Scheherazade
June 12, 13 & 14, 2026
Overview
The Chinese-born New Zealand conductor Tianyi Lu makes her San Francisco Symphony debut with Rimsky-Korsakov’s cinematic orchestral showpiece Scheherazade, paired with the first Symphony performances of Iranian-American composer Iman Habibi’s Zhiân, dedicated to “the brave people of Iran, in the hope of better days ahead.” Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s side job as a film composer likely saved his life. In 1938, the Jewish former prodigy fled Vienna for Hollywood; five years later, he became a US citizen. His violin concerto, performed here by María Dueñas, was written for his neighbor, none other than Jascha Heifetz, who helped ensure that the violin writing was perfectly pitched between lyricism and virtuosity.Artists
Tianyi Lu
Conductor
María Dueñas
Violin
San Francisco Symphony
Program
Iman
Habibi
Zhiân
First SF Symphony Performances
Erich Wolfgang
Korngold
Violin Concerto
Nicolai
Rimsky-Korsakov
Scheherazade
Sponsors
Tianyi Lu’s appearance is generously supported by the Shenson Young Artist Debut Fund.

María Dueñas, violin

San Francisco Symphony
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