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We have compiled these “favorite memories in Davies Symphony Hall” from subscribers, donors, musicians, and volunteers who have made the San Francisco Symphony part of their lives for the past 25 years.

When Davies Hall was very new there was an open house. My wife and I attended and as we entered the Hall, we met Mrs. Davies. I knew her because I was organist at her daughter's wedding. Mrs. Davies had a glass of wine in her hand and one of the ushers said, "Ma’am, you cannot bring a drink into the hall.” Mrs. Davies was very gracious and set the drink aside. I often smile when I think she paid to build the hall but willingly abided by the rules. —Leonard Fitzpatrick

During one of the Mavericks Concerts years ago, my daughter (then maybe nine years old) and I were sitting in a side Loge Section when she spotted MTT sitting in the next section. She whispered to me, "Mommy, can I say something to him?" I told her to let him enjoy his evening off. Before the applause died down at the end, she snuck out, met him as he left, and said "Mr. Thomas, you are awesome!" He thanked her and kissed her on the forehead. She ran back to me, beaming. She refused to wash her face for a week! MTT is still a hero to both of us! —Linda Humber

While perhaps not my favorite memory, because there have been many, many wonderful musical moments, certainly an enduring one is the memory of choosing my seat location way back before the Hall was completed. It was fun to be part of that "newness" and to be able to be part of the initial selection process. Plus I am reminded of that decision practically every time I attend a concert and walk down the aisle to those same seats. I suppose if I had to pick a favorite musical moment, it would be hearing the truly angelic voices of the sopranos in certain parts of Messiah or hearing and seeing Frederica von Stade perform with the Orchestra. Finally, after all these years, I look forward to meeting people in the Hall and saying hello, especially to Kent Doty, who has been an usher for as long as I have been attending concerts. —David Clark

My Unforgettable Memory of One San Francisco Symphony Concert:

My Wooster College classmate, Dr. Phyllis B. Woodworth, PhD, class of 1941, who is a history professor at Los Angeles Community College, came up for an MTT festival. She had taught MTT when he was in 8th grade in an LA public school. She wrote him a note that we gave to an usher when we arrived at Davies Hall.

At the intermission, the usher told us that by all means, we should go to the conductor’s studio to speak to her former student. My friend, having been properly brought up by missionary parents in China, joined MTT’s many admirers after the performance.

When he caught sight of her, he gave her a big hug, a sight that I had never witnessed before! Then he proceeded to tell her how grateful he was to her for allowing him and his friends to eat lunch in her classroom, as the cafeteria was too loud. More than that, he allowed that she had taught him how to write and think. It was like old home week—a nostalgic reprise of a 50-year old relationship!

I like to think that MTT is such a good teacher himself because of her influence on him at a young age.
—Margaret M. Ellis

As work on the construction of Davies Hall was well in progress, Edo de Waart led the Orchestra to see the interior for the first time. Isaac Stern was along, as he was soloist that week, and commented about the absence of wood, as the entire orchestra section was just a concrete bowl. Then as October approached I was photographed going up the front steps of the Opera House (supposedly for the last time). When opening night came, it was an emotional experience. After playing in the Orchestra at the Opera House for 40 years, I would now play on the other side of the street for another 10 years. —Detlev Olshausen (former SFS violist)

My greatest memory was a New Year's Eve concert a few years ago after an operation on my leg when a friend wheeled me around in a wagon. During the reception, people were very kind and sympathetic. I'll never forget the person who gave me a rose and a kiss and a "Happy New Year." A wonderful evening!
—Keith De Folo

We look forward to each performance with eager anticipation and have been delighted to be able to hear such wonderful artists as Martha Argerich, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Joshua Bell. Our Orchestra is a great addition to San Francisco's charm.
—James Lundy

As a patron and as a volunteer I have so many wonderful memories of exceptional music at Davies Hall. It's hard to find the best one. I do, however, [remember] the thrills and excitement of MTT's American Mavericks festival.
—Kitty Donnelly

Bob and I were in the audience the night MTT was announced as our new Music Director, and he was the star that night. What a reception he received from us all! We also watched Davies Hall rise from our view at the Opera House with great anticipation. We love the building.
—Margaret Stithem

My association with Mrs. Davies goes back to a special friendship she had with my cousin, former Symphony President Philip Boone. My interest in the San Francisco Symphony started when this great friendship began, and through their enthusiasm I became a volunteer in 1952.

