Press Room

Mar 12, 2020

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—The San Francisco Symphony’s upcoming tour to New York and Europe with Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas has been canceled due to the rapidly changing developments and risks related to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). Travel restrictions, concert cancellations, and venue closures in New York and throughout Europe have made it impossible for the Symphony to travel at this time. The tour—scheduled to begin with performances at New York’s Carnegie Hall March 17 and 18, followed by 14 performances in ten cities across Europe March 21–April 7—was to be the Orchestra’s final tour led by Michael Tilson Thomas as Music Director.
 
“In response to recommendations and directives from the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control, and local governmental organizations; and in careful collaboration with our tour presenters, it has become clear that the tour cannot proceed,” said San Francisco Symphony CEO Mark C. Hanson. “We are saddened by this outcome, especially as it was to be our final tour with Michael Tilson Thomas as Music Director. The safety and well-being of our orchestra, staff, and community is our top priority and, given the rapidly evolving situation of closures, directives, protocols, and travel restrictions being implemented in Europe due to the COVID-19 outbreak, this difficult decision was made for us. We thank all of our tour partners and presenters for their hard work and collaboration as we navigate this unfortunate situation together.”
 
“I was so looking forward to this celebratory tour marking 25 years of beautiful collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony,” said Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas. “We’ve always enjoyed sharing our particular style of music-making with our many friends and fans in New York and Europe. In this unfortunate situation, the most important thing is to focus on everyone’s health and well-being. On behalf of all the musicians in the San Francisco Symphony, we want to express our regrets that we cannot make music for you now and to wish everyone good health.”
 
The San Francisco Symphony’s tour was scheduled to include performances at Carnegie Hall in New York, New York (March 17 & 18); Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall in London, England (March 21 & 22); the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany (March 24 & 25); the Berliner Philharmonie in Berlin, Germany (March 26); the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Austria (March 28 & 29); the Philharmonie im Gasteig in Munich, Germany (March 30); the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Netherlands (April 1); the Elisabethzaal in Antwerp, Belgium (April 2); the Luxembourg Philharmonie in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg (April 3), the Auditorium de Lyon in Lyon, France (April 5); and the Philharmonie in Paris, France (April 6 & 7). 
 
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For press information, please contact:
 
Oliver Theil, Senior Director of Communications, (415) 264-1241 or [email protected]
Robin Freeman, Director of Public Relations, (415) 810-1970 or [email protected]