San Francisco Symphony 2025-26

Davies Symphony Hall

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

Well, SFS's 2025-26 season dropped last week. I started buying a more or less full subscription when Salonen arrived, despite my status as a member of the press, and today I called the SFS box office and told them I wouldn't be renewing.

I don't know what the hell they were thinking when they put this season together. 

To start with, I have to assume that a bunch of programs originally assigned to Esa-Pekka Salonen were redistributed to other conductors. We know, for example, that the SFS music director typically conducts the gala, the first several weeks of programs, and the last several weeks of programs. That concert in June with Stephane Deneve leading two French works with major organ parts, both played by Olivier Latry? I would bet $100 that it was originally a Salonen concert and that one work on it was his own organ concerto, because Latry has played it with Salonen conducting. That concert in late September with Donald Runnicles, consisting of Mahler 6 and Berg songs? I leave more of this game to you.

To continue, what the actual fuck with the "focus on Beethoven and Mozart"? Four Beethoven symphonies will appear this season, conducted by Jaap van Zweden, James Gaffigan, and John Storgårds. 

And for some reason, they decided that van Zweden will conduct a full cycle of the Beethoven symphonies over three seasons. He is leading a total of four concerts in 2025-26, and....I don't get it. I've seen him conducted live twice, once with the CSO and once with SFS, and thought he did not have any special insights into what he led. I also reviewed his recordings of Das Rheingold and Die Walküre (note that at that time he had never conducted a staged Wagner opera, only in concert) for the Wagner Society journal, and declined to continue with Siegfried and Götterdämmerung. 

It's worth noting that Gaffigan gets three concerts. I know that some of the undoubted scramble to find guest conductors, 23 of them, depended on who was available when. I hesitate to read too much into how this shook out, except maybe for the apparent commitment to van Zweden over three seasons.

It is so much a season of dead white men: do we really need the fourth performance in the last five years of Beethoven's 9th, previously performed by Xian Zhang, MTT, and Daniel Stewart, or the fourth performance of Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, From the New World, previously conducted by Xian Zhang, Joshua Weilerstein, and Dalia Stasevska?

No. We do not. And yet here it is.

Some statistics about the season (you bet I'm glad I hung onto that schedule for 2014-15):

• 49 composers whose works are performed, of whom....
• 37 are dead white men, 12 aren't
• 1 is a dead black man (Duke Ellington)
• 1 is a dead white women (Barbara Strozzi)
• 2 are living Black men
• 1 is a living Iranian-Canadian man
• 1 is a living Hispanic man
• 4 are living white men
• 2 are living white women
• In terms of number of works by a single composer:
• Mozart: 8 (this includes a big all-Mozart program conducted by Harry Bicket, featuring the wonderful soprano Golda Schultz)
• Beethoven: 5
• J.S. Bach: 4
• Dvořák: 4
• Tchaikovsky: 4
• Prokofiev: 3
• Saint-Saëns: 3
• Gershwin, Mahler, Ravel, Shostakovich: 2 each
• 26 weeks of orchestra series concerts, down from 28 last season and a staggering 39 in 2014-15. I have to note that 2014-15 included the big MTT Beethoven festival, which included several one-off programs, Fidelio, the staged Missa Solemnis, and other great stuff.
• Women conducting in the orchestral series next season: 4 (Canellakis, Young, Glover, Lu)
• 10 chamber music concerts, same as last year.
• 8 Great Performers concerts, down from 10 last year and 15 in 2014-15
• Two chamber orchestras are visiting, but no full-sized orchestras
• 8 special events, including the June program with Yo-Yo Ma, the opening gala and more.
• Prices are eye-watering for Ma, going up to $420, and gosh, $89 for a single ticket in the second tier to see a film with live orchestra.

Honestly, it feels as though MTT and Esa-Pekka Salonen never set foot in Davies.

