San Francisco Symphony's Great Performers, Shenson Spotlight, and Chamber Music Series Present Solo Recitals, Visiting Artists, and Chamber Music Performances Throughout the 2026–27 Season

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—In the 2026–27 season, the San Francisco Symphony presents 10 chamber music concerts highlighting Symphony musicians, 10 Great Performers Series programs featuring world-class solo artists and visiting ensembles, a special recital featuring pianist Lang Lang, and four Shenson Spotlight Series recitals highlighting ascendant artists in their Davies Symphony Hall debuts. For detailed concert listings, please refer to the 2026–27 Season Calendar or visit sfsymphony.org/calendar.

Chamber Music Series
Programmed and performed by Symphony musicians, the San Francisco Symphony’s 2026–27 Chamber Music Series presents 10 performances throughout the season at Davies Symphony Hall and the Legion of Honor. On September 20, pianist Garrick Ohlsson joins SF Symphony musicians to perform Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet and Johannes Brahms’s Piano Trio No. 2 in C major. The program also includes Ramiro Boero's Suite Impulso and Astor Piazzolla's La muerte del ángel and Decarísimo. The November 1 program features Bernard Andrès’s Chants d'arrière-saison; Johannes Brahms’s Clarinet Trio, Opus 114; and Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen; and the January 17 concert includes Robert Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Opus 47 and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G minor, Opus 57.

Chamber music at Davies Symphony Hall continues on February 21 with Symphony musicians performing Felix Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 6 in F minor; Franz Schubert’s Piano Quintet in A major, D.667, Trout; and Alexandre Tansman’s Septet. The April 25 concert features Ludwig van Beethoven’s Serenade in D major, Opus 25; Benjamin Britten’s String Quartet No. 2, Opus 36; and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Oboe Quartet, K.370; and the series concludes on June 20 with a program including Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for Two Clarinets, Steve Reich’s Double Sextet, and Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht.

The 2026–27 Legion of Honor Chamber Series returns with four concerts featuring SF Symphony Concertmaster Alexander Barantschik (Naoum Blinder Chair), former Symphony cellist Peter Wyrick, and guest pianist Anton Nel. On November 1, the trio performs Frank Bridge’s Cello Sonata in D minor; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Trio in G major, K.496; and Camille Saint-Saëns’s Piano Trio No. 1 in F major. The February 7 program includes Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Trio in E-flat major, Opus 70, no.2; Johannes Brahms’s Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor; and Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s Piano Trio in G major, Opus 65. On April 11, the trio plays Joseph Haydn’s Piano Trio in E major, Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Violin Sonata in G major. The series wraps up on May 30 with Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Trio in G major, Opus 1, no.2; George Frideric Handel’s Keyboard Suite No. 5 in E major; and Bedřich Smetana’s Piano Trio in G minor.

The acclaimed Legion of Honor Chamber Series was launched in 2002 when the Fine Arts Museums honored Alexander Barantschik with an exclusive loan of a legendary Guarnerius del Gesù violin. The “David” Guarnerius del Gesù violin dates to 1742 and was once owned by the virtuoso Ferdinand David. It was bequeathed to the Fine Arts Museums by famed violinist Jascha Heifetz upon his death in 1987, with the stipulation that it be “played on special occasions by worthy performers.” Barantschik performs on this violin at all chamber concerts. This season marks 24 years of San Francisco Symphony’s partnership with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

See the complete Chamber Music Series schedule here.

Free Community Chamber Concert Series
The San Francisco Symphony's free Community Chamber Concerts feature small ensembles from the Symphony performing at community spaces across San Francisco. These concerts are an opportunity for audiences to get to know SF Symphony musicians and see them perform in and engage in Q&As in an intimate setting. Symphony musicians have performed Community Chamber Concerts at every San Francisco Public Library branch in San Francisco and continue to play regularly at libraries throughout the city. They also perform annually at the Gardens of Golden Gate Park’s annual Flower Piano concert series, and the next performance will take place on September 13. All Community Chamber Concerts are free and open to the public. 

See a list of upcoming Community Chamber Concerts here; new concerts are added regularly.

The Community Chamber Concerts are presented in honor of Frederic H. Smith, who generously provided for the San Francisco Symphony through his estate.

Great Performers Series
The San Francisco Symphony’s 2026–27 Great Performers Series presents 10 programs featuring world-class artists in solo recitals and ensemble performances at Davies Symphony Hall throughout the season. 

The Great Performers Series kicks off on October 15 with violinist Lisa Batiashvili, cellist Gautier Capuçon, and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet playing Claude Debussy’s Piano Trio, Antonín Dvořák’s Piano Trio No. 3, and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 1. The superstar trio last performed at Davies Symphony Hall in 2023. On October 25, Rafael Payare and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal return to Davies Symphony Hall to perform Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 and Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, joined by Leonidas Kavakos.

On November 10, pianist Hélène Grimaud plays a solo recital titled “The Last Testament,” bringing together the last piano sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert— Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor and Schubert’s Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-flat major. On November 30, violinist Hilary Hahn and pianist Yekwon Sunwoo perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata No. 5 in F major, and Hahn and baritone Matthias Goerne perform Wir, a new SF Symphony co-commissioned work by Reena Esmail that weaves together the German poetry of Paul Celan with interstitial verse by Rebecca Gayle Howell and explores the fervent search for silence in our modern world.

