President’s Tier and Maestro’s Circle Supporters
Looking Back, Moving Forward
Through the passionate work of our musicians, Board of Governors, donors, patrons, and staff, the 2023–24 season built on the San Francisco Symphony’s longstanding history of creating exceptional music and unforgettable experiences as we reaffirmed our commitment to inspiring and transforming lives through music.
Together we invited in new audiences and welcomed back longtime patrons, embraced the spirit of collaboration through new and continuing partnerships, and celebrated beloved works of the canon while exploring new creative horizons. It has been a rewarding experience to delve deeper into our artistic identity as we simultaneously explored new and exciting possibilities, enabling us to grow as an organization.
The 2023–24 season laid the groundwork for the next chapter of the San Francisco Symphony, and that is because of your generosity and support. But before we embark on our journey toward the future, let us take a moment to look back and celebrate all the ways in which we have thrived, together.
Priscilla B. Geeslin Chair, Board of Governors
Matthew Spivey Chief Executive Officer
2023–24 Season Highlights
September 15, 2023
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, SF Symphony, and Esa-Pekka Salonen release Bartók Piano Concertos on PENTATONE
November 3–19, 2023
California Festival: A Celebration of New Music
February 17, 2024
Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon concert and celebration
September 18, 2023
Jenny Wong is announced as the next SF Symphony Chorus director; the Chorus celebrates its 50th anniversary
November 4, 2023
Día de los Muertos concert and celebration
March 1–3, 2024
Prometheus, The Poem of Fire (in partnership with Cartier) & Duke Bluebeard’s Castle
September 22, 2023
Opening Night Gala with Kev Choice, Hila Plitmann, Simon Keenlyside, and Anthony Veneziale
November 10, 2023
SF Symphony nominated for two Grammy Awards for recordings of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Ligeti’s Lux Aeterna
March 20–22, 2024
Southern California tour performances in Costa Mesa, Palm Desert, and Los Angeles
September 23, 2023
All San Francisco Celebration; Youth Art Exchange wins 2023 Ellen Magnin Newman Award
December 3, 2023
Deck the Hall concert and celebration
April 5–6, 2024
SoundBox “Press Play: Carol Reiley and the Robots”
October 6–7, 2023
World premiere of Jesper Nordin’s Convergence with Collaborative Partner Pekka Kuusisto
December 15, 2023
Mayor London Breed and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi honor Michael Tilson Thomas with a new commemorative street name, “MTT Way”
May 19, 2024
The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra celebrates Daniel Stewart in his final season as SFSYO Music Director
October 12–14, 2023
World premiere of Anders Hillborg’s Piano Concerto No. 2, The MAX Concerto, with Emanuel Ax
January 25–27, 2024
MTT conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 5
June 7–9, 2024
A night of ballet and opera: Alonzo King LINES Ballet in Ravel’s Ma mère l’Oye; Peter Sellars’s staging of Schoenberg’s Erwartung
Connecting Through Collaborations
The 2023–24 season showcased the collaborative spirit of the San Francisco Symphony through partnerships with musical organizations up and down the Golden State and across artistic mediums.
California Festival: A Celebration of New Music
November 3–19, 2023
Conceived by Los Angeles Philharmonic Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, San Diego Symphony Music Director Rafael Payare, and San Francisco Symphony Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, the California Festival invited musical organizations to incorporate works written within the past five years into their season programs.
At Davies Symphony Hall, Esa-Pekka Salonen highlighted California’s influence on up-and-coming and well-known composers alike in performances of works such as Bay Area native Gabriella Smith’s organ concerto, Breathing Forests, and Les Noces by Igor Stravinsky, who spent many years of his life in California.
“California is an inexhaustible wellspring of creativity, openness, and collaboration. We are so proud to be joined by more than 95 partner organizations located in every region of the state for the inaugural California Festival; their participation turns our celebration into a true statewide effort that reflects the full spectrum of ideas, voices, and cultures that call California their home.”
––Gustavo Dudamel, Rafael Payare, and Esa-Pekka Salonen
Southern California Tour
March 20–22, 2024
Esa-Pekka Salonen and the SF Symphony, along with violinist Lisa Batiashvili, embarked on a three-concert Southern California tour with performances at Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, Palm Desert’s McCallum Theatre, and Los Angeles’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, performing works by Jean Sibelius and John Adams
The California Festival was supported by the Association of California Symphony Orchestras.