Media round-up:

• Lisa Hirsch, S.F. Chronicle news report
• Joshua Kosman, S.F. Chronicle rant analysis. You'll be shocked, shocked, to hear that I agree with every word and punctuation mark.
• Janos Gereben, SFCV
• Gabe Meline, KQED. His headline says it all: "San Francisco Symphony Announces 2025–26 Season of ‘Just Play the Hits’"

I don't disagree with either Janos or Joshua that there are bright spots in the season, from Gabriella Smith's SoundBox to Mahler by Donald! Runnicles! and Herbert Blomsted to the new work by Outi Tarkiainen to the Ibert flute concerto with the fabulous Yubeen Kim. But still. Who planned this thing? And, you know, here's what Matt Spivey, CEO (and former artistic administrator) said about the music director hunt:

“Most importantly, we’re looking for someone with exceptional talent and a strong artistic vision who will inspire our musicians, audiences and community,” Symphony CEO Matt Spivey told KQED on Wednesday. “We can’t share more specifics while the search is underway, but we’re looking forward to sharing more when we’re ready to make an official announcement.” 

Seriously, folks: you had someone who met those criteria and you let him go.
 

Uhhhhh, what?

Davies Symphony Hall

October, 2023

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

A few weeks ago, Thomas Adès withdrew from his planned February concerts at SF Symphony and SFSoundBox. At the time, the orchestra announced that there would be an announcement about replacements for February 15-16 and 18.

Now we've got the announcement that they're just cancelling. Ticketholders can do one of the following:

• Exchange the tickets for another concert.
• Exchange tickets for a San Francisco Symphony gift certificate, which can be used at any time.
• Donate tickets and receive a tax deduction for the total ticket value. 
• Receive a refund for the value of the tickets.

Color me befuddled. With more than four months notice, the orchestra was unable to find a conductor who could turn up for the rehearsal period and performance period with a program that would be within the means of a great professional orchestra? Really? Truly? There was no one available? 

The orchestra hasn't currently got an associate/assistant conductor, but it does have Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser (resident conductor of engagement and education), Daniel Stewart (music director of the youth orchestra), and Jenny Wong (chorus director), all of whom are competent to lead the orchestra in a range of repertory. (It's possible that Wong has a conflict with the L.A. Master Chorale, of course.) And I find it unbelievable that of the dozens of good to great conductors in the world, no one could conduct SFS that week. Not to mention, bring in the right soloist and you can sell out the hall. I see that Yuja Wang, for example, seems to be free from February 10 to sometime in March.

I'll just assume that this is a money-saving decision.

Okay, okay; in the press release, but not the customer announcement: "Alternate programming for this week will be announced at a later date." 

 

 

Mark Hanson Leaving SFS

Davies Symphony Hall

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

Oh, now, this is a big shock:

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—On behalf of the San Francisco Symphony, President Priscilla B. Geeslin announced today that the Board of Governors has accepted Mark C. Hanson’s resignation from his position as Chief Executive Officer, effective August 31, 2021. 

Mark Hanson stated, “The San Francisco Symphony is a dynamic organization, and it has been a true honor to lead them through complex transitions and challenges. With the San Francisco Symphony now back up and performing as a full ensemble for live audiences following our successful pandemic pivots, I have decided that this is the right time to pursue my next professional opportunity within a different environment. I am proud of what we have been able to achieve over the past four years: from implementing a multi-year financial plan that put the organization on a path to restoring stability and establishing a multi-constituency Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Workgroup; to successfully celebrating the conclusion of Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas’ tenure, and more recently engaging new Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen.” 

San Francisco Symphony President Priscilla Geeslin said, “The Board fully understands Mark’s decision and thanks him for his steadfast work with appreciation for the experience, commitment, and passion with which he led the San Francisco Symphony over the past four years. We wish him all the best as he moves on.” 

To ensure continuity moving forward, Matthew Spivey has been appointed Interim CEO. Spivey is currently Chief Programming Officer of the San Francisco Symphony and has been with the organization for five years.

Here's a CEO who didn't have labor problems, made the most unexpected and fabulous music director hire, and kept the orchestra moving through the pandemic. I'm really flabbergasted. I mean, I sincerely hope that there isn't Bad Stuff we don't know about behind this change. (Update: I would like to note that if there were Bad Stuff, it's probable that he would have been fired and walked out of Davies immediately.)

Updated: Looks as though Joshua Kosman had an hour's lead on this, that is, not much more than the rest of us.

