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Andrea Lewis, In Memoriam

ANDREA LEWIS, IN MEMORIAM: I was deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved colleague and personal friend, Andrea Lewis, who died last weekend from a heart attack at age 52. Andrea, who was a radio host at KPFA, and a contributing writer for The Progressive magazine, was an alto in the San Francisco Symphony Chorus for 20 years. Her first rehearsal with us was in January 1987, and over the course of the next 20-plus years, she sang 1,561 services, most recently for Mahler’s Symphon… Continue

Added by Gregory Boals on November 18, 2009 at 3:15pm — 1 Comment

Michael Tilson Thomas in TIME Magazine

Michael Tilson Thomas on some of life's simple pleasures: the Criterion DVD collection, the Tempur-Pedic sleep mask, Elton Dog and Jimmy Durante on YouTube, and the new Coen Brothers film, in thi… Continue

Added by Jean Shirk on November 17, 2009 at 2:02pm — No Comments

SFS crew made this month's Mercury Soul super fun!

Thanks so much to the SFS crew for turning out to see Mercury Soul on Nov 13 (last Friday). We need a hip and sophisticated crowd to appreciate both musical elements of this project - the classical sets and the DJ sets. It was awesome to have some SFS staff swing by, especially because it was many of the same people who made the After Hours event last May the fun time it was. So, thanks to everyone who made it - and let's keep the party going! Mason Continue

Added by Mason Bates on November 16, 2009 at 12:29pm — 2 Comments

Youth Orchestra review

My review of yesterday's Youth Orchestra performance is now on Examiner.com, complete with a rather unconventional (but still appropriate) photograph! Continue

Added by Stephen William Smoliar on November 16, 2009 at 8:04am — No Comments

Steven Winn reviews Semyon Bychkov - Sibelius No. 5

"From the first downbeat of Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5, conductor Semyon Bychkov and the San Francisco Symphony exuded the confidence and anticipatory pleasure of travelers setting out on a familiar journey. The audience at Davies Symphony Hall was warmly invited along for the ride. We knew where we were going, which somehow heightened rather than diminished the possibility of new sensations — a discovery of things unseen, overlooked, or forgotten over the years" - Steven Winn Read the full… Continue

Added by San Francisco Classical Voice on November 16, 2009 at 7:25am — No Comments

SF Symphony 's TENTH ANNIVERSARY Chinese New Year event

KA-POW!!! Whhhhhheeeee!!! Get ready for an explosive, firecracker-popping celebration at Davies Symphony Hall! Please join us in making big noise for the SF SYMPHONY'S TENTH ANNIVERSARY CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION and to usher in the Year of the Tiger on Saturday February 27, 2010!!! It will be a spectacular day!!! To commemorate the TENTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY for CNY, the symphony is making this event BIGGER, BETTER, and BOLDER than ever before !!!! Tickets are on sale now starting at $25.00 to… Continue

Added by Sharon Seto on November 15, 2009 at 11:39pm — 2 Comments

San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra Concert TODAY!

I hope to see all of you at Davies Symphony Hall TODAY (11/15) at 2PM for the first concert of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. Here's a link to the details: http://www.sfsymphony.org/season/Event.aspx?eventid=36920 SFSYO Concert, November 15, 2PM Continue

Added by Donato Cabrera on November 15, 2009 at 9:33am — No Comments

First Rattle/Berlin Carnegie Review

This morning's New York Times had the review of the first of three Carnegie Hall performances given by Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. Continue

Added by Stephen William Smoliar on November 13, 2009 at 7:51am — No Comments

No Capuçon but still a Great Program

There was more than enough to compensate for Capuçon's absence, as I have now written on my Examiner.com site. Continue

Added by Stephen William Smoliar on November 12, 2009 at 7:54pm — No Comments

Let’s Count in All “First-Rate Russians” at SF Symphony on Sunday Nov.8, 2009

I sincerely admire Heuwell Tircuit for making his effort to delve into the coverage of this outstanding concert of All-Russian music at the San Francisco Symphony in his recent review "First-Rate Russian at S.F. Symphony". And, I am certainly sympathetic to the reasons why it can be at times so overwhelming for some western listeners (including the reviewer himself, according to his own admission) – after all, the vast and unique legacy of Russian music is still not taught even to the mus… Continue

Added by Rozalina Gutman on November 12, 2009 at 1:16pm — No Comments

Let’s Count in All “First-Rate Russians” at SF Symphony on Sunday Nov.8, 2009

Added by Rozalina Gutman on November 12, 2009 at 1:16pm — No Comments

Speaking of Davies After Hours...

