Valčuha and Abduraimov to Return to SFS

Conductor Juraj Valčuha (photograph by Luciano Romano, courtesy of SFS)

Next month in Davies Symphony Hall will begin its programming with both conductor and soloist making return visits to the San Francisco Symphony (SFS). Pianist Behzod Abduraimov made his SFS debut in March of 2018, performing Sergei Prokofiev’s Opus 26 (third) piano concerto in C major under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. Juraj Valčuha, on the hand, has been visiting Davies since May of 2013, providing audiences with stimulating programming with a particular emphasis on Eastern European composers.

That emphasis will continue when both conductor and soloist will join forces to perform Prokofiev’s Opus 16 (second) piano concerto in G minor. After the intermission, Valčuha will continue his preferences with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Opus 45, a suite in three movements given the title Symphonic Dances. Nevertheless, Valčuha also sustains an interest in recently composed works. He will begin the program with the SFS premiere of “The Spark Catchers” by Hannah Kendall, which received its world premiere in the summer of 2017, when it was included in BBC Proms programming. It was performed by the Chineke! Orchestra conducted by Kevin John Edusei. The composition, which had been commissioned by the BBC, takes its title from a poem by Lemn Sissay, which depicts the lives of women who worked in match factories in nineteenth-century Britain. Their job was literally to catch stray sparks during the manufacturing process, since even the slightest spark could ignite the entire factory.

This concert will be given three performances, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 3, and Friday, November 4, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 6. Ticket prices range from $20 to $165. They may be purchased online through the event page for this program on the SFS Web site, by calling 415-864-6000, or by visiting the Box Office in Davies Symphony Hall, whose entrance is on the south side of Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street. The Box Office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday. It will also open at noon for those attending the Sunday performance.

In addition, this week’s performances will be preceded by the next Katherine Hanrahan Open Rehearsal. This special behind-the-scenes experience begins at 8:30 a.m. with coffee and complimentary doughnuts, followed by a half-hour introductory talk 9 a.m. The rehearsal itself begins at 10 a.m.; and, of course, the pieces rehearsed are at the conductor’s discretion. General admission is $30 with $40 for reserved seats in the Premiere Orchestra section, the Side and Rear Boxes, and the Loge. Tickets may be purchased online through a separate event page.