The California Festival at the San Francisco Symphony was made possible by Sakurako and William Fisher.
Lisa Batiashvili’s appearance was sponsored by the Barbo Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.
Alexander Scriabin’s Prometheus, The Poem of Fire, March 1–3, 2024
Devised by Esa-Pekka Salonen, pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Cartier in-house perfumer Mathilde Laurent, this collaboration marked the world premiere of an immersive presentation of Prometheus, The Poem of Fire These performances strived to realize Scriabin’s vision of a synesthetic work of art combining music, lighting, and an olfactory curation delivered during key moments of the performance.
“This project shows us what is possible when there is collaboration within the arts: how different art forms and different senses can enrich one another, and in doing so enrich our lives and our experiences both inside and outside of the concert hall.”
––Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Alonzo King LINES Ballet and Peter Sellars collaboration, June 7–9, 2024
Esa-Pekka Salonen and the SF Symphony partnered with director Peter Sellars and choreographer Alonzo King for a multidisciplinary program highlighting opera and dance. The program opened with Alonzo King LINES Ballet performing Maurice Ravel’s Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose), choreographed by King; Peter Sellars directed the second half of the program, Arnold Schoenberg’s one-act monodrama, Erwartung
“Working with Esa-Pekka Salonen is always deeply engaging, and I’m thrilled to collaborate with him and the San Francisco Symphony once more.”
––Alonzo King
These concerts, a part of the Barbro and Bernard Osher Staged Production Fund, were made possible by a generous gift from Barbro and Bernard Osher.
Unforgettable Performances
Rooted in tradition, embracing innovation, the San Francisco Symphony showcases the broad spectrum of classical music.
SoundBox is an experimental live music series designed for the exploration of new musical ideas and immersive audience experiences, continuously pushing the envelope with adventurous programming and innovative design
“Eye, Sea, You Are Hear,” a program curated by violinist, singer, and freestyle composition artist Mazz Swift and performed with members of the SF Symphony engaged audiences in a musical journey through land, sea, air, and ourselves.
Curated by Collaborative Partner and roboticist Carol Reiley, “Press Play: Carol Reiley and the Robots” showcased various uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create art in a thought-provoking, forward-thinking, and inspiring program.
SoundBox is supported by the Barbro and Bernard Osher SoundBox Fund.
Major support for the 2023–24 SoundBox season was provided by Trine Sorensen & Michael Jacobson.
Additional support was provided by Paul Upham & Michael Vosika.
The Shenson Spotlight Series featured rising artists in their Davies Symphony Hall recital debuts.
2023–24 Shenson Spotlight Series Artists
January 31, 2024
Eric Lu, piano
February 21, 2024
Gabriel Martins, cello
Victor Santiago Asunción, piano
March 6, 2024
Alexandra Conunova, violin
Tamila Salimdjanova, piano
June 26, 2024
Stella Chen, violin
George Li, piano
Press Play: Carol Reiley and the Robots
During the 2023–24 season, the San Francisco Symphony was home to a series of new works and premieres.
Three World Premieres
• 2022 Emerging Black Composers Project winner Jens Ibsen’s Drowned in Light
• Anders Hillborg’s Piano Concerto No. 2, The MAX Concerto, a San Francisco Symphony commission, performed with Emanuel Ax
• Composer and developer Jesper Nordin’s violin concerto Convergence, a San Francisco Symphony commission, performed with Pekka Kuusisto
Two United States Premieres
• Betsy Jolas’s Latest, a San Francisco Symphony co-commission, conducted by Ludovic Morlot
• Unsuk Chin’s Alaraph ‘Ritus des Herzschlags’ an SF Symphony commission, conducted by Ryan Bancroft
Lead support for these performances of Jesper Nordin’s Convergence was provided by the Phyllis C. Wattis Fund for New Works of Music.
Anders Hillborg’s Piano Concerto was commissioned for Emanuel Ax by the San Francisco Symphony with the generous support of John Kongsgaard.
The Emerging Black Composers Project is made possible by Michèle and Laurence Corash.
The commissioning of Unsuk Chin’s Alaraph ‘Ritus des Herzschlags’ was made possible by the Ralph I. Dorfman Commissioning Fund.