One of last season's Davies After Hours artists will be performing tomorrow at 111 Minna in San Francisco from 5-9pm. Mercury Soul brings you The Mercury Lounge! This event features DJ/Composer Mason Bates and musicians of the San Francisco Conservatory performing their trademark style of interspersed sets of classical music and DJ Masonic (Mason Bates) spinning with MarsBassMan on the upright bass. If you saw and heard them last season, you know their unique sound is worth checking out. See all… Continue

Added by Sharon Rietkerk on November 12, 2009 at 11:35am — No Comments

Davies After Hours headliners announced for 2009-10 post-concert parties

The artists for our Davies After Hours 09-10 season have just been announced - John Santos Sextet kicks it off, Fri., Jan. 15 following the George Benjamin/San Francisco Symphony performance. Santos is a four-time Grammy nominee and a well-known jazz musician. His sextet will be performing music from Puerto Rico and Cuba as part of a response to that evening's San Francisco Symphony concert… Continue

Added by Jean Shirk on November 12, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, November 15, 2PM

There are still tickets for this Sunday's concert at Davies Symphony Hall! Here's a link for more information and to buy tickets: http://www.sfsymphony.org/season/Event.aspx?eventid=36920 Continue

Added by Donato Cabrera on November 11, 2009 at 6:28pm — No Comments

Jaime Robles Previews "Cirque of the Season"

"Among the cornucopia of holiday events this year, the 'Cirque of the Season with the San Francisco Symphony' seems likely to enthrall all members of the family and fill everyone with wonder and amazement. Combining forces with the Cirque de la Symphonie, the orchestra will conjure the magic of the circus in Davies Symphony Hall." - Jaime Robles Read the full preview at SFCV: At the Sympho… Continue

Added by San Francisco Classical Voice on November 11, 2009 at 8:44am — No Comments

Getting to know Alexander "Sasha" Barantschik

The SF Symphony's Concertmaster, violinist Alexander "Sasha" Barantschik, sat for a short interview recently with the SF Symphony's Jeanette Yu. Sasha, as he's fondly known, will lead the orchestra and perform on a program including Bach's Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 3, 4 and 5 the week of November 18. Joining Sasha and the orchestra are soloists Principal Flute Tim Day; Associate Principal Flute Robin McKee, and Principal Keyboard Robin Sutherland on harpsichord.… Continue

Added by Jean Shirk on November 10, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

First-Rate Russian at S.F. Symphony

"Leaving Davies Symphony Hall Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the San Francisco Symphony’s all-Sergei Rachmaninov program, I was wondering if I’d put on weight merely by listening to it. Guest conductor Semyon Bychkov led only two large works, with everything but the kitchen pantry thrown in." - Heuwell Tircuit Read the full review at SFCV: http://ow.ly/B1U2 Continue

Added by San Francisco Classical Voice on November 10, 2009 at 7:34am — 1 Comment

anyone else receive spam from the idiot Adam Perry?

I hope no one else received the spam I got from Adam Perry-he should be kicked off this website! Continue

Added by Laurie Moody on November 9, 2009 at 10:50pm — 2 Comments

STANDING OVATION FOR PIONEERING IN MUSIC EDUCATION ADVOCACY

In his recent article, Michael Tilson Thomas (affectionately called by his local fans “MTT”), San Francisco Symphony’s Artistic Director and Conductor remarks: “Speaking at the Pittsburgh Creative & Performing Arts School, Michelle Obama gave an 11-minute address about the importance of the arts in our schools. I appreciated her expressing the conviction that the arts aren’t somehow an “extra” part of our nation’s life, but should be an essential part of it.” I wholeheartedly agree with Mae… Continue

Added by Rozalina Gutman on November 9, 2009 at 4:53pm — No Comments

Zemlinsky is Returning!

The San Francisco Symphony will be performing Alexander Zemlinsky's "Lyric Symphony" at the end of April. By interesting coincidence, the New York Philharmonic performed it last week; and Brilliant Classics just released a "reprint" of a classic DG recording with Júlia Várady and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau singing with the Berlin Philharmonic under Lorin Maazel. All this seemed to justify my writing an "… Continue

Added by Stephen William Smoliar on November 9, 2009 at 3:20pm — No Comments