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San Francisco Symphony Announces 2022-23 Season

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The San Francisco Symphony has announced its 2022-2023 season , a packed program that includes premieres of new works, an emphasis on storytelling and a reverence for one of the form’s most essential elements: the piano.

With Esa-Pekka Salonen at the helm, the season kicks off with an opening night gala on Sept. 23. On Sept. 29, the music director conducts the debut of a new work by Trevor Weston , a music professor at Drew University and the winner of the 2021 Emerging Black Composers Project . That evening, the orchestra also performs Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, the Austro-Bohemian romantic composer who has been a guiding light for the San Francisco Symphony since the tenure of previous music director Michael Tilson Thomas.

“I was immediately taken by the beauty and the energy of [Weston’s] music, and also the sparkle of ideas, which is rare,” said Salonen in a statement. “His music seemed to be completely alive. I’m greatly looking forward to conducting his piece before the Mahler Second Symphony.”

In October, Salonen will lead the orchestra in performances that revolve around the themes of magic, myth and horror. Featured works include Modest Mussorgsky’s witchy Night on Bald Mountain , a suite from Bernard Herrmann’s score to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and HK Gruber’s cartoonish Frankenstein!! with baritone Christopher Purves.

In February and March, ahead of the orchestra’s spring 2023 European tour, the symphony will perform a series of concerts spotlighting guest pianists Pierre-Laurent Aimard , Conor Hanick , Lang Lang and Yuja Wang .

Russian-German pianist Igor Levit is this season’s artist in residence. His performances in June 2023 will feature two Orchestral Series concerts, a Great Performers solo recital and a chamber music concert with members of the orchestra.

“Igor Levit is perhaps the hottest pianist in Europe at the moment,” said Salonen in his statement, adding that he’s “especially excited that Igor has decided to play the Busoni Piano Concerto with us, which is the strangest piano concerto ever written. It’s about 75 minutes long and needs a big orchestra and a chorus. And it’s a massive but utterly fascinating journey, full of beauty, struggle, love, and pain.”

Subscription packages for the 2022-2023 season are available starting March 29, and single tickets go on sale July 16. 

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Europe Tour with the San Francisco Symphony

Yuja Wang joins forces with the San Francisco Symphony and Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen for a showstopping tour to France, Luxembourg, and Germany this month. Showcasing two fantastic programs, this first consists of Ms. Wang performing Rachmaninoff’s highly virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 3, a work in which Yuja feels as though she is climbing the Great Wall of China while relishing in the views of her breathtaking natural surroundings.

Multifaceted composer and SF Symphony Collaborative Partner Nico Muhly curated the second program. He will lead and perform a mesmerizing SoundBox program that features works and arrangments of his own, as well as by Peter Maxwell Davies, Caroline Shaw, John Dowland, François Couperin, J.S. Bach, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Billy Childs, drawing upon the otherworldly talents of Ms. Wang.

March 1 & 2 – Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA March 4 – Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA March 9 – Philharmonie de Paris, Paris, FR March 11 – Philharmonie de Paris, Paris, FR March 13 – Philharmonie Luxembourg, Luxembourg, FR March 16 – Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Hamburg, DE March 17 – Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Hamburg, DE

Photo credit: Norbert Kniat / DG

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San Francisco Symphony European Tour Blog

Join tour staff, musicians and special guest bloggers with daily blog updates and photos as the orchestra performs in Luxembourg and at the Lucerne Festival in September 2006.

Monday, September 18, 2006

• The Lucerne Festival Finale

Sunday, September 17, 2006

• First concerts in Lucerne

Saturday, September 16, 2006

• The exciting world of cargo

Friday, September 15, 2006

• Travel to Lucerne

Thursday, September 14, 2006

• Mahler 8 at the Philharmonie

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

• Arrival in Luxembourg

Sunday, September 10, 2006

• Tour Schedule

2006 EUROPEAN TOUR SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY Michael Tilson Thomas, Music Director Luxembourg Wednesday, September 13 at 8:00 p.m. Salle de Concerts Grande-Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte PROGRAM:Mahler / Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major, Symphony of a Thousand Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor Erin Wall, soprano I Elza van den Heever, soprano II Laura Claycomb, soprano III Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano I Elena Manistina, mezzo-soprano II Anthony Dean Griffey, tenor James Johnson, bass-baritone Raymond Aceto, bass Bamberg Symphony Chorus Prague Philharmonic Chorus Basel Children’s Chorus San Francisco Symphony ------------------------------------------------------- Lucerne, Switzerland Friday, September 15 at 7:30 p.m. Lucerne Festival Kultur und Kongresszentrum PROGRAM: Debussy / Jeux Stravinsky / Violin Concerto in D major Dvořák / Symphony No. 8 in G major, Opus 88 Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor Christian Tetzlaff, violin San Francisco Symphony

