San Francisco Symphony - Season Overview

IT’S YOUR SEASON

Whether an off-the-wall escapade or a desert-island classic, it’s all here in the San Francisco Symphony’s 2023-24 season.

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COMPOSE YOUR OWN SERIES

Design your own concert package from our complete lineup or be inspired by the suggested groupings below.

CHOOSE YOUR CONCERTS

FIXED SERIES

Select from a wide array of curated ticket packages designed around day of the week, concert experience, musical taste, and more.

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SIGNATURE SALONEN

Sometimes a sound you’ve never heard before opens new musical frontiers. Or a fresh voice turns convention on its head. You’re up for an adventure, for what’s next. In programs reflecting Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen’s singular vision, the San Francisco Symphony presents a blend of concerts that can only be described as “Signature Salonen.”

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Selections from Signature Salonen

SALONEN CONDUCTS AN ALPINE SYMPHONY
September 29–October 1

INTERPLAY: PEKKA KUUSISTO
October 6–7

SALONEN: ALL SIBELIUS
March 14–16

SALONEN CONDUCTS MAHLER 3
June 28–30

CALIFORNIA FESTIVAL

Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony tap into the Golden State’s innovative spirit in two programs presented as part of the California Festival: A Celebration of New Music, a two-week statewide initiative conceived by Salonen, LA Phil Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, and San Diego Symphony Music Director Rafael Payare.

CALIFORNIA FESTIVAL: TO THE EDGE
November 10–12

CALIFORNIA FESTIVAL: FROM THE EDGE
November 17–18

NEW CONCEPTIONS

Music is visceral: Sometimes the vibrations of a voice reverberate in your body or the sinewy torque of a dancer in flight makes your heart race. Or a new marriage of sound and imagery stirs something deep within. The Symphony joins with great creative minds to present enhanced theatrical conceptions designed to captivate the senses.

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INTERPLAY:
PEKKA KUUSISTO
October 6–7

DARK & DIVINE:
DUKE BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE
March 1–3

ALONZO KING LINES BALLET
& PETER SELLARS
June 7–9

INSPIRATIONS

A concert is an immersive journey that starts before you set foot in the hall and continues long after the final downbeat. Themed programs—each built around a single narrative framework—reveal the surprising ways art goes from inspiration to implementation. Feed your curiosity through behind-the-scenes talks with performers and leading figures in arts and ideas, horizon-expanding collaborations with local organizations, and augmented lobby experiences.

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INSPIRATIONS: ART/MUSIC
November 2–4

INSPIRATIONS: LETTERS/LEGACIES
February 15–18

INSPIRATIONS: FILM/CLASSICAL
April 25–27

CHOICE CLASSICS

Love at first listen can happen in many ways: a beat-up old Beethoven LP, a chance encounter with a concert broadcast on TV, or a school field trip to the symphony. Treat yourself to dream pairings designed to launch a lifelong love of classical music.

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Selections from Choice Classics

DUDAMEL CONDUCTS BRAHMS 2
November 24–26

MTT & SEONG-JIN CHO
January 18–20

BLOMSTEDT
CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN 7
February 2–4

MENDELSSOHN’S
SCOTTISH SYMPHONY
May 10, 12

EPIC EXPRESSIONS

You’ve sat riveted from the first fanfare of a Mahler symphony to the cathartic conclusion 90 minutes later. Or found yourself swept up in the heroic narrative of a Romantic tone poem. Dazzling orchestral colors abound and big emotions are the norm in music that paints on the broadest canvas.

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Selections from Epic Expressions

HARDING CONDUCTS
THE PLANETS
October 26–28

VAN ZWEDEN CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN 5
January 11–13

CANELLAKIS CONDUCTS
STRAUSS & RAVEL
April 18–20

ESA-PEKKA SALONEN
& YEFIM BRONFMAN
June 21–23

MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS

Music Director Laureate Michael Tilson Thomas returns to Davies Symphony Hall to lead must-see performances with the San Francisco Symphony.

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MTT CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN 9
October 19, 21–22

MTT & SEONG-JIN CHO
January 18–20

MTT CONDUCTS MAHLER 5
January 25–27

MTT & JULIA FISCHER
February 23–25

BUCKET LIST BRILLIANCE

Singular concerts with sublime artists. Subscribers receive early ticket access to popular events like these.

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ITZHAK PERLMAN:
IN THE FIDDLER’S HOUSE
January 21

AUDRA MCDONALD
AND THE SF SYMPHONY
November 29

YO-YO MA
AND KATHRYN STOTT
April 2

GREAT PERFORMERS SERIES

Masters of the Craft: Settle in as the world’s most electrifying artists and ensembles converge at Davies Symphony Hall.

GREAT PERFORMERS SERIES

SOUNDBOX SERIES

In this adventurous series, the Symphony brings extraordinary, multisensory experiences to the underground club atmosphere of the SoundBox space. Grab a craft cocktail at the bar and get cozy for these one-of-a-kind concerts.

SOUNDBOX SERIES

SHENSON SPOTLIGHT SERIES

Today’s Stars, Tomorrow’s Legends: Catch ascendant soloists in their Davies Symphony Hall recital debuts.

SHENSON SPOTLIGHT SERIES

MUSIC FOR FAMILIES SERIES

For the Young & Young at Heart: Share the joy of music with all your loved ones in captivating performances created with your entire family in mind.

MUSIC FOR FAMILIES SERIES

CHAMBER SERIES

It’s Personal: Experience intimate chamber music programs curated and performed by small ensembles of SF Symphony musicians.

CHAMBER SERIES

YOUTH ORCHESTRA SERIES

Best of the Bay: Discover the jaw-dropping artistry of next-gen talents as the 100 musicians of the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra come together to explore repertoire standards and new works alike.

YOUTH ORCHESTRA SERIES

FILMS WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA

Lights, Camera, Music! Watch favorite films on the big screen at Davies Symphony Hall as the scores are performed live by the San Francisco Symphony.

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Selections from Film with Live Orchestra

CASINO ROYALE
February 8–9

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
April 11–13

STAR WARS:
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
May 2–4

ENCANTO
May 24–25

ORCHESTRAL SERIES

From choice classics to cathartic Romantic symphonies, and off-the-wall musical escapades to desert-island classics, it’s all here in the San Francisco Symphony’s Orchestral Series concerts.