I attended several colorful events in Louise Davies’s house, and her interest in our volunteer efforts was always genuine. She was a great lady indeed, and her generosity to the Symphony and contribution to the people of San Francisco was unmatched. I attended the grand opening of the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, and what a tribute to her that was! —Shirley Phelps Price

Stepping out onto one of the “ears” at intermission on a brilliant, starry night after an equally brilliant performance. No words—just a sense of oneness with the universe. And gratitude.
—Mr. and Mrs. Ward Anderson

My memories include MTT narrating Peter and the Wolf, which his Grandma had read to him, and the wonderful American Mavericks festival. —Kay Damron

When the San Francisco Symphony played at the Opera House, I was a volunteer serving coffee and donuts at the Open Rehearsals. Our excitement grew as we watched Davies Hall being built. The first time we served coffee and donuts in our new Davies Hall, the coffee urns were brought over from the Opera House, and we proudly poured coffee in our new location! Volunteers cleaned up and then Loge seating was offered to us!
    For years, a group of us suburban ladies took the bus from Orinda to Davies Hall. Later on we drove earlier for lunch and talked about the performances we were about to hear. Now my husband joins me for evening performances, and it is very special to share the love of music together. We are absorbed in beautiful music played by our outstanding Orchestra and conductor. I feel the music in my soul.
    As a member of one of the Contra Costa Leagues, my joy is to participate with others in Symphony fundraising, for music to be shared by all age groups. I have the gold Symphony medallion angel given to volunteers years ago. I often wear it to Davies Hall as a reminder that our Orchestra belongs to all of us, and it takes all of us to nurture it!
    Carpooling to Thursday matinees with my suburban lady friends was part of my life. One performance I was thrilled by was Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto. The week before, my husband and I had walked the grounds at Grieg’s home in Troldhaugen in Norway. We toured his home on the lake and peeked into his small studio where he composed! His upright piano was near the window overlooking the lake and a chaise lounge was the only other furniture in the room. As I listened to our wonderful Orchestra playing, I had goose bumps on my arms, and I was transported into Grieg’s studio. My mind took in the beautiful lake view. This was an experience that brought tears to my eyes. I felt I knew Grieg personally as the pianist played with our fabulous Orchestra in Davies Symphony Hall.—Muriel Dorking

My favorite memories are the opening concert and the simply fabulous and festive concert—honoring the one and only [former San Francisco Symphony Board President] Nancy Bechtle.
—Sharon Griffin

Ben Nelson and I enjoyed our first date at Davies with the help of Alicia de Larrocha on March 17, 2002. On December 31, 2004, we held our wedding gala at Davies.
—Marina Nelson

We really enjoy MTT’s introductions and commentaries on the music to be heard. It’s enlightening and charming.
—Ann and Bob Fisher

For many years I attended the afternoon concerts with four dear friends. After cocktails and lunch we shared four adjoining seats at Davies Symphony Hall. I am the only survivor but the concerts still revive pleasant memories of past performances. —Mrs. A.C. LoPrest

My most memorable event at Davies was a special free event. My guest and I sat in the Loge section, a wonderful treat, up close to the stage. MTT was interviewing Mahler biographer Henry-Louis de la Grange. It was a fascinating evening, made more delicious by MTT’s remarks—indulging the audience with stories about Alma. It was a delightful evening, including snippets of Mahler’s music. MTT was his most engaging self.

The other wonderful event was the recent presentation of the intimate family portrait of MTT’s grandparents [The Thomashefsky Project]. I loved every minute of it and marveled at the innovative production.

I’ve been a subscriber for many seasons and it’s always been a highlight to attend concerts at Davies Hall—I could go on and on! —Carolyn Sanders

Hearing Saint-Saëns Third Symphony and that fantastic organ—the Symphony should really play that piece at least once a year! It’s already been much too long since we last heard it. —Robert Stuart

Some highlights of the past 25 years: The maestros who helped our orchestra to greatness; the “Nights in Old Vienna” concerts; the gala rose—adorned celebration of Isaac Stern’s 100th appearance with the San Francisco Symphony; the open rehearsals; the orchestra’s mesmerizing rendition of Ravel’s Boléro!
—Dorothy and Glenn Molyneaux

From Maestros Ozawa to de Waart to Blomstedt to Tilson Thomas—all extraordinary and fabulous conductors of a world-class orchestra. How lucky we have been! Huzzahs to the San Francisco Symphony, and here's to the next 25! —Louise Delafield

Since 1980, I have been attending concerts at Davies Symphony Hall, coming all the way from Mountain View. In the early 1980's, I created a database to track all of the pieces I've heard—the conductors, soloists, composers, names of pieces and my impressions. To date, I've been to 262 concerts at Davies Symphony Hall, 255 with the San Francisco Symphony, and I have heard 796 pieces. That's a lot of music from the world's greatest orchestra!
—Steve Cowan