Sills Award to Sierra

Nadine Sierra as Lucia, with Piotr Beczala

Photo by Cory Weaver, SF Opera

I kinda don't get this; I've seen Nadine Sierra a couple of times and thought she was a charming Papagena and a good, but not particularly memorable, Lucia. She dropped out of two other operas where I would have seen her, Carmen (Micaela, "personal reasons") and Manon (title role; "too heavy for me just now"). I skipped her Nozze Countess.

Met Press release:

New York, NY (April 24, 2018) – Soprano Nadine Sierra has been named the winner of the 13^th annual Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera. The $50,000 award, the largest of its kind in the United States, is given to extraordinarily gifted singers between the ages of 25 and 40 who have already appeared in featured solo roles at the Met. The award, given in honor of Beverly Sills, was established in 2006 by an endowment gift from the late Agnes Varis, a managing director on the Met board. In 2009 Sierra became the youngest ever winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has gone on to make her mark at the Met with memorable performances in Verdi’sRigoletto, and Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Idomeneo and Don Giovanni. In the Met’s 2018-19 season, Sierra will reprise the role of Gilda in Rigoletto.

Met General Manger Peter Gelb presented Sierra with the award today, saying: “Nadine is a most deserving recipient. I’m sure that Beverly would have been pleased with our choice.”

The Sills Award was created to help further recipients’ careers, including funding for voice lessons, vocal coaching, language lessons, related travel costs, and other professional assistance. Sills, who passed away in 2007, was well known as a supporter and friend to developing young artists, and this award continues her legacy as an advocate for rising singers. The 29-year-old Sierra is the 13^th recipient of the award, following baritone Nathan Gunn in 2006, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato in 2007, tenor Matthew Polenzani in 2008, bass John Relyea in 2009, soprano Susanna Phillips in 2010, mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard in 2011, soprano Angela Meade in 2012, tenor Brian Hymel in 2013, tenor Michael Fabiano in 2014, baritone Quinn Kelsey in 2015, soprano Ailyn Pérez in 2016, and mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton in 2017.

Nadine Sierra said: “This award is a true gift to singers because it honors not only a beautiful artist in Beverly Sills, but treasures the legacy she left behind. It's not enough to say that I'm honored to be receiving it, but more that I feel incredibly humbled. Opera can and should belong to anyone who has the pleasure of witnessing its timeless beauty. I believe Ms. Sills, through all of her achievements and generosity of sharing this music with people around the world for many decades, would certainly agree. I'm very thankful to the Metropolitan Opera for selecting me as the recipient of such a meaningful and empowering award.”

Nadine Sierra made her Met debut in 2015 as Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto. She followed that with three Mozart roles at the Met: Zerlina in Don Giovanni, her role and Live in HD debuts as Ilia in Idomeneo, and earlier this season, her role debut as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro. She made her professional debut with Palm Beach Opera while still a teenager, in her home state of Florida. She studied in New York at Mannes College of Music and was an Adler Fellow with San Francisco Opera. She made her debut at San Francisco Opera in 2011 as Juliet/Barbara in the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis's Heart of a Soldier.  Recent engagements include Gilda in Rigoletto (La Scala, Milan, Chorégies d'Orange, Opéra Bastille, Seattle Opera), Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor (La Fenice, Venice, San Francisco Opera, Zürich Opera), Zerlina in Le Nozze di Figaro (Paris Opera), Tytania in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Norina in Don Pasquale (Valencia), Musetta in La Bohème, Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte (San Francisco Opera), Flavia Gemmira in Eliogabalo (Paris Opéra) and Nannetta in Falstaff (Staatsoper Berlin). In June she sings the role of Norina in Donizetti's Don Pasquale (Paris Opéra). She is the winner of the Marilyn Horne Foundation Vocal Competition, the 2017 Richard Tucker Award Winner, and has recently signed a record contract with Deutsche Grammophon/Universal.

Six-Point White Type on Burgundy

Pro tip: if you want people to read the print on that CD by an interesting artist, do not do the following:

• Print the interior type in approximately 6 or 7 point white type on a burgundy background
• Print the middle cover, oh, 9 point spidery handwritten black on a mutli-colored background
• Print the back-cover track listing in approximately 6 or 7 point white type on a background of several shades pink

I am going to send a polite email to the label requesting the text in black on white, 10 point, and pointing them to some accessibility guidelines.