GUEST CONDUCTORS GIANCARLO GUERRERO, GUSTAVO DUDAMEL, AND KLAUS MÄKELÄ LEAD THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY IN CONCERTS AT DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL IN APRIL 2022

April 7–9 concerts are conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero in his Orchestral Series debut and include the world premiere of John Corigliano’s Triathlon, Concerto for Saxophonist and Orchestra performed by saxophonist Timothy McAllister in his Orchestral Series debut; the SF Symphony premiere of Astor Piazzolla’s Sinfonía Buenos Aires featuring bandoneón player Daniel Binelli, also making his Orchestral Series debut; and SF Symphony premieres of Antonio Estévez’ Mediodía en el Llano and Adolphus Hailstork’s An American Port of Call

April 21–24 concerts feature Gustavo Dudamel conducting the SF Symphony in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 38, Prague and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5

April 28–30 concerts are conducted by Klaus Mäkelä in his Orchestral Series debut and include the SF Symphony premiere of Jimmy López Bellido’s Perú Negro, along with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, and Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto featuring Vilde Frang

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Guest conductors Giancarlo Guerrero, Gustavo Dudamel, and Klaus Mäkelä lead the San Francisco Symphony in three weeks of concerts at Davies Symphony Hall during the month of April.

On April 7–9, Music Director of the Nashville Symphony and NFM Wrocław Philharmonic Giancarlo Guerrero makes his Orchestral Series debut leading the SF Symphony in a program that includes some of the most captivating 20th and 21st century music from the Americas—all in their SF Symphony premieres. The program is highlighted by the world premiere of John Corigliano’s Triathlon, Concerto for Saxophonist and Orchestra, commissioned by the SF Symphony and performed by saxophonist Timothy McAllister, also making his Orchestral Series debut. Corigliano’s Triathlon—the composer’s first solo work for the instrument—features the soprano, alto, and baritone saxophones across three movements, exploring the full potential of each of the saxophones. Corigliano comments, “Triathlon was inspired by the wonderful joy that virtuosos can bring to music with their passion and the power. I wrote it out of a sense of that joy and love. It’s a warm piece, full of affection for Tim McAllister and for the art of saxophone playing.” The concerts also feature bandoneón player Daniel Binelli—a composer, arranger, and champion of the music of Astor Piazzolla—making his Orchestral Series debut with the SF Symphony premiere of Piazzolla’s raucous Sinfonía Buenos Aires. Rounding out the program are SF Symphony premieres of Adolphus Hailstork’s bustling An American Port of Call and Antonio Estévez’ miniature tone poem Mediodía en el Llano, a work evoking scenes of Venezuela’s vast central prairie, the Llanos.

On April 21–24, Music & Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Gustavo Dudamel returns to conduct the SF Symphony for the first time since March 2008. The program includes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s dramatic Symphony No. 38, Prague, unveiled during a visit to Prague, where the composer was adored, and Gustav Mahler’s masterful Fifth Symphony, which features the famous Adagietto movement Mahler composed as a love song to his wife Alma. 

April 28–30 concerts are conducted by Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director of Orchestre de Paris Klaus Mäkelä, in his SF Symphony Orchestral Series debut. The program opens with the SF Symphony premiere of Jimmy López Bellido’s Perú Negro, a fantasy on Afro-Peruvian folksongs, and features violinist Vilde Frang performing Alban Berg’s evocative Violin Concerto, a work rife with the emotion of a composer grappling with the fragility of life. Concluding the program is Dmitri Shostakovich’s tragic Tenth Symphony, widely seen as a depiction of the composer’s life in Stalinist Russia.

Tickets 

Tickets for concerts at Davies Symphony can be purchased via sfsymphony.org or by calling the San Francisco Symphony Box Office at 415-864-6000.

Location 

Davies Symphony Hall is located at 201 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco.

Health & Safety Information 

Davies Symphony Hall is currently operating at full audience capacity. Based on health and safety recommendations from the City and County of San Francisco and due to the transmissibility of the Omicron variant, all San Francisco Symphony patrons are required to wear a non-vented respirator, such as a N95, KN95, KF94, or equivalent face mask while inside Davies Symphony Hall. Effective February 1, 2022, the San Francisco Symphony requires proof of up-to-date vaccination against COVID-19 for everyone entering Davies Symphony Hall ages 16 and up who’s eligible—including patrons, performers, volunteers, and staff. “Up-to-date vaccination” is defined as two weeks after completion of the two-dose regimen of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or other WHO authorized COVID-19 vaccine, and one week after receiving a booster shot, for those eligible. Beginning March 1, 2022, this requirement is expanded to ages 12 and older. Patrons under age 12 must show proof of up-to-date vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test (PCR test taken within 2 days of event entry or antigen [rapid] test taken within 1 day of event entry.

