Michael Tilson Thomas, who led the San Francisco Symphony for 25 years, said, “Now is the time to wind down my public appearances.”
Category: San Francisco Symphony
-
John Adams and Vikingur Olafsson Join Forces for ”After the Fall’
After the pianist, Vikingur Olafsson, asked for a concerto over beers, the composer, John Adams, wrote “After the Fall,” which will now travel the world.
-
Michael Tilson Thomas Is Prolifically Himself on Disc
As Thomas turns 80, new collections of his recordings reveal the legacy of a maestro who has exuberantly refused to conform to expectations.
-
San Francisco Symphony Chorus Goes on Strike
The work stoppage has forced a cancellation of the Verdi Requiem performances.
-
Esa-Pekka Salonen: A Conductor at the Top, and at a Crossroads
Salonen, who will soon be a free agent for the first time in decades, could do pretty much anything at this stage. What will it be?
-
San Francisco’s Arts Institutions Are Slowly Building Back
Although attendance remains down from prepandemic levels, the city’s arts groups are having some success getting audiences to return.
-
Discord at the Symphony: Losing a Star, San Francisco Weighs Its Future
The struggles of one of the nation’s finest orchestras show the difficulties facing classical music in the United States.
-
Esa-Pekka Salonen to Leave San Francisco Symphony
Esa-Pekka Salonen, the ensemble’s music director, said that he no longer shared the same goals as the administration, which has been cutting costs.
-
Cartier’s Perfumer Creates Scents for ‘Prometheus’ Music
Mathilde Laurent, Cartier’s perfumer, has created a scent poem that enhances the experience of Scriabin’s synesthetic score for “Prometheus.”
-
How California Became America’s Contemporary Music Capital
On the eve of a sprawling new festival, John Adams, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel and others recount how the state reinvigorated classical music.
-
What Spatial Audio Can and Cannot Do for Classical Music
Immersive audio formats, while newer for pop, have been used by composers for decades. But not all works call for spatial treatment.
-
‘It Has It All’: Taking on a Strange, Immense Piano Concerto
The conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and the pianist Igor Levit discuss Ferruccio Busoni’s Piano Concerto, a rarity they are performing in San Francisco.