On January 10, pianist Emanuel Ax returns to Davies Symphony Hall to perform Frédéric Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasy in A-flat major, Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Two Nocturnes, and Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor; Franz Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D.899; and Robert Schumann’s Papillons. On January 19, violinist Itzhak Perlman presents “An Evening with Itzhak Perlman,” a multimedia program, curated by Tony-Award winning director Dan Sullivan and produced by Elliott Forrest. The concert interweaves storytelling by Perlman alongside personal photos, video clips from the Grammy Award-nominated documentary Itzhak, and musical performances with Perlman’s longtime recital partner and friend, pianist Rohan De Silva. On March 1, pianist Seong-Jin Cho plays Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Fantasia in C minor, K.396; Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-flat major and Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet; and Jörg Widmann’s Sonatina facile.

On April 18, pianist Yuja Wang performs a solo recital of pieces to be announced, and on April 19, pianist Evgeny Kissin plays an all-Beethoven program, including Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat major, and the Diabelli Variations. The series closes on May 16 with a duo recital featuring cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianist Inon Barnatan. The concert features Frédéric Chopin’s Cello Sonata, Manuel de Falla’s Suite populaire espagnole, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata, and selections from Dmitri Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes.

See the complete Great Performers Series schedule here or visit sfsymphony.org/gps.

Special Event: Lang Lang in Recital
On October 4, Lang Lang returns to Davies Symphony Hall to perform a solo piano recital featuring selections from Isaac Albéniz’s Suite española, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata and Piano Sonata No. 31, Enrique Granados’s Quejas, o La Maja y el ruiseñor from Goyescas, Franz Liszt’s Consolation No. 2 in E major and Tarantella from Venezia e Napoli, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Rondo in D major, K.485. Lang Lang last performed at Davies Symphony Hall alongside his wife, pianist Gina Alice, at the SF Symphony’s annual Opening Gala in 2024.

Shenson Spotlight Series
The San Francisco Symphony’s Shenson Spotlight Series, now in its sixth season, features ascendant artists in their Davies Symphony Hall debuts.

On February 3, pianist Dmitry Shishkin performs a solo recital of works by Sergei Prokofiev, Franz Schubert, and Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. He is a silver medalist of the XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition and a winner of the 73rd Geneva International Music Competition. He has appeared with orchestras including the Tokyo Symphony, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, National Orchestra of Belgium, Staatskapelle Weimar, and the Russian National Orchestra, among others. Shishkin is also a frequent guest at prestigious festivals such as Verbier, La Roque d’Anthéron, Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier, Bergen International Festival, “Chopin and His Europe” Festival, and the Bergamo Brescia Festival. Currently based in Switzerland, Shishkin began his studies at the Gnessin Moscow School of Music with Mikhail Khokhlov, continued at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory with Eliso Virsaladze, and later studied in Sicily at the “Vincenzo Bellini” State Conservatory in Catania with Epifanio Comis and in Hannover at the Musikhochschule with Arie Vardi.

On March 10, double bassist Kebra-Seyoun Charles performs pieces by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Sergei Prokofiev, and Alfred Schnittke with pianist Umi Garrett. After winning first prize in the 2022 Sphinx Competition, Charles rapidly gained recognition in the classical music world, and in 2024, they were named a recipient of the American Composers Orchestra's Van Lier Fellowship. They have performed with orchestras including the New World Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and Wilmington Symphony, and they were the featured soloist on a national tour with the Sphinx Virtuosi. Originally from Miami, Florida, Charles received their bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, and graduated from the Juilliard School with a master’s degree in 2022. A first-prize winner of the Juilliard School's Concerto Competition and a finalist at the National Chopin Piano Competition, Garrett has performed numerous recitals in the United States and internationally. In 2023, she was awarded the John Newmark Prize for Best Collaborative Pianist for her performances with finalist Nathan Meltzer at the 2023 Montreal International Violin Competition. She is also a passionate performer of new music, and has collaborated with and performed pieces by Samuel Adler, inti figgis-vizueta, Gabriella Smith, and more.

On April 14, cellist Zlatomir Fung performs with pianist Chaeyoung Park. Of Bulgarian and Chinese heritage, Fung was born into a family of mathematicians and began playing cello at age three. In 2019, he became the first American in four decades (and youngest musician ever) to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Cello Division. Highlights of his 2026–27 season include his Hollywood Bowl debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, opening the Utah Symphony’s season with Elgar’s Cello Concerto under Delyana Lazarova, a return to the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Cristian Măcelaru performing Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, and the world premiere of a new work by Lawrence Osborn with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Praised as “a world-class musician on every level” (Gramophone), Park is a passionate pianist recently featured at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Bravo! Vail Music Festival, and Gilmore Rising Stars as a soloist. Winner of the 2022 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and 2019 Hilton Head International Piano Competition, she has appeared as a recitalist, collaborator, and concerto soloist across the U.S., Europe, and Korea.

On May 19, pianist Eva Gevorgyan performs a solo recital of works by Frédéric Chopin, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Alexander Scriabin, and Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. A Yamaha Young Artist, Gevorgyan is a laureate in more than forty piano competitions, including top prizes at the 2018 Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists and the 2019 Van Cliburn Young Artist Competition. She has performed as a soloist with the Dallas Symphony, Lucerne Symphony, Warsaw Philharmonic, Mariinsky Orchestra, Russia National Philharmonic, Ontario Philharmonic, Russian National Orchestra, and more. She currently studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory’s Central School of Music in Moscow with Natalia Trull and at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid, under the guidance of Stanislav Ioudenitch. She was also granted a prestigious scholarship at the 2020 Klavier-Festival Ruhr by Evgeny Kissin.

See the complete Shenson Spotlight Series schedule here.

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