SFS Media Recording of Esa-Pekka Salonen's Cello Concerto, Featuring San Francisco Symphony Principal Cello Rainer Eudeikis and the Symphony, Released Today on Apple Music Classical

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—The San Francisco Symphony and Esa-Pekka Salonen’s new SFS Media recording of Salonen’s Cello Concerto, featuring Rainer Eudeikis, SF Symphony Principal Cello and Philip S. Boone Chair, as soloist, is available today, Friday, August 15, exclusively via Apple Music Classical. Recorded live in concert October 18–20, 2024, the digital-only spatial audio release marks Eudeikis’s solo debut with the Orchestra. In his program note, Salonen—who composed the concerto for Yo-Yo Ma—said the work was born “when I decided to spend a few months researching for new kinds of textures without a concrete plan how to use them.” 

The recording is the latest in a series of SFS Media digital-only releases on Apple Music Classical. In May, Salonen and the Symphony released Jean Sibelius’s Finlandia (recorded live March 14–16, 2024), followed in July by Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements (recorded live November 11–12, 2023). On Friday, September 26, they will release Sibelius’s Symphony No. 1 (recorded live March 14–16, 2024).  

The San Francisco Symphony launched its partnership with Apple Music Classical in March 2023 and has since released 19 recordings on the platform. Notable highlights include Grammy®-nominated spatial audio releases of Stravinsky’s The Firebird (2025) and The Rite of Spring (2024), alongside acclaimed performances of works by Berlioz, Sibelius, Respighi, Hillborg, Ligeti, Ogonek, and Prokofiev. The San Francisco Symphony Chorus, led by Ragnar Bohlin, earned a 2024 Grammy® nomination for its recording of Ligeti’s Lux Aeterna. Most recently, the Symphony’s recording of Kaija Saariaho’s Adriana Mater, conducted by Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen and released on DG, won the 2025 Grammy® Award for Best Opera Recording. Additional recordings include Bartók: Complete Piano Concertos and Grace: The Music of Michael Tilson Thomas on the Pentatone label. In 2025, SFS Media expanded its catalog with four new digital releases: Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Cello Concerto, Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements, Sibelius’s Finlandia, and Sibelius’s Symphony No. 1 (Fall 2025). 

With Apple Music Classical, Apple Music subscribers can easily find any recording in the world’s largest classical music catalog with fully optimized search; enjoy the highest audio quality available and experience many classical favorites in a whole new way with immersive spatial audio; browse expertly curated playlists, insightful composer biographies, and descriptions of thousands of works; and more. Apple Music Classical is available on the App Store and is included at no extra cost with nearly all Apple Music subscriptions. The combination of Apple Music Classical and Apple Music provides a complete music experience for everyone, from longtime classical fans to first-time listeners, and everyone in between.  

Global distribution of all SFS Media products is managed by Warner Classics Label Services. SFS Media recordings and videos are available online at warnerclassics.com/san-francisco-symphony, and at major e-retailers and various outlets.  Recordings released exclusively via Apple Music Classical are added to Warner Classics three months after their release. Many San Francisco Symphony recordings are available in multiple formats, including physical CDs and SACDs, streaming, and downloadable purchases through digital platforms such as iTunes, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Qobuz, and other services worldwide. 

These recordings were produced and edited by Jason O’Connell. Jon Johannsen was the recording engineer, and Mark Willsher was the mastering and mixing engineer.   

To obtain a review copy of the SFS Media recording of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Cello Concerto, please email [email protected]. 

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