The San Diego Symphony Orchestra is one of the United States' leading orchestras. Led by Music and Artistic Director Rafael Payare, the Orchestra has experienced an explosive artistic expansion, transforming it's repertoire and forging a distinctive sound. The recent renovation of Jacobs Music Center - a premier concert hall and architectural landmark - now allows that artistry to be heard in all it's power, color, and nuance. Launching a new collaboration with Delos, the musicians have recorded live at Jacobs Music Center Shostakovich's monumental Symphony No. 7. Known as the 'Leningrad' - the symphony was composed during the notorious and brutal siege of the city - the work is emotionally and historically supercharged. As the first recording captured in the hall's newly renovated acoustics, it sets the tone for an exciting new partnership!

In 2002, anticipating the 205th anniversary year of "The President's Own" Marine Band, the then-Directors of this beloved ensemble invited John Williams to conduct a gala concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The legendary American composer graciously accepted, noting that his own father, a percussionist, had taught his son to love and respect the Marine Band from a young age. Williams first appeared with the band on July 12, 2003, one day after the band's official 205th birthday, thus inaugurating a long collaboration sustained by mutual respect and admiration. Williams would return to the Kennedy Center for another concert, this time in celebration of the band's 210th anniversary, in 2008. Several of his most enduring works were prepared especially for the Marine Band for these concerts, from film soundtrack highlights to original concert works. These full-length gala concerts from 2003 and 2008 are, taken together, a tour de force of some of Williams' most popular and creative scores, and serve as the primary source for this unique new recording collection. "Performing with 'The President's Own, '" writes Williams, "has been one of the highest honors of my working life in music. My great hope is that listeners of this special recording will experience some of the exhilaration and fun that I enjoyed conducting these two memorable performances... this ensemble truly is a national treasure of which all Americans should be justly proud."