Performances of Betsy Jolas’s Latest were supported by the Paul L. and Phyllis C. Wattis Endowment for New Music and the Ralph I. Dorfman Commissioning Fund.
2022 Emerging Black Composers Project winner Jens Ibsen
Jesper Nordin’s Convergence performed with Pekka Kuusisto
Investing in Our Communities
The San Francisco Symphony’s work reaches far beyond the walls of Davies Symphony Hall: Our dedication to SF public school students and our work with San Francisco’s vibrant communities are the cornerstones of our mission.
Established in 1988 in partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District, the Fisher Family Adventures in Music Program (AIM) is a curriculum designed to support music learning in the classroom for all students grades 1–5. Students experience in-school performances, receive educational materials and resources, and attend a dedicated SF Symphony concert at Davies Symphony Hall, free of charge.
25k
Students grade 1–12 reached by our music programs annually
100+ Schools served
600+ In-school performances
100%
Teen Night invites young people across the Bay Area to experience classical music in an exciting and accessible way. Led by Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, Resident Conductor for Engagement and Education, the annual concert featured interactive elements like games, trivia, and prizes alongside an eclectic, multi-genre program of music that highlighted this year’s theme: Inspiration!
An outgrowth of AIM, Music and Mentors provides coaching, mentoring, critical supplies, and instrument repairs to instrumental music program in San Francisco’s public schools, grades 6–12. Students also attend open rehearsals and concerts at Davies Symphony Hall, free of charge.
To learn more about the impact of our AIM and Music and Mentors programs visit sfsymphony.org/education.
elementary
students grades 1–5 receive
music
through AIM
schools coverd by our Adventures in Music program
schools coverd by our Music and Mentors program
Investing in Our Communities
Founded in 1981, the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (SFSYO) provides a tuition-free orchestral experience of preprofessional caliber to more than 100 young musicians ranging from ages 12 to 21 from communities throughout the greater Bay Area. SFSYO members benefit from weekly coachings with SF Symphony musicians and work with world-renowned artists and conductors performing with the SF Symphony.
The SFSYO celebrated Wattis Foundation Music Director Daniel Stewart and the culmination of his five-year tenure with the Youth Orchestra.
“It has been an honor and privilege to help guide this generation of young musicians in their artistic development. I couldn’t be more proud of their exceptional results and accomplishments, or more grateful for all the unforgettable musical memories created over the last five years.”
––Wattis Foundation Music Director Daniel Stewart
The All San Francisco concert is offered at a subsidized ticket price for employees of Bay Area nonprofits, social services, and grassroots organizations.
In honor of its founder, the concert includes the presentation of the Ellen Magnin Newman Award to honor an outstanding community-based arts organization. Last year’s recipient was Youth Art Exchange, a leader in arts education for San Francisco public high school youth.
The All San Francisco Concert was presented in partnership with the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Through Music in the Wards, Symphony musicians perform monthly concerts for families, patients, and staff of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, providing a moment of beauty and connection through our universal love of music.
“I think our patient said it best, ‘This was the best day of my life.’ There is no bigger compliment than that. He was smiling from ear to ear and did not stop talking about the performance for the rest of the day. I know many of our other patients felt the same as him. The joy these visits make are invaluable.”
––Brianna Negrete, Therapist, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital
Blair Francis Paponiu, Associate Principal Flute and Catherine & Russell Clark Chair, performs a Music in the Wards concert
Investing in Our Communities
San Francisco Symphony musicians performed 14 free Community Chamber Concerts at a broad range of organizations across the Bay Area during the 2023–24 season, sharing the transformative power of music with the community.
“Thank you all for the spectacular performance. I loved how the musicians were able to capture the attention of the audience. I felt the music put people in a state of happiness, contentment, and light-heartedness. Those feelings were just what we needed.”
––Marciel Gamiño Murphy, San Francisco Public Library
The San Francisco Symphony presented its 16th annual Día de los Muertos celebration at Davies Symphony Hall. Curated by longtime SF Symphony collaborator Martha Rodríguez-Salazar, and in partnership with multidisciplinary art organization Casa Círculo Cultural, the celebration featured music, art, and activities relating to Maya culture; the concert was conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya with guest vocalist Edna Vázquez
The Día
de los Muertos celebration was presented in partnership with the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Celebrations
The transformative power of music is worth celebrating.