Saturday, September 16 at 6:30 p.m. Lucerne Festival Kultur und Kongresszentrum PROGRAM:

Ives / Thanksgiving and Forefathers’ Day from New England Holidays Symphony Ravel / Piano Concerto in G major Rimsky-Korsakov / Scheherazade, Opus 35 Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor Hélène Grimaud, piano San Francisco Symphony Sunday, September 17 at 5:00 p.m. Lucerne Festival Kultur und Kongresszentrum PROGRAM:Mahler / Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major, Symphony of a Thousand Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor Erin Wall, soprano I Elza van den Heever, soprano II Laura Claycomb, soprano III Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano I Elena Manistina, mezzo-soprano II Anthony Dean Griffey, tenor James Johnson, bass-baritone Raymond Aceto, bass Bamberg Symphony Chorus Prague Philharmonic Chorus Basel Children’s Chorus San Francisco Symphony

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• September 2006

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S.F. Symphony leadership cites financial hardship in the struggle to keep Esa-Pekka Salonen

I n the face of growing public concern over the news that Esa-Pekka Salonen plans to part ways with the San Francisco Symphony after five years as music director, the orchestra’s board and management have attributed the development to the organization’s dire financial situation that has prompted them to cut several programs and artistic initiatives.

“We would love nothing more than to be able to immediately restore the number of SoundBox performances, semi-staged productions, and new commissions; to resume touring; and to reinstate Concerts for Kids,” the orchestra’s leadership said in a statement, citing a slew of recent reductions to artistic programming. “The limiting factor prohibiting us from doing so is not a lack of desire, drive, or ambition. It is solely a lack of immediate financial resources.”

The unsigned four-page statement , released Monday, March 25, goes into detail about “the mounting financial pressures that the Symphony is facing due to the cumulative impact of operating deficits stretching back more than a decade.”

The group claims those deficits have become worse in recent years.

“The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated and accelerated problematic trends in declining fundraising and ticket sales even as organizational expenses have continued to increase,” the statement continues. It also details a long history of red ink for the organization, amounting to a cumulative operating deficit of $116 million over the past decade.

“Without immediate action or extraordinary new funding,” they say, “we anticipate that our cumulative cash losses could grow by an additional $80 million over the next five years, far beyond any means of funding such losses.”

Neither board chair Priscilla Geeslin nor CEO Matthew Spivey returned calls from the Chronicle on Monday seeking additional comment.

Salonen, 65, has not provided any detailed explanation for his decision, saying only, “I do not share the same goals for the future of the institution as the Board of Governors does.” 

He has also not spoken to the media since the announcement on March 14 that the coming 2024-25 season would be his last as music director. But it has been widely, if tacitly, understood that Salonen’s decision was prompted by the board’s inability or unwillingness to fund the kinds of projects that are essential for his artistic vision. 

Spivey, when the news first broke, said he found it “understandable” that Salonen would want to leave, given the organization’s financial state.

Symphony musicians, meanwhile, have initiated a campaign to bring public pressure to bear on leadership in the hope of getting Salonen to change his mind. They leafleted the audience at the orchestra’s all-Sibelius concert on March 16, and followed up with a March 18 statement criticizing the board’s “lack of investment in the future of the Symphony.”

A public petition launched Thursday, March 21, on the website change.org calls for the board to do “everything in their power” to retain Salonen and to reverse the cuts. By Monday, the petition had garnered nearly 5,000 signatures.

“While we are glad that the administration is responding to the overwhelming outpouring of concern regarding the departure of Esa-Pekka Salonen due to cuts to programming, education and touring, there is still no plan nor timeline for the reinstatement of these supposedly temporary cuts,” Andy Lynch, a spokesperson for the orchestra musicians, told the Chronicle in response to the administration’s statement. 

