Czech composer Hans Krása, courtesy Wikipedia Commons. The string trio we played was born of suffering, written in turbulent times. The man who wrote it had just lost his home and was forced to live in crowded, unsafe conditions while witnessing people around him become ill and die as…

Esperanza Spalding performs in “Throughline: San Francisco Symphony—From Hall to Home.” Other artists highlighted include Bryce Dessner of The National and violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Courtesy: SF Symphony. After Esa-Pekka Salonen was named to fill the shoes of Michael Tilson Thomas as music director of the San Francisco Symphony in…

Kev Choice in SF Symphony’s ‘From Scratch,’ Courtesy: Kim Huynh. The San Francisco Symphony, not able to play any concerts since March, has pivoted to alternative programming over the last couple of months, including video and podcast series CURRENTS, illustrating the connection between classical music and the music of…

The Emerging Black Composers Project, Courtesy: SF Symphony. The San Francisco Symphony and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music have launched a new grant-based project that will award $15,000 each to Black composers, as well as workshops, performances and mentorship from Bay Area music directors Michael Morgan, Edwin Outwater and…

Courtesy: Classical Tahoe. Two San Francisco Symphony musicians are among the performers at Classical Tahoe’s annual summer music festival at Incline Village, Nevada. The festival, which has presented top-caliber orchestra shows for three weeks each summer since 2012, is switching formats to chamber orchestra performances that will be played…

Following drummer Lars Ulrich’s sneak peek at the band’s new collaborative album with the San Francisco Symphony during his tribute to former symphony music director Michael Tilson Thomas last month, Metallica officially unveiled the artwork and tracklisting for S&M2, a live album and film that will be released Aug. 28.…

Nick Platoff of the San Francisco Symphony, Courtesy. By March 15, Nick Platoff had concluded the lease on his San Francisco apartment and had completely moved out. That day, he, along with dozens of other members of the San Francisco Symphony were to leave for a European tour. But…

San Francisco Symphony Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas, Courtesy: SF Symphony. The San Francisco Symphony will conclude its 25-day online tribute to outgoing Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas with a star-studded virtual bash on Sunday, which will be live-streamed at the Symphony’s YouTube channel. San Francisco Symphony Music Director…

The San Francisco Symphony with music director Michael Tilson Thomas, during rehearsal at Davies Symphony Hall on Wednesday morning, November 2, 2016. The San Francisco Symphony today announced the cancelation of all concerts through Dec. 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that the anticipated debut of incoming…

The San Francisco Symphony with music director Michael Tilson Thomas, during rehearsal at Davies Symphony Hall on Nov. 2, 2016. Courtesy of SF Symphony. Following the cancelation of numerous concerts in batches, the San Francisco Symphony on Wednesday canceled the majority of its remaining schedule in response to the…