I have so many wonderful memories; it is hard to select one. My first season as a subscriber was the year Davies opened. My seats were visually and acoustically poor, but I was still thrilled to be there, and have subscribed every year since. There were so many thrilling Mahler symphonies with MTT, Isaac Stern's 100th performance with the SFS, Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky with the Eisenstein film on the screen (I went twice). But if I have to pick one, it would probably be the Millennium New Year's Eve gala with Frederica von Stade and Audra MacDonald. My brother and sister-in-law came down from Portland to partake in that one. Maybe even the best is yet to come! —Jean Fowler

I sang in the San Francisco Symphony Chorus under the direction of Louis Magor and Edo de Waart in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 for the opening of Davies Hall. In fact, we in the Chorus were given a tour of the Hall long before it was completed. We were still rehearsing and performing in the Opera House. It has been so exciting for the Chorus to be able to rehearse and perform in Davies Hall. I'm singing in the Chorus presently and celebrating my 21st year. —Donald Gurley

Twenty-five years of memories of Davies Symphony Hall include the thrill of standing with the rest of the audience to sing our national anthem with no less than Yehudi Menuhin conducting during opening week; Claudio Arrau with his powerful rendition of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto; the annual "Sing it yourself Messiah" [presented by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music]; the New Year's Eve galas; the collective, audible gasp of the audience at the majestic entrance of Jessye Norman; and Itzhak Perlman announcing the football scores as he took his bows. Thank you, Louise Davies, and happy birthday to Davies Symphony Hall! —Janet Youngblood

For 25 years I have enjoyed being a subscriber to the San Francisco Symphony. Over that span I have experienced numerous musical evenings which could only be called transcendent. One which stands out in my memory is listening to Hélène Grimaud play Ravel's G major Piano Concerto, and in particular, the second movement, where the English horn and piano weave their melodies together in an ethereal and gorgeous duet. I will never forget the feeling I felt when I heard this music, live, and how it transported me. What a marvelous experience! I look forward to another 25 glorious years attending concerts at Davies Symphony Hall and wish to thank each and every member of the Orchestra, together with the wonderful conductors who have led them during the past 25 years. —Richard Sears

Awaiting Rehearsal
(On Occasion of an Open Rehearsal at Davies Symphony Hall)

Thirty minutes to go.
Davies Hall is still.

Double doors in the mahogany lattice, stage left, swing open,
Two men in coats and ties enter; pick up the hand controller,
The center stage floor lowers, both men sink from view.
Shortly, as a Phoenix, they begin to rise—
With the magnificent, curvy Steinway concert grand.

The harpist arrives. She’s first.
Her plucked scales fill the air.

Then the moaning oboe warms up,
Together with deathly serious viola rills,
Each with its own flow, strangely harmonic.

More coats and ties enter with a young woman in elegant black,
Each feeds sheets of music to the bare, hungry stands.

A lonely back-row violin comes to life, alone in the section.

Coats and ties disconnect the hand controller, center stage,
The elegant Steinway suffers painful pongs as a wrench twists its strings in
final tune, then is comforted with a gentle polish cloth.

Fifteen minutes to go.
A viola in the wrong seat moves,
Fusses, squirms and adjusts new seat,
Pulling the music stand into better view.

Davies stage is now alive with trills, scales, low chatter,
Brassy trumpet blasts, an elegant French horn,
All offset by low persistent percussion thumping softly to itself.

Robin Sutherland slides into his perch, warms his fingers and keyboard.
Then leaves.

Bassoons and basses, the lowest of sounds,
Are last to arrive. Seems right.

Ten minutes to go.
The stage is infilling fast. Where are the first violins?
Only the last row player trills on, then stops, twists to adjust her seat.

Five minutes to go.
Finally the first violins arrive with flourish, all together, chattering,
Lonely last row’s players eyes ask—where was rehearsal?

Sasha arrives, big smile, many gracious nods, he sits,
Deftly adjusts music with his bow, very quick trill,
Fully attentive, he is ready to play.

Two minutes to go.
Cacophony reigns. Loud, noisy, yet in beautiful, dissonant harmonies.
How is that possible? Then more chatter.

One minute to go.
The Davies stage appears complete, whole, tense with anticipation.
Elegant black dress re-enters, stands by Sasha, quickly addresses the
orchestra. More muffled sounds.

Seconds to go.
Sasha stands. Strikes the “A” key on the gleaming Steinway.
More cacophony, then total, absolute silence, the assemblage awaits.

