Pacific Symphony Artistic & Music Director Alexander Shelley inaugurated his season on September 24 with a concert that began with the Star Spangled Banner and concluded with Gershwin’s Overture to Girl Crazy. The performance at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall provided a glimpse into the vision of the 46-year-old English conductor, who has taken over from Carl St. Clair.
The evening featured an international flair, including a suite of Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances, the Symphanie espagnole with Grammy-winning violinist Joshua Bell, and Korngold’s Kings Row Suite. The packed opening night also included a pre-show cocktail hour and dinner, designed with an ocean motif aligned with Mr. Shelley’s stated aim to "unleash the Pacific" this season, followed by a post-show party.
In other local news, a significant health awareness initiative has emerged from Aliso Viejo. Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry recently discussed his diagnosis of Keratoconus, a corneal disease that causes blurriness and distorted vision. Mr. Curry was diagnosed in 2018 after a team staff member observed him frequently squinting. He was subsequently fitted with contact lenses to manage the condition. Mr. Curry stated that he had grown accustomed to managing daily activities, enduring squinting and headaches, without realizing his eyes were the issue.
Mr. Curry has partnered with Aliso Viejo-based Glaukos to help increase awareness for the disease and encourage earlier detection and diagnosis. Glaukos, a company with a market capitalization near $9.5 billion, is introducing Epioxa, a new non-invasive treatment for Keratoconus.
Orange County's culinary landscape is also seeing notable developments. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who opened his initial namesake Japanese restaurant in Beverly Hills in 1987, brought Nobu to Newport Beach in 2017. The establishment, located at Lido Village Marina, overlooks the water. Chef Nobu, while in town last month hosting a 'Taste of Nobu' event, referred to the view as "a special view."
Nobu’s menu includes more than two dozen hot dishes and a similar number of nigiri and sashimi options. The chef suggested that experiencing the full menu would require "five visits." Chef Nobu also expressed pride when former employees establish their own restaurants, stating, "It makes me proud."
During his recent stay, Chef Nobu lodged at the nearby Lido House hotel, where a successful protégé, Chef Brian Kim, operates Kaiya Omakase Sushi & Bar alongside Chef Partner Riley Huddleston. Kaiya, a high-end, 12-seat restaurant that opened a few months ago, has quickly become a challenging spot to secure a table. Kaiya is among several recent additions to Bob Olson’s Lido House, which also saw the opening of five new luxe guest cottages last week.
