SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY’S SPOTLIGHT SERIES HIGHLIGHTS ASCENDANT ARTISTS THROUGH FOUR DEBUT RECITALS AT DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL, MARCH–JUNE 2022  

March 23, pianist Drew Petersen presents a solo recital performing Maurice Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit, Selected Études by Frédéric Chopin, and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 2

April 13, violinist Randall Goosby is joined by pianist Zhu Wang for a program of Antonín Dvořák’s Sonatina for Violin and Piano, William Grant Still’s Suite for Violin and Piano, and Edvard Grieg’s Violin Sonata No. 3

April 20, violinist Noa Wildschut and pianist Elizabeth Brauß perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Violin Sonata in E minor, K.304 (K300c), Maurice Ravel’s Violin Sonata No. 2, Joey Roukens’ Sarasvati, and Four Souvenirs for Violin and Piano by Paul Schoenfield

June 1, saxophonist Steven Banks is joined by pianist Xak Bjerken for a program including Paul Creston’s Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano, Johannes Brahms’ Sonata in F minor, Op. 120, no.1 (arranged for saxophone), and Banks’ own composition, Come As You Are

MUSIC DIRECTOR ESA-PEKKA SALONEN CONDUCTS THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY IN THREE WEEKS OF CONCERTS AT DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL, FEBRUARY 24–MARCH 12

February 24, 26 & 27 concerts feature Ludwig van Beethoven’s Creatures of Prometheus with actor Keith David as narrator and original animated projections by Hillary Leben

March 3–5 concerts feature Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, the world premiere of Fang Man’s Song of the Flaming Phoenix (火凤凰的笙音) with sheng virtuoso Wu Wei, and Alexander Scriabin’s The Poem of Ecstasy

March 10–12 concerts include the SF Symphony premiere of Elizabeth Ogonek’s Sleep & Unremembrance and Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Violin Concerto,
featuring Leila Josefowicz

THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY’S 2021–22 MUSIC FOR FAMILIES SERIES KICKS OFF FEBRUARY 19 WITH “MUSIC AROUND THE WORLD—PERCUSSION” CONDUCTED BY DANIEL BARTHOLOMEW-POYSER

Music for Families continues on April 9 with “The Planets” featuring the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra conducted by Daniel Stewart and concludes on May 7 with “Superheroes” featuring Akiko Fujimoto conducting the San Francisco Symphony

SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY FEBRUARY 25–26 SOUNDBOX CONCERTS CURATED BY PEKKA KUUSISTO AND JESPER NORDIN CANCELED

Pekka Kuusisto has withdrawn from the SoundBox concert due to the serious ill health of an immediate family member; the concert will be rescheduled for a future season

SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY RELEASES NEW EDUCATIONAL VIDEO—MUSICAL HEROES: STORIES OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMPOSERS—EXPLORING THE HISTORY, WORK, AND IMPACT OF FLORENCE PRICE, WILLIAM GRANT STILL, AND GEORGE WALKER
 
Hosted by SF Symphony Resident Conductor of Engagement and Education Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, Musical Heroes is a free online resource intended for middle and high school-aged students and available to schools everywhere
 
Educational resource includes hour-long video highlighted by musical performances featuring SF Symphony musicians, along with teacher resources and classroom guides
 
View Musical Heroes: Stories of African-American Composers here

CONDUCTOR PERRY SO MAKES HIS ORCHESTRAL SERIES DEBUT LEADING THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY AT DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL, FEBRUARY 11 & 12, 2022

Program features five San Francisco Symphony premieres, including works by Texu Kim, Younghi Pagh-Paan, Takashi Yoshimatsu, Zhou Long, and Lou Harrison

Pipa virtuoso Wu Man makes her Orchestral Series Debut performing Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra

SAXOPHONIST STEVEN BANKS PERFORMS SPOTLIGHT SERIES RECITAL AT DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL, JUNE 1, 2022

Banks replaces cellist Ifetayo Ali-Landing, who has had to withdraw from her recital on June 1

SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY PRESENTS LUNAR NEW YEAR: YEAR OF THE TIGER FEBRUARY 5, 2022 AT DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL

Conductor Yue Bao makes her debut leading the Orchestra in traditional folk music and works by Asian composers including Huan-zhi Li, Chen Gang and He Zhanhao, Huang Ruo, Tan Dun, Texu Kim, Tyzen Hsiao, and Liu Yuan
 
Concert features soloists including violinist Bomsori and SF Symphony Assistant Principal Cello Amos Yang

CONDUCTOR LAUREATE HERBERT BLOMSTEDT LEADS THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY AT DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL, FEBRUARY 3, 4 & 6, 2022

Program includes Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4 and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5

THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES UPDATED SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR CONCERTS AT DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL 

Beginning Thursday, January 20, the SF Symphony will require that all patrons wear N95, KN95, or equivalent face masks while inside Davies Symphony Hall

MEZZO-SOPRANO SASHA COOKE RETURNS TO DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL FOR HOW DO I FIND YOU, A PERFORMANCE OF 17 WORLD PREMIERES WRITTEN FOR HER DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, JANUARY 30, 2022

To be released as an album via Pentatone on January 28, how do I find you features new songs by Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Caroline Shaw, Joel Thompson, and 13 more composers

A Roundtable discussion with seven of the project’s composers and librettists
follows the performance

VIOLINIST ITZHAK PERLMAN’S JANUARY 16, 2022 GREAT PERFORMERS SERIES CONCERT AT DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL RESCHEDULED TO APRIL 18, 2022