“The administration claims they are committed to transparency and ensuring the Symphony remains a world-class organization, but their recent actions have driven away a world-class Music Director and left more questions than answers related to the Symphony’s finances and endowment. Despite our requests, the administration has still not provided us with audited financial statements to support their claims, which we are now only hearing about through a press release.”

One particular point of contention is the Symphony endowment, a financial nest egg whose value at the end of August 2023 stood at more than $315 million, according to a Symphony spokesperson. Many observers, both inside and outside the organization, find that figure hard to square with claims of financial hardship.

The statement from the board and management makes a point of addressing these perceptions.

“The Symphony’s endowment is intended to serve as a permanent source of funding from which the Symphony takes an annual distribution,” they explain. “There is a common misconception that endowments can be accessed like a savings account and used to support operating expenses at any time. In reality, our flexibility in spending from the endowment is limited by California law, as well as by legally binding donor applied restrictions.”

The statement also addresses public perceptions about the possibility of future renovations to Davies Symphony Hall , the orchestra’s longtime home. The group emphasizes that the entitlement process that began last September with the San Francisco Planning Department was funded by donations specific to that purpose, and that the Symphony “is still in an early, exploratory stage of this process.”

Reach Joshua Kosman: [email protected]

Washington University announces 2025 Great Artists Series

Next season to feature Pahud, Hough, Gomyo, Bronfman, Brownlee and Võ

The Department of Music in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis will host six performances by internationally renowned artists as part of the 2025 Great Artists Series.

Launched in 2017, the Great Artists Series presents intimate recitals featuring some of the brightest stars of the contemporary concert stage. All performances take place in WashU’s historic E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall, located in the 560 Music Center in University City.

The 2025 season will open Jan. 23 with Emmanuel Pahud, classical music’s reigning flute virtuoso, followed Feb. 2 by pianist and MacArthur “genius award” recipient Sir Stephen Hough. Celebrated violinist Karen Gomyo, accompanied by pianist Orion Weiss, will perform Feb. 16.

On March 2, the Great Artists Series will welcome the return of Grammy Award-winning pianist Yefim Bronfman, followed by star tenor Lawrence Brownlee March 23. Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ & the Blood Moon Quartet, a chamber ensemble featuring traditional Vietnamese instruments, will conclude the series April 6.

“We’re thrilled to present another fantastic season of exciting music for WashU and the St. Louis community,” said Patrick Burke, a professor and chair of music. “Please join us next spring!”

Subscriptions to all six performances are $150 (a 38% savings on single ticket prices). Subscriptions include premier reserved seating, pre-concert talks with faculty experts and all ticketing fees. Subscription renewals will be available April 29 to May 31. New subscriptions go on sale June 4.

Single tickets are $40, or $37 for seniors and Washington University faculty and staff, and $15 for students and children. Single tickets go on sale Sept. 3.

The 560 Music Center is located at 560 Trinity Ave., at the intersection with Delmar Boulevard. Tickets are available through the Washington University Box Office, 314-935-6543.

Emmanuel Pahud

“One of today’s most dazzling interpreters of the 20th-century flute repertoire” (BBC Music Magazine), Pahud won the National Competition of Belgium as a teenager, in 1985, and made his concert debut with the National Orchestra of Belgium later that year. He joined the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as principal flutist in 1992, after completing his training at the Conservatoire de Paris.

Pahud has appeared as soloist with many of the world’s top orchestras, including the London and Monte Carlo philharmonics; the NHK Symphony Orchestra; the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra; and the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France. He made his Carnegie Hall debut as part of a U.S. tour with the Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra.

A dedicated chamber musician, Pahud co-founded the Le festival de l’Empéri in Salon-de-Provence, France. He has released 24 albums with EMI Classics — the only flutist in the world to have a solo recording contract with a major label — and made his jazz debut in 2003 with “Into the Blue,” a collaboration with pianist Jacky Terrasson. In 2009, Pahud was made a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture for his contribution to French music.

Stephen Hough

“A keyboard colossus” (The Guardian) with “uncannily subtle timing” (Gramophone), Hough was the first classical performer to be awarded a MacArthur fellowship.

