Mondays at 10:00 pm
Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony onstage at Davies Symphony Hall (Photo: Stefan Cohen)
Weekly concerts recorded live at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco
Since its beginning in 1911, the San Francisco Symphony has been known for innovative programs that offer a spectrum of traditional repertory and new music. Today, the orchestra’s artistic vitality, recordings, and groundbreaking multimedia educational projects carry its impact throughout American musical life. Under Michael Tilson Thomas, music director from 1995 to 2020, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, music director since 2020, the orchestra has been praised for its musicianship, for innovative programming, for bringing the works of American composers to the fore, and for bringing new audiences into Davies Symphony Hall.
The San Francisco Symphony program is part of the WFMT Orchestra Series.
There are no upcoming broadcasts at the moment.
Isabel Leonard narrates ‘From the Diary of Anne Frank’
January 28, 2021
Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard joins the San Francisco Symphony to narrate music director Michael Tilson Thomas’ setting of The Diary of Anne Frank. The program concludes with a performance of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony.
Mahler Symphony No. 9
January 21, 2021
Music director Michael Tilson Thomas conducts a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9.
Michael Tilson Thomas conducts music by Stravinsky
June 25, 2020
Season Finale: An evening of music by the influential, iconoclastic 20th-century composer, featuring violinist Leonidas Kavakos.
Michael Tilson Thomas conducts Mahler 7
June 18, 2020
SF Symphony music director Michael Tilson Thomas leads a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 7.
Conductor Marek Janowski and violinist James Ehnes
June 11, 2020
Music by Mendelssohn, Bruch, and Wagner.
Conductor James Gaffigan and pianist Hélène Grimaud
June 4, 2020
Rising conductor James Gaffigan conducts the SF Symphony and pianist Hélène Grimaud in this mixed program of works by Wagner, Beethoven, Mozart, and Barber.
Violinist Christian Tetzlaff
May 28, 2020
Tetzlaff joins Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony for a performance of Mozart’s 3rd Violin Concerto.
Gil Shaham plays Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1
May 21, 2020
Michael Tilson Thomas conducts this performance featuring violinist Gil Shaham and a world premiere of an SFS co-commission by Steven Mackey.
‘Pastoral,’ ‘Scottish’ Symphonies
May 14, 2020
Herbert Blomstedt conducts the SF Symphony in this symphonic doubleheader.
Salonen conducts Thorvaldsdottir, Strauss, and Sibelius
May 7, 2020
SF Symphony music director designate Esa-Pekka Salonen leads a performance of music by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Richard Strauss, and Jean Sibelius.
Van Zweden conducts Mozart and Bruckner
April 30, 2020
NY Philharmonic music director Jaap van Zweden conducts the SF Symphony in a program featuring Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major.
Berg and Beethoven
April 23, 2020
Maestro Tilson Thomas conducts performances of Berg’s Seven Early Songs and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 featuring soprano Susanna Phillips.
Isabel Leonard narrates ‘From the Diary of Anne Frank’
April 16, 2020
Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard joins the San Francisco Symphony to narrate music director Michael Tilson Thomas’ setting of From the Diary of Anne Frank. The program concludes with a performance of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony.
Mahler Symphony No. 9
April 9, 2020
Music director Michael Tilson Thomas conducts a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9.
Season Premiere: Stravinsky’s ‘Perséphone’ and ‘The Firebird’
April 2, 2020
Music director Michael Tilson Thomas leads the San Francisco Symphony in a performance of The Firebird. Also featured is a performance of Perséphone featuring Leslie Caron and Nicholas Phan.
Mahler Symphony No. 3
June 27, 2019
To conclude this year’s San Francisco Symphony broadcast season, the San Francisco Symphony performs Mahler’s massive Symphony No. 3. Joining this performance are mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, the Pacific Boy Choir, and the Women of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus.
Pianist Daniil Trifonov plays Rachmaninoff
June 20, 2019
Maestro Tilson Thomas conducts two Sibelius symphonies, then pianist Daniil Trifonov joins the San Francisco Symphony to perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.
Violinist Gil Shaham
June 13, 2019
Violinist Gil Shaham joins Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony for a performance of Berg’s Violin Concerto. The SF Symphony also performs Mahler’s Symphony No. 5.
Prokofiev, Copland, and a World Premiere
June 6, 2019
Michael Tilson Thomas conducts this week’s program, which opens with a world premiere of a San Francisco Symphony commission — Sudden Changes by Charles Wuorinen. Next, pianist Behzod Abduraimov performs Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, and the program concludes with Copland’s Symphony No. 3.
Emanuel Ax plays Mozart and Schoenberg
May 30, 2019
Renowned pianist Emanuel Ax returns to Davies Symphony Hall to join Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony in a performance of music by Mozart and Schoenberg. Also in this program, Tilson Thomas conducts works of Beethoven and Richard Strauss.