Co-chaired by Amy Christodulo and Julie Liegl, the Opening Night Gala celebrated the start of the 2023–24 season. The concert featured Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Orchestra, and guest artists Simon Keenlyside, Kev Choice, Anthony Veneziale, and Hila Plitmann in an exhilarating program interweaving music and technology.
Conducted by Daniel BartholomewPoyser, Resident Conductor of Engagement and Education, Deck the Hall featured a lively array of holiday musical performances from Symphony musicians and talent across the Bay Area.
Deck the Hall was made possible through generous support from the Louise M. Davies Foundation, Bank of America, the J.C. Kellogg Foundation, and the Levchin Family.
The San Francisco Symphony celebrated the 24th anniversary of this signature event with the Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon Concert and Banquet. The concert, featuring violinist Paul Huang and conducted by Mei-Ann Chen, included works by Asian composers, drawing upon vibrant traditions, past and present. The event chair was Ella Qing Hou and the honorary chair was Fred Levin
The Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon concert was presented in partnership with the San Francisco Arts Commission.
In Attendance
There’s something for everyone at the San Francisco Symphony. We strive to present a broad range of experiences reflective of the diverse culture fabric of San Francisco and the Bay Area, providing musical performances that engage and inspire audiences and create unforgettable memories.
“To experience Latine music in that context was moving. To hear the conductor speak in Spanish. To hear the music I grew up with and to share it with my child was a gift.”
—Audience member
“The SF Symphony never disappoints. The quality of the performances is consistently superior.”
—Audience member
Singer-songwriter and composer Sting performed two sold out performances of his most celebrated songs reimagined for orchestra, accompanied by the San Francisco Symphony with conductor Edwin Outwater, at Davies Symphony Hall.
The February 14 concert was generously sponsored by Misty Tyree.
The 2023–24 Día de los Muertos celebration
MTT conducts Mahler 5
“Perfect experience from start to finish!”
—Audience member
“Loved the open rehearsal format! I feel so fortunate, not only be able to hear high quality music at a rate that’s more affordable for me, but also the chance to see a behind the scenes look at what goes into making a performance happen. Really appreciate the opportunity.”
—Audience member
Alonzo King LINES Ballet
joined Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Symphony for a collaborative performance of Ravel’s Mother Goose
Support Your San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony is a nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of our dedicated patrons and supporters to fuel our work in the community, in classrooms, and in Davies Symphony Hall. Your investment in our orchestra is not only essential to our mission but ensures the legacy of the San Francisco Symphony for generations to come.
2022–23
Operating Revenue
2022–23 Operating Expenses
Ticket Sales
Concerts at Davies Symphony Hall and other venues
Endowment & Investments
Annual endowment draw and bequest gifts
Development & Special Events
Includes fundraising event and donor benefit expenses
Supporting Music Education and Community Partnerships
Music education and community partnerships are at the core of our mission—from the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, to free music education programs in every San Francisco public school and outreach programs within the community—we’re dedicated to impacting the lives of everyone throughout our city.
Supporting Your Symphony
An unrestricted gift to the San Francisco Symphony reverberates through everything we do and supports visionary artistic programming, meaningful education programs, and genuine community engagement.
Supporting the Musicians
The San Francisco Symphony is comprised of world-class musicians dedicated to their craft. A gift to the Orchestra ensures our musicians can continue to bring the highest caliber of classical music performance to San Francisco and beyond.
Supporting the Endowment
A gift to the endowment secures the legacy of the San Francisco Symphony. Each gift is invested and stewarded carefully with the intention of ensuring the Symphony’s ability to adapt, expand, and innovate as we strive to be a leader and catalyst for how people engage with orchestral music.
Interested in supporting or learning more? Visit sfsymphony.org/membership.
Thank You
We are grateful for the unwavering support of our donors and patrons, Board of Governors, musicians, staff, and community members. The 2023–24 season was made possible because of our community’s passion for expectational music. We look forward to continuing our partnership to shape the promising future of the San Francisco Symphony, together.
Cover artwork from an elementary student who attended a performance at the SF Symphony and participated in the Symphony’s Visual Arts Project.