Symphony San Jose Appoints First Artistic Partners

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Aspinall, Shimono, and Nakamatsu will work with Executive Artistic Director Robert Massey to shape programming and artistic identity.

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As Symphony San Jose prepares to open its 25th anniversary season this October, it is announcing the inaugural class of Artistic Partners, a new initiative designed to deepen artistic consistency and creative vision for the orchestra, which operates without a resident music director. The inaugural partners are conductors Nathan Aspinall and Tatsuya Shimono, and pianist Jon Nakamatsu.

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Over the coming seasons, the Artistic Partners will work closely with Executive Artistic Director Robert Massey and the Symphony's Artistic Committee to help shape the orchestra's programming, artistic identity, and sound. The initiative reflects Symphony San Jose's commitment to its distinctive collaborative model — one that draws on the perspectives of multiple trusted artistic voices rather than a single music director — while building long-term relationships that allow for greater depth and continuity in artistic planning.

“Symphony San Jose has always believed that great orchestras aren't built around a single name at the podium — they're built around relationships. Nathan, Tatsuya, and Jon are three artists we already trust deeply, and this partnership lets us go further with them: shaping programs together, taking real artistic risks, and building something with a distinct identity over time. This is exactly the kind of collaborative model we set out to prove could work, and I couldn't be more excited about where it takes us.” — Robert Massey, Executive Artistic Director

Each of the inaugural Artistic Partners brings a distinct artistic voice to the collaboration:

The Artistic Partners will appear with Symphony San Jose across multiple productions throughout the 2026/2027 season and beyond, contributing to programming decisions, artistic direction, and the orchestra's continued growth.

Nominate your favorite local productions and performers before the deadline on October 31, 2026.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/san-francisco/article/Symphony-San-Jose-Names-Inaugural-Artistic-Partners-20260924)._