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 began its partnership with Apple Music Classical when the music streaming app launched in March 2023. With these latest releases, the Symphony has now issued 15 recordings on the platform. Previous spatial audio releases include Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, Anders Hillborg’s Kongsgaard Variations, György Ligeti’s Clocks and Clouds and Ramifications, Elizabeth Ogonek’s Sleep & Unremembrance, Sergei Prokofiev’s Music from Romeo and Juliet, Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome, Jean Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5, and Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and The Firebird, which were each nominated for the Grammy Award® for Best Orchestral Performance in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Also released via Apple Music Classical was the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and former Chorus Director Ragnar Bohlin’s recording of György Ligeti’s Lux Aeterna, which was nominated for a 2024 Grammy® Award for Best Choral Performance.   

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.  

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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