For those patrons under age 12 who wish to show verification of a negative COVID-19 test result, the following are acceptable as proof: a printed document (from the test provider or laboratory); or an email, text message, web page, or application (app) screen displayed on a phone or mobile device from the test provider or laboratory. The information should include person’s name, type of test performed, negative test result, and date the test was administered. Self-administered antigen testing is not acceptable at this time, but patrons may bring an unopened at-home rapid test with them to Davies Symphony Hall to take with a verified EMT present. Details about health and safety protocols at Davies Symphony Hall can be found here.

SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAL SERIES Guerrero Conducts Corigliano & Piazzolla

Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 2pm Friday, April 8, 2022 at 7:30pm Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 7:30pm   Giancarlo Guerreroconductor [Orchestral Series Debut] Timothy McAllistersaxophone[Orchestral Series Debut] ­Daniel Binellibandoneón[Orchestral Series Debut] San Francisco Symphony   ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK An American Port of Call [San Francisco Symphony Premiere]   JOHN CORIGLIANO Triathlon, Concerto for Saxophonist and Orchestra [World Premiere, San Francisco Symphony Commission]   ANTONIO ESTÉVEZ Mediodía en el Llano [San Francisco Symphony Premiere]   ASTOR PIAZZOLLA Sinfonía Buenos Aires [San Francisco Symphony Premiere]   Tickets: $20–135.   Ticket link: https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2021-22/GUERRERO-CONDUCTS-CORIGLIANO-PIAZZOLLA   Pre-Concert Talk: Sarah Cahill will give an “Inside Music” talk from the stage one hour prior to the April 7–9performances. Free to all concert ticket holders; doors open 15 minutes before.    Off-The-Podium: A post-concert audience Q&A session with moderator Sarah Cahill will be presented from the stage immediately following the concert on April 8. Free to all ticket holders.     Broadcast / Archived Stream: A broadcast of these performances will air Tuesday, April 19, at 8pm on Classical KDFC 90.3 San Francisco, 104.9 San Jose, 89.9 Napa, and kdfc.com where it will be available for on-demand streaming for 21 days following the broadcast.

SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAL SERIES Dudamel Conducts Mahler 5

Thursday, April 21, 2022 at 7:30pm Friday, April 22, 2022 at 7:30pm Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 7:30pm Sunday, April 24, 2022 at 2pm   Gustavo Dudamelconductor San Francisco Symphony   WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Symphony No. 38, Prague   GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 5   Tickets: $30–189.   Ticket link: https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2021-22/DUDAMEL-CONDUCTS-MAHLER-5   Pre-Concert Talk: Peter Grunberg will give an “Inside Music” talk from the stage one hour prior to the April 21–24 performances. Free to all concert ticket holders; doors open 15 minutes before.    Broadcast / Archived Stream: A broadcast of these performances will air Tuesday, May 3, at 8pm on Classical KDFC 90.3 San Francisco, 104.9 San Jose, 89.9 Napa, and kdfc.com where it will be available for on-demand streaming for 21 days following the broadcast.

SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAL SERIES Mäkelä Conducts Shostakovich 10

Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 10am [Open Rehearsal] Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 7:30pm Friday, April 29, 2022 at 7:30pm Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 7:30pm   Klaus Mäkeläconductor [Orchestral Series Debut] Vilde Frang violin San Francisco Symphony   JIMMY LÓPEZ BELLIDO Perú Negro [San Francisco Symphony Premiere]   ALBAN BERG Violin Concerto   DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 10   Tickets: $20–165.   Ticket link: https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2021-22/SHOSTAKOVICH-10     Pre-Concert Talk: Laura Stanfield Prichard will give an “Inside Music” talk from the stage one hour prior to the April 28–30performances. Free to all concert ticket holders; doors open 15 minutes before.    Broadcast / Archived Stream: A broadcast of these performances will air Tuesday, May 10, at 8pm on Classical KDFC 90.3 San Francisco, 104.9 San Jose, 89.9 Napa, and kdfc.com where it will be available for on-demand streaming for 21 days following the broadcast.