Monday, July 12, 2021

Programming for SFSYO 2021–22 Season

Another promising sign of the return to “business as usual” is that the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (SFSYO) will resume its three-concert season of programs in Davies Symphony Hall. Daniel Stewart began his tenure as Wattis Foundation Music Director in October of 2019, meaning that this will be his first complete season of three concerts. As used to be the case, all performances will take place on Sunday. However, while the first two will take place at the usual time of 2 p.m., the final concert of the season will being at 7:30 p.m. Following up on the diversity-in-programming agenda we are encountering in other Davies offerings, Stewart has planned to begin each of his three programs with the work of a living female composer.

A Web page has been created for purchasing tickets to this series. General admission will be $45. However, there is reserved seating in the Loge and the Side Boxes; and subscriptions for those options will be $165. Single tickets will be available beginning on August 31. Tickets may also be purchased by calling 415-864-6000. The Box Office will be taking telephone orders from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Davies is located on the south side of Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street. Program specifics, dates, and times are as follows:

November 21, 2 pm.: The program will begin with Jessie Montgomery’s “Starburst,” which will be followed by Antonín Dvořák’s Opus 95 (ninth) symphony in E minor, given the title “From the New World.”

March 6, 2 p.m.: The program will begin with “Tumblebird Contrails,” composed by Gabriela Smith on a commission by the Pacific Harmony Foundation. The work was first performed in 2014 at the Cabrillo Festival under the baton of Marin Alsop. Smith was born in Berkeley and was mentored by John Adams as a part of his Young Composers Program there. Adams himself conducted “Tumblebird Contrails” in January of 2019 as part of the centennial season of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Smith has been living in Marseille since 2017; but many of us still think of her has a “local composer.” Her music will be followed by another local composer (who is still active in the Bay Area). SFSYO will play Mason Bates’ “Mothership.” The program will then conclude with Gustav Holst’s suite The Planets.

May 29, 7:30 p.m.: The composer selected to begin the final program will be Caroline Shaw. SFSYO will play the orchestral version of her “Entr’acte,” which was originally composed for string quartet. This will be followed by Esa-Pekka Salonen’s “Nyx.” The program will then conclude with Johannes Brahms’ Opus 73 (second) symphony in D major.


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