Irene Roberts, Golda Schultz, Sasha Cooke, David Portillo & Joélle Harvey Lead San Francisco Symphony’s 2025-26 Season

The San Francisco Symphony has announced its 2025-26 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Donald Runnicles conducts Alban Berg’s Seven Early Songs and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. Irene Roberts is a soloist. Performance Dates: Sept. 26-28, 2025 Jane Glover conducts Händel’s “Messiah” with Heidi Stober, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Josh Lovell, and Will Liverman. Performance Dates: Dec. 5 {…}

Feb 26, 2025

San Francisco Musicians Present ‘SF Musicians For LA: A Benefit For Fire Relief’

In response to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, the Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the San Francisco Symphony are teaming up to present “SF Musicians for LA: A Benefit for Fire Relief.” Music Director of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and frequent the San Francisco Symphony guest conductor Edwin Outwater with {…}

Dec 11, 2024

Donor’s $4 Million Gift Facilitates End to Tense Contract Negotiations Between San Francisco Symphony & AGMA

After months of controversy, a donor has stepped into help the San Francisco Symphony and has finally reached an agreement with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and the SF Symphony Chorus. Per the organization’s press release, the two-year agreement that maintains current compensation rates for 32 paid AGMA choristers during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons was facilitated by {…}

Nov 18, 2024

AGMA Calls Out San Francisco Symphony Management on Recent Negotiations

(source: San Francisco Symphony Official Website) The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) is speaking out against the San Francisco Symphony’s management for misleading patrons about the negotiations with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. Per a press release, AGMA claims that it offered a one-time reduction in compensation back in September to settle the dispute and did all it could {…}

Sep 19, 2024

San Francisco Symphony Cancels Verdi Requiem Due to Chorus Strike

(source: San Francisco Symphony Official Website) UPDATE: “For background, on the evening of September 16, AGMA leadership and the AGMA members of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. The Choristers voted 100% in favor of the authorization. 98.1% of eligible members participated in the vote, and 81.1% of the unpaid singers from the Verdi Requiem Chorus have {…}

Sep 12, 2024

San Francisco Symphony Chorus Emeritus Writes Open Letter Regarding ‘Awful’ Proposed Cuts

Vance George, Chorus Director Emeritus of the San Francisco Symphony, has written an open letter to Matt Spivey, the CEO of the ensemble, in response to proposed chorus budget cuts. In his letter, George, who served as conductor of the Chorus for 23 years and accepted two Grammy Awards and one Emmy Award on behalf of the ensemble, noted that {…}

Jul 19, 2024

San Francisco Symphony Proposes Huge Cut to San Francisco Symphony Chorus

The San Francisco Symphony management has proposed an 80 percent cut from the San Francisco Symphony Chorus’ budget. In a letter published by AGMA, the chorus recounts why the cut is the wrong approach noting that its budget is only over one percent of the overall budget and is vital in attracting audiences and donors. The letter noted, “Ticket sales {…}

Mar 26, 2024

San Francisco Symphony Releases Statement Regarding Future & Finances

In light of the recent announcement regarding Esa-Pekka’s decision to conclude his tenure as Music Director following the culmination of his five-year contract in June 2025, CEO Matthew Spivey and Board Chair Priscilla Geeslin have released a statement regarding the orchestra. In a statement, the orchestra said, “In recent years, we have strived to be as transparent as possible about {…}

Mar 19, 2024

San Francisco Symphony Musicians Release Statement Regarding Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Departure

Following Esa-Pekka Salonen’s announcement that he was leaving the San Francisco Symphony next season, Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony have released an open letter urging the Board of Governors to take steps to retain Salonen as Music Director and to reverse planned cuts to programming, touring, and education, which threaten the Symphony’s status as a world-class institution. The Musicians {…}

Mar 14, 2024

Sasha Cooke, John Holiday, Liv Redpath, Leah Hawkins, Mario Chang Headline San Francisco Symphony’s 2024-25 Season

The San Francisco Symphony has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a rundown of the vocal performances on offer. Joe Hisaishi conducts a concert of music from the films of Hayao Miyazaki. The concert will feature the participation of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. Performance Dates: Sept. 5 – 8, 2024 Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts Verdi’s Requiem with Leah Hawkins, Karen Cargill, {…}

Oct 2, 2023

San Francisco Symphony Ratifies New Labor Contract

(source: San Francisco Symphony Official Website) The musicians and management of the San Francisco Symphony have ratified a two-year contract. The contract was ratified on Oct. 1, 2023, ending a labor struggle that began in November 2022 and since then teh San Francisco Symphony has been working without a contract. The new contract extends through November 2024. In a statement {…}