San Francisco Symphony September 2026 Programming

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—In September, the San Francisco Symphony kicks off its 2026–27 season with the Opening Gala featuring violinist Hilary Hahn, as well as the annual All San Francisco Concert with SF Symphony Principal Bassoon Joshua Elmore, both conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero. The month also features one-night-only orchestral performances with Samara Joy, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Fantastic Negrito; an Orchestral Series program with David Afkham and Garrick Ohlsson; live-to-picture film series performances of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi; a free chamber music concert at Golden Gate Park; and a chamber music concert at Davies Symphony Hall.

Season-Opening Festivities
September 24: Opening Gala with Hilary Hahn
The San Francisco Symphony celebrates the start of the 2026–27 season with the Opening Gala on September 24, with a program led by Giancarlo Guerrero and featuring superstar violinist Hilary Hahn performing Felix Mendessohn’s lyrical Violin Concerto. The program also features John Adams' energetic The Chairman Dances, known as a “foxtrot for orchestra,” and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestral showcase, Capriccio espagnol, inspired by Spanish folk music. Patrons can reserve a VIP sponsorship package, including exclusive access to preconcert receptions and a vibrant postconcert dinner, at sfsymphony.org/gala. 

The 2026 Opening Gala presenting sponsor is Zenni Optical. The supporting sponsor is Harry Winston, Inc. In-kind support for the Opening Gala is provided by The Caviar Co, Chandon, Luxardo and Nikka Vodka. 

Proceeds from the Gala directly support the Symphony’s acclaimed education, community, and artistic programs, which serve tens of thousands throughout the Bay Area each year.

September 25: All San Francisco Concert 
On September 25, Giancarlo Guerrero leads the San Francisco Symphony in the Orchestra’s annual All San Francisco Concert. The program includes John Adams’s The Chairman Dances, Carl Maria von Weber’s Bassoon Concerto featuring SF Symphony Principal Bassoon Joshua Elmore in his solo debut with the Symphony, Gabriela Lena Frank’s Three Latin American Dances, and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio espagnol. Now in its 47th year, the All San Francisco Concert honors local social service and neighborhood organizations that work to make the Bay Area a more just and equitable place. A special San Francisco Symphony program is offered at a subsidized ticket price of $12 for those involved with Bay Area nonprofits, social services, and grassroots organizations. Previous concert attendees include community members, volunteers, and employees from a broad range of local organizations. Founded by native San Franciscan, veteran philanthropist, patron of the arts, and San Francisco Symphony Life Governor Ellen Magnin Newman, and led by an advisory committee of nonprofit and community leaders, the All San Francisco Concert is an important pillar of the San Francisco Symphony’s ongoing work to make the Symphony an accessible, welcoming space for all Bay Area residents, regardless of income. A limited number of $12 tickets will be released for sale to the general public on August 11.

In honor of its founder, the All San Francisco Concert also includes the presentation of the Ellen Magnin Newman Award, in recognition of an outstanding community-based arts organization that serves those most in need. Recipients of the award are celebrated at the All San Francisco Concert and receive a Symphony concert series subscription for two as well as a cash grant. This year’s recipient of the Ellen Magnin Newman Award is Cultura y Arte Nativa de las Americas (CANA). For over four decades, CANA has preserved and celebrated the many traditions of the Latino, Caribbean, and African diasporas in the San Francisco Bay Area through culturally and linguistically relevant dance, music, and art programming, and by creating spaces for community learning, advocacy, and human services. Since 1978, CANA has produced Carnaval San Francisco, the largest multicultural festival in California. In May 2026, Carnaval San Francisco was attended by more than 400,000 guests. The free, two–day event covered 17 city blocks, with five main stages, 60 local performing artists, and 300 vendors representing the heritage of countries including Brazil, Mexico, Trinidad, Tobago, Puerto Rico, and beyond. CANA stands as a beacon of hope for the stewardship of cultural traditions and the creation of a new, more inclusive American culture. 

The All San Francisco Concert is presented in partnership with the San Francisco Arts Commission.   

Special Events
September 8: Samara Joy with the SF Symphony
On September 8, jazz singer Samara Joy joins conductor Anthony Parnther and the Orchestra to perform original songs as well as jazz standards by Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, Sun Ra, and more. Joy began exploring jazz singing in her teens and released her self-titled debut on the Whirlwind label in 2021, the same year she graduated from college. She followed her debut with Linger Awhile, and at the Grammy® Awards in 2023, she won the Best New Artist Award.

September 15: Gregory Alan Isakov with the SF Symphony
Gregory Alan Isakov joins the SF Symphony and conductor Christopher Dragon on September 15 for an evening featuring symphonic arrangements of his acclaimed songs. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and now calling Colorado home, Isakov is a musician and horticulturist who has cast an impressive presence on the indie-rock and folk worlds with six full-length studio albums. He tours internationally with his band and has performed with several orchestras across the United States.

September 26: Fantastic Negrito with the SF Symphony
Oakland native and multi-Grammy Award®–winning artist Fantastic Negrito joins the San Francisco Symphony and conductor Jonathan Taylor Rush on September 26 for a striking collaboration that brings his bold, genre-defying sound into a symphonic setting. Drawing from blues, soul, rock, and deeply personal storytelling, his music balances grit and grace, joy, and resilience. The performance also marks the 10-year anniversary of Fantastic Negrito’s breakout Tiny Desk Concerts appearance, the moment that introduced his voice to a global audience. Reimagined with a full orchestra, his songs expand in color and dimension, intimate yet powerful, grounded yet expansive.

Orchestral Series
September 18–19: Garrick Ohlsson Plays Brahms 
David Afkham, chief conductor and artistic director of the Spanish National Orchestra and Chorus, leads the SF Symphony in Unsuk Chin’s subito con forza, originally composed in 2020 for the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth. Afkham also conducts Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, which features the “Clara theme,” derived from the composer’s wife’s own piano compositions. Garrick Ohlsson then joins Afkham and the Orchestra to perform Johannes Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1, the second movement of which the composer described as a portrait of Clara Schumann.

Film Series
September 10 & 12: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi—Film with Live Orchestra
Anthony Parnther conducts John Williams’s Academy Award-nominated score to Star Wars: Return of the Jedi live-to-picture. In the final installment of George Lucas’s original Star Wars trilogy, the Empire prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star, and Luke Skywalker confronts Darth Vader in a climactic duel.

Chamber Music Concerts
September 13: Flower Piano
On September 13 at 2:00pm at the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco Symphony musicians perform in Zellerbach Garden as part of the annual Flower Piano concert series. This concert is a free event for San Francisco residents with proof of residency, such as a driver’s license.

All Community Chamber Concerts are free and open to the public.

September 20: Chamber Music at Davies Symphony Hall: SF Symphony Musicians and Garrick Ohlsson
To kick off the 2026–27 Chamber Music Series at Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco Symphony musicians are joined by pianist Garrick Ohlsson for Johannes Brahms’s Piano Trio No. 2 in C major and Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet. Symphony musicians also perform Ramiro Boero's Suite Impulso and Astor Piazzolla's La muerte del ángel and Decarísimo. 

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