Masks and Nakamatsu add up to a fun Symphony San Jose opener

The California Theatre was the right elegant setting for Symphony San Jose’s opening night “Masquerade” gala last Saturday.

Symphony supporters glammed it up for a pre-concert reception that had a touch of added mystery as most of the VIP crowd wore masks for the occasion. There were Venetian masks, Mardi Gras masks, and a few black lace masks — with feathers, beads, colors and the occasional beak adding to the fun.

But the one person who would have been recognizable even if he’d covered his face was star piano soloist Jon Nakamatsu, who was welcomed by the Symphony San Jose audience like the national treasure that he is. Under the direction of conductor Nathan Aspinall, the San Jose native and Van Cliburn award winner played Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,” and sat down