Since taking first prize at the 1983 Naumburg Competition in New York, Hough has appeared with most of the major European, Asian and American orchestras and regularly plays recitals in major halls and concert series around the world. His many honors include Northwestern University’s Jean Gimbel Lane Prize in Piano and the Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist Award. In 2014, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire and in 2022 was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Hough’s catalogue of more than 60 albums has won the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis, Diapason d’Or and Monde de la Musique, among other international prizes, and received several Grammy nominations. He has won eight Gramophone Magazine Awards including “Record of the Year” in 1996 and 2003, and the Gramophone “Gold Disc” Award in 2008, which named his complete Saint-Saens Piano Concertos as the best recording of the past 30 years.

Karen Gomyo and Orion Weiss

“A first-rate artist of real musical command, vitality, brilliance and intensity” (Chicago Tribune), Gomyo has worked with the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras as well as the Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Houston, Vancouver, Indianapolis and Oregon symphonies, among others.

International credits include appearances with the Philharmonia in London, Danish National Symphony, Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. She performed the world premiere of Samuel Adams’ Chamber Concerto and the U.S. premieres of Samy Moussa’s Violin Concerto “Adrano” and Matthias Pintscher’s Concerto No. 2 “Mar’eh.”

Weiss, a “brilliant pianist” (New York Times), is a sought-after soloist and chamber music collaborator, renowned for his “powerful technique and exceptional insight” (Washington Post). He has performed with dozens of orchestras across North America, including the Chicago and Boston symphonies and the Los Angeles and New York philharmonics.

Yefim Bronfman

“A marvel of digital dexterity, warmly romantic sentiment, and jaw-dropping bravura” (Chicago Tribune), Bronfman is “a fearless pianist for whom no score is too demanding” (Wall Street Journal).

Renowned for his commanding technique and exceptional lyrical gifts, Bronfman has appeared with leading orchestras and given solo recitals in major halls around the world, including his acclaimed debuts at Carnegie Hall in 1989 and Avery Fisher Hall in 1993.

Widely praised for his prolific solo, chamber and orchestral recordings, Bronfman is a six-time Grammy nominee and winner, in 1997, for his recording of the three Bartók Piano Concerti, with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Other honors include the 1991 Avery Fisher Prize, one of the highest honors given to an American instrumentalist.

Bronfman previously performed for the Great Artists Series in 2017.

Lawrence Brownlee

“An international star in the bel canto operatic repertory” (New York Times), Brownlee is a leading figure in contemporary opera, both as a singer on the world’s top stages and as a voice for activism and diversity.

Brownlee has performed at many of the world’s most important opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala and the Royal Opera House—Covent Garden. He has presented solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall and the Kennedy Center and has collaborated with, among many others, the Cleveland, Chicago and Philadelphia orchestras, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and the festivals of Baden-Baden and Salzburg.

Currently artistic advisor for Opera Philadelphia, Brownlee learned to play bass, drums and piano at his family’s church in Hubbard, Ohio. His numerous honors include a grand prize in the 2001 Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, Male Singer of the Year at the 2017 International Opera Awards, and the Kennedy Center’s Marian Anderson Award.

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ & the Blood Moon Quartet

Celebrated for her “rippling blend of musical genres” (San Francisco Classical Voice), Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ is an Emmy Award-winning composer who has collaborated with Kronos Quartet, Alonzo King Lines Ballet and Yo-Yo Ma.

A virtuoso of the 16-string đàn tranh (zither), Võ also employs the monochord (đàn bầu), bamboo xylophone (đàn t’rung), traditional drums (trống) and many other instruments to blend traditional Vietnamese music with new structures, genres and compositions.

Võ founded Blood Moon Orchestra in 2016 as a collective of immigrant artists — including Japanese, Iranian, African-American, Turkish and Irish musicians — who are all composers, performers and educators. Their mission is to promote cultural understanding and respect while raising awareness about political and social issues and exploring the boundaries and capabilities of their respective instruments.

Comments and respectful dialogue are encouraged, but content will be moderated. Please, no personal attacks, obscenity or profanity, selling of commercial products, or endorsements of political candidates or positions. We reserve the right to remove any inappropriate comments. We also cannot address individual medical concerns or provide medical advice in this forum.

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