Precisely at the moment, the double mahogany doors yawn again,
MTT, the Maestro, in his bulky sweater, quick-steps in, huge smiles,
He arranges his armload of music on the stand,
With quick muffled greeting, confirms the beginning point,
The baton rises, his eyes sweep the players, a moment like no other,
The great orchestra begins.
—Paul C. Valentine

Enjoying the symphony at Davies Hall is one of our greatest pleasures. Thank you!
—Mr. & Mrs. Albert Siegel

I attended that first concert in Davies Symphony Hall. What a thrill! My relationship with the San Francisco Symphony goes back to the days of the Symphony Foundation, which was formed to include people in and around the city. I was on that board as a representative of the East Bay. My husband and I had Orchestra seats until he was unable to attend.
—Marguerite Selleck

Wednesday evening, April 11, 1986: Edo de Waart conducted, and Michael Murray was the organist with Louise Davies present. For the first time the mighty Ruffatti
—all the way from Padua, Italy
—was heard in San Francisco. Poulenc’s Organ Concerto in G was the most impressive work, although the audience enjoyed Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 in C minor (“Organ Symphony”) and Faure’s Suite from Palleas and Mensande as well.
—Edwin Winberg

On that glamorous opening night, September 16, 1980, I brought a music-loving friend who had been incapacitated for several years. All obstacles were overcome and she had a fairytale evening at the new Davies Symphony Hall that she would never forget and I had the satisfaction of making it possible.
—Jane Paull

I watched the Hall being built when attending the Symphony afternoon performances for many afternoons in the Opera House. Then when it was completed and ready, I bought two seats for the very first season and have continued subscribing for the same two seats for the past 25 years. Hopefully that will continue for years to come. Congratulations on this coming celebration!
—Margaret Martinez

Twenty-five years of Davies Hall brings me back to 1980 when I was a volunteer on Opening Night. Construction was not totally completed. The black skirt I was obliged to wear was white at the end of the evening from the sheet rock chalk of the exposed staircase railings. I still cherish my crystal bowl, the souvenir gift of that special occasion.

Since its inception in 1981 at the end of the first Symphony season, I have been a store volunteer. How far we have come from the early, My Fair Lady style operation, with rickety push carts from which we merely sold signature t-shirts and mugs on each level of the Hall. No doubt our store now rivals the finest of its kind in the USA—and it is still manned solely by volunteers. Thanks dear San Francisco Symphony for 25 years of magnificent music.
—Eleanor Bronner

I am a graduate of the High School of Commerce and am President of the High School of Commerce Alumni Association. Davies Symphony Hall sits on our athletic field. I think of this every time I attend. Commerce closed in 1952.
—Esther Jennings

My younger son and I began coming to Open Rehearsals when they began. He was ten then and studying the piano. We would leave home in Davis in the dark, at 5:00 a.m., to drive to Berkeley then BART into San Francisco and Davies Symphony Hall in time for donuts and some wonderful music. Sometimes he read Tarzan in the Loge lounge during lectures not designed for ten year olds, but was riveted by the music afterward, as was I. Both of us come with other people to Davies now. Every time I come, I bring with me the remembrance and the color of all the times I have come before. The memories are magical. Thank you.
—Phyllis Zerger

I was lucky enough to be on the ground floor; I was PR Director and fund drive coordinator for the project working for Sam Stewart for eight years. All those difficult meetings with the Board of Supervisors and the various architects. I had to keep a log of every phone call. I remember so many highlights. The day Phil Hudner told us about Louise Davies's $ 5 million dollar gift. We knew we were very close then. The day the first steel post went in on the Commerce High School site. Really hard to believe after all that time. Near the end, we had to bring in bit propellers to help dry the inside before the first concert. Finally, opening night. I was really nervous, sweaty palms and all, hoping that nothing would fall off! I could write a book about the problems and how great it turned out.
—Ed Schwartz

I was fortunate to be able to go to a Symphony rehearsal shortly after having ear surgery. The ear surgery greatly improved my ability to hear. To hear the sounds which came from the Symphony that day, will be something I will always remember: it was if a giant cloud had been removed and there was this incredible light but it was the sounds of the Symphony.
—Barbara C. Powell

I recall my wife and I attending a concert by the Chicago Symphony. I thought we were pretty early since all of the musicians were on stage in casual clothes. As we later learned, the truck with their dress clothes and instruments had been lost. After a time, the concert went on with a blazing Beethoven Fifth. During the delay we were treated to Sir George Solti's U.S. debut at the piano accompanying some of his CSO colleagues in chamber music. We moved to Los Angeles years ago, but we make the trip up to San Francisco a couple of times a season to hear our beloved San Francisco Symphony!
—Ernest Robles

The San Francisco Symphony would like to thank everyone who sent in their favorite memories to us. We have truly enjoyed reading every story. Thank you for taking the time to share your treasured memories with us and all of the San Francisco Symphony family.