Two Guest Conductors to Debut with SFS

Visiting conductor Robin Ticciati (photograph by Camille Blake, courtesy of SFS)

The San Francisco Symphony (SFS) Orchestral Series will begin the new year with debut performances by two guest conductors during the month of January. The first of these will be Elim Chan, currently Principal Conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Violinist James Ehnes will return to Davies Symphony Hall as the concerto soloist. The second new conductor will be Robin Ticciati, currently Music Director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. His program will feature two soloists. The first will be another violinist, Alina Ibragimova, who is probably better known for her San Francisco Performances appearances as a recitalist and will be making her debut in the Orchestra Series. Soprano Ying Fang will then return to Davies for the second half of Ticciati’s program.

Chan’s program will follow the “standard” overture-concerto-symphony structure. Ehnes’ concerto selection will be Sergei Prokofiev’s Opus 63 (second) violin concerto in G minor. This will be complemented by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s second symphony in C minor, his Opus 17. The overture will be Elizabeth Ogonek’s “Moondog,” a world premiere performance composed with the support of an SFS commission. Ticciati’s program will begin with an SFS premiere performance of Jörg Widmann’s violin concerto. The second half of the program will be devoted entirely to Gustav Mahler’s fourth symphony, whose final movement requires a soprano.

Both of these programs will be given three performances. Chan will begin her visit with a 2 p.m.performance on Thursday, January 12, followed by 7:30 p.m. performances on Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14. Ticciati will also give 7:30 p.m. performances on the same days of the week, Friday, January 20, and Saturday, January 21. He will then conclude his visit with a 2 p.m. performance on Sunday, January 22.

Ticket prices for these events will range from $20 to $165. Separate Web pages have been created for the concerts to be performed by Chan and Ticciati, respectively, with hyperlinks for buying tickets. They may also be purchased by visiting the Box Office or calling 415-864-6000. The Box Office is located in the Davies lobby, whose entrance is on the south side of Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street.