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Biography

San Diego Union-Tribune music critic George Varga began drumming in rock bands at 12 and writing professionally about music at 15. A Louisiana native who grew up mostly in Germany, Varga has earned three Pulitzer Prize nominations for his writing at the U-T and is a voting member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to providing live coverage of the Grammy Awards and festivals from Coachella and KAABOO to the 1994 edition of Woodstock, he has interviewed everyone from Miles Davis, Britney Spears and (over a game of chess) Ray Charles to Willie Nelson, Kanye West and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Anthony Davis. A triple first-prize winner for criticism and arts writing at the 2022 San Diego Press Club awards, Varga is also a contributing writer for Jazz Times magazine and has written for Billboard, Spin and other publications. After attending San Diego City College and San Diego State University, he created and taught the 2002 UC San Diego Extension course, “Jazz in a Post-Ken-Burns World.” Varga has written liner notes for more than a dozen albums, including by jazz sax greats James Moody and Michael Brecker, and contributed two chapters to the book, “Dylan: Disc By Disc.” He won three first-place honors at the 2023 San Diego Press Club Awards and is now working on a book.

Content

Total articles 11531

• Available on paid plans

  Heart reschedules San Diego concert following Ann Wilson’s cancer recovery

  By George Varga Verified

  Apr. 16, 2025

• Available on paid plans

  The three San Diego concerts music fans won’t want to miss this week

  By George Varga Verified

  Apr. 10, 2025

• Available on paid plans

  Heart reschedules San Diego concert following Ann Wilson’s cancer recovery

  By George Varga Verified

  Apr. 16, 2025

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Company Info

The San Diego Union-Tribune

The San Diego Union-Tribune is a leading media company located in San Diego, California. It was formed in 1992 through the merger of two historic newspapers: the San Diego Union and the Evening Tribune. With a history spanning over 150 years, it stands as the largest media entity in the region and the community's longest-running business. The company publishes a Pulitzer Prize-winning daily newspaper that covers news, sports, entertainment, and shopping in San Diego. It also operates a prominent website, providing online news and content, along with a Spanish-language digital site. Additionally, the San Diego Union-Tribune publishes eight community newspapers and a weekly entertainment guide called Night + Day. The company offers marketing solutions, including innovative advertising strategies and digital campaigns, tailored for businesses of all sizes. Its historical significance is highlighted by the restoration of the original building where the San Diego Union was first published, now serving as a museum in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.