent than traditional approaches.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego will wrap up its successful 15th Anniversary Season of Singing Out with its annual holiday concerts. “Bells & Brass,” which features the 75-member Chorus accompanied by brass ensemble and handbell choir, will be presented on Saturday, December 15, at 8 pm and again on Sunday, December 16, at 2 pm.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego will perform at a pair of upcoming community events to help everyone ring in the holiday season. GMCSD will sing selections from its holiday concert “Bells & Brass” which will be held on December 15 and 16. Both events are free and open to the public.

By almost any measurement, Jung-Ho Pak’s first season as the Artistic Director for the San Diego Chamber Orchestra was a stunning success. Audiences were enthusiastic, the musicians talked about the joy of performing with Jung-Ho, and ticket sales and revenue were stronger than ever, with many sold-out performances.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego continues its 15th Anniversary Season of Singing Out with an unprecedented number of singers, expanded artistic staff, hard-earned financial stability, and an unbridled enthusiasm about the future.

Earlier this morning a landslide occurred on Mt. Soledad, prompting the closure of Soledad Mountain Road between Desert View Drive and Palomino Circle. Additionally, 180 homes were given evacuation calls via the City's Reverse 911 system.

Morgan Stanley of Rancho Santa Fe has generously agreed to sponsor the San Diego Chamber Orchestra’s September 9th concert, Pops on the Promenade, to be performed at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. Glenn Mazzone of Morgan Stanley commented, “We are proud to partner with the Orchestra to bring this wonderful music to the Rancho Santa Fe community.”

The San Diego Museum of Art is organizing a state-of-the-art exhibition which showcases the latest trend in animated art by contemporary artists. Running from October 13, 2007, to January 13, 2008, Animated Painting features 25 cinematic works by 14 international contemporary artists who adapt traditional painting and drawing methods to the concepts and technologies of animation.

A federal grand jury in San Diego has indicted 18 individuals on racketeering and related charges for allegedly operating an Internet business that generated more than $126 million in gross revenues from the illegal sale of prescription drugs, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Karen P. Hewitt for the Southern District of California announced today.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum will open its newest permanent exhibition, “America by Air,” on Nov. 17. With a dramatic array of artifacts, photographs, artwork and interactives—many at full scale—the gallery will tell in sweeping detail the story of passenger air travel in the United States, from the early attempts to form airlines only a decade after Kitty Hawk to the commercial challenges and technical sophistication of the 21st-century jet age.

Multi-Grammy-winning vocalist and songwriter, SEAL, will take the stage in celebration of the 10th anniversary Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego on Sunday, June 3, 2007 at COX Arena.