Davies Symphony Hall
Photo by Lisa Hirsch
As I said the other day, when San Francisco Opera cancelled its fall season, "there's just no way for a big organization, with a big house and big orchestra and big staff, to perform safely this fall." We now have the inevitable documents from San Francisco Symphony cancelling their fall season.
Documents, plural, because as a subscriber, I got a very nice in-advance-of-the-public announcement email, followed by the press release an hour or so later.
I'm just so sad about this. We're losing months of Esa-Pekka Salonen's first season, with some fabulously rich programs never to be heard.
- Bluebeard's Castle / Bartok Piano Concerto No. 2
- Rudolph Buchbinder in Beethoven piano concertos
- Chick Corea/Joshua Weilerstein (Walker / Gershwn / Sibelius)
- MTT/Mahler 1
- MTT/Beethoven Missa Solemnis
- Giancarlo Guerrero (Tower / Price / Wolfe)
Unlike SFO, SFS has reached a "shared sacrifice plan that includes temporary pay reductions for all employees earning more than $75,000 annually." That's the right way to do this. Negotiate first, cancel later. Don't leave the people who work for the organization hanging.
I'm sorry to see that there will be some jobs cut, though.
Below the cut, you'll find the to-our-donors email and the press release.
- Janos Gereben, SFCV
- Joshua Kosman, Chron
Donor email:
Dear San Francisco Symphony Donor,
On behalf of all of us here at the San Francisco Symphony, thank you for being a part of our wonderful community of donors. Your generosity and dedication to our organization, especially in these challenging times, play a vital role in sustaining the future of the Orchestra and the music that we all love, and we are grateful for your ongoing support.
As one of our leading supporters, we are reaching out to you in advance of our public announcement at 11:00 am today to share the difficult news that the San Francisco Symphony, in accordance with guidelines from the State of California and City of San Francisco, has made the difficult decision to cancel all San Francisco Symphony concerts through December 31, 2020.
San Francisco Symphony’s COVID-19 response has been guided by a belief that we must “plan for the worst while hoping for the better.” While we are deeply disappointed to not present the exciting lineup of live concerts we had planned for Fall 2020, including the start of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s tenure as Music Director and a festival of events featuring our eight Collaborative Partners, we know this action is necessary in order to ensure the health and safety of our Orchestra, Chorus, staff, and audiences. For a full list of canceled concerts please visit sfsymphony.org.
We can’t wait to be back on stage sharing live music with you as soon as it is safe to do so again. Until then, we’re asking for your help.
- If you are in the position to do so, please consider making an additional gift to support the San Francisco Symphony by visiting sfsymphony.org/give.
- Those who hold tickets to canceled concerts are encouraged to consider donating the cost of their tickets back to the San Francisco Symphony, or to ask for a gift certificate for the value of their tickets. Ticket donations go a long way in helping the San Francisco Symphony come back stronger and more vibrant than ever. You can double the impact of ticket donations thanks to a 1:1 match made possible by a group of generous San Francisco Symphony Board members and donors consisting of President Sakurako Fisher and William Fisher, President-elect Priscilla B. Geeslin and Keith Geeslin, former President John Goldman and Marcia Goldman, and Development Committee Chair Trine Sorensen and Michael Jacobson.
- For those who opt for gift certificates, patrons will receive a 20% credit applied to their gift certificate based on the value of tickets they had purchased for use in future concerts. These credits won’t expire.
All requests for ticket donations, gift certificates, exchanges, and refunds for tickets dated August 1, 2020 or earlier must be received by August 31, 2020. All requests for ticket donations, gift certificates, exchanges, and refunds for tickets dated between September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2020 must be received by August 31, 2021.
For assistance with your tickets, please contact the Box Office by phone at 415.864.6000 or email patronservices@sfsymphony.org. Box Office hours (for phone and emails only) are Mon–Fri: 10am–6pm. Box Office windows remain closed. PLEASE NOTE: If you already submitted an email regarding your ticket/s, no further action is required.
Thank you for being part of the San Francisco Symphony donor family. We are grateful for your loyalty and support.
With gratitude,
Mark C. Hanson
Chief Executive Officer
Press release:
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES CANCELLATION OF ALL CONCERTS THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2020
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—The San Francisco Symphony today announces the cancellation of all concerts through December 31, 2020 due to COVID-19. “While we are deeply disappointed to not present the exciting lineup of live concerts we had planned for Fall 2020, including the start of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s tenure as Music Director and a festival of events featuring our eight Collaborative Partners, we know this action is necessary in order to ensure the health and safety of our Orchestra, Chorus, staff, and audiences,” says San Francisco Symphony CEO Mark C. Hanson. “In accordance with statewide guidelines that live concert performances will not be permitted until the final stage of the reopening process, the City of San Francisco and the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center have indicated that all performances in Davies Symphony Hall must be canceled through the end of the calendar year.”
In light of this extended period of concert cancellations, and in order to best position the organization for financial stability while producing and releasing original digital content and experiences, the San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors, Music Director, staff, members of the Orchestra & Chorus, and stagehands, have joined together in implementing a shared sacrifice plan that includes temporary pay reductions for all employees earning more than $75,000 annually, and a staff restructuring that includes the elimination of some positions and some temporary furloughs of varied duration. The San Francisco Symphony has also made the difficult decision to permanently close resale shop Repeat Performance on Fillmore Street effective July 31, 2020.
Throughout the month of June, the San Francisco Symphony continues MTT25: An Online Tribute—a special 25-day digital tribute in honor of Michael Tilson Thomas’ extraordinary 25-year tenure as Music Director. Each day, the San Francisco Symphony is releasing original and archival content,
This month is also highlighted by the June 21 video release of a new song MTT composed while sheltering-in-place at home in March 2020. “Whistle Tune,” inspired by a tune MTT used to whistle with his father Ted, is performed and filmed by members of the San Francisco Symphony from their homes. On June 26, Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony release an album of Tilson Thomas’ From the Diary of Anne Frank & Meditations on Rilke on the SFS Media label. Performances feature mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, and bass-baritone Ryan McKinny. Also available on June 26 is a new short-form documentary video about both compositions, featuring commentary from MTT, Isabel Leonard, and Sasha Cooke, and live performance footage.
The month’s activities culminate with MTT2
Details of a new program—launching in Summer 2020 and comprising an engaging variety of new online content, digital experiences, and opportunities for exploration and learning—will be announced in the coming weeks.
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