San Francisco Symphony opened its 2026–27 season on Thursday in Davies Symphony Hall with a truly celebratory concert led by Nicaraguan guest conductor Giancarlo Guerrero and featuring violin great Hilary Hahn.
Hahn, who made her San Francisco Symphony debut in 1999, dazzled in a performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor that earned wild applause from the audience, including many revelers in formal gala attire.
John Adams’ delightfully pulsing 1985 piece “The Chairman Dances” opened the show, giving the orchestra’s percussion section a nice workout. So did the evening’s final work, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnol,” which even prompted a little dance by Guerrero.
In remarks before the performance, Priscilla Geeslin, chair of the San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors, said, “There is really nothing quite like sharing live music,” adding that the symphony is anticipating a “thrilling new season.”
While not going into detail about the upcoming tenure of San Francisco Symphony Music Director Designate Elim Chan, who replaces the beloved late Michael Tilson Thomas, Geeslin added, “There’s a real sense of momentum. It feels like the beginning of something very special.”
The post San Francisco Symphony opens 2026-27 season with Hilary Hahn in spotlight appeared first on Local News Matters.