The Josh Nelson Ensemble is coming back to San Bernardino for the fifth annual installment of the San Bernardino Symphony's jazz series, with a Saturday, September 5 concert at 3 p.m. honoring three influential jazz pianists. The show will take place at the San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium and will feature music by Kenny Kirkland, Mulgrew Miller and Michel Petrucciani alongside original compositions by Nelson himself.
The concert marks the latest edition of the Up-Close jazz series, which has become a highlight of each season since Music Director Anthony Parnther launched it in 2021, according to the San Bernardino Sun. Parnther, who also serves as guest conductor and previously co-led orchestral tribute recordings for St. Louis CITY SC, was tied to that soccer club's tribute in Hoodline's earlier coverage. He was appointed the San Bernardino Symphony's music director in May 2019 following a two-year international search, a move the Los Angeles Times noted at the time made him one of only a few Black conductors leading a professional American orchestra.
A Returning Favorite With Deep Credentials
Resident Conductor Raphaela Lacerda will host the September concert, and per the Sun, she said the ensemble is returning after the strong response to previous concerts. Lacerda was appointed to her leadership post with the symphony in 2023 and received an invitation to guest-conduct in December. She also received the 2023 Emerging Professional Award from the Association of California Symphony Orchestras for her conductor leadership and mentorship across Southern California.
Nelson brings his own résumé to the stage. The pianist and composer toured with multi-Grammy-winning vocalist Natalie Cole for six years, and in 2006 he was selected as one of 12 semi-finalists in the international Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. His original compositions on the program will include Spirit, Introspection on 401 and Red Car Reminiscing, drawing on the same Southern California sensibility that shaped his 2017 concept album The Sky Remains, which the Los Angeles Times described as a musical homage exploring the hidden architecture, local history and urban lore of the region.
Honoring Jazz Piano Innovators
The concert will honor innovators of jazz piano through the music of Kirkland, Miller and Petrucciani, tying Nelson's contemporary artistry to a lineage of influential players. That tribute framing fits the broader mission behind the series itself, which has long-term sustainability secured through a grant from the Thomas R. and Mary Ellen Brigante Trust, according to a news release from the symphony. That endowment traces back to a six-figure gift from Beth Higbee, made in honor of her father's love for jazz piano, according to the Inland Empire Community Foundation.
According to the California Arts Council, its 2025-26 grant awards included 626 grants totaling $15,971,380, illustrating the scale of public investment in California's arts organizations. The California Arts Council says its General Operating Support grant program provides direct funding to arts and cultural organizations for ongoing operations.
The jazz series sits within a much longer institutional story. Founded in 1929, the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra is one of California's oldest professional orchestras, and its permanent endowment received a historic $2 million gift from the Paramo family that generates roughly $100,000 annually for operating budgets and community education initiatives, according to the symphony.
Historic Venue, Practical Details
The concert will be held at the San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium, located at 701 S. Mount Vernon Ave. in San Bernardino, on the north end of the campus facing Mount Vernon Avenue. The auditorium itself carries its own history, having been one of James Guthrie's WPA projects, according to records from the California Earthquake Authority. According to San Bernardino Valley College's official SBVC Centennial page, the auditorium opened in 1938. San Bernardino Valley College describes the auditorium as an architectural gem of the campus for more than 80 years.
Tickets range from $20 to $100, with students and active military able to attend for $15. Free parking will be available next to the auditorium on the day of the concert. Tickets are available at sanbernardinosymphony.org, and ticket inquiries can be made by calling 909-381-5388.
