San Francisco Symphony

Wang played with the kind of intense virtuosity that felt like she was beating Rachmaninoff to the punch. Her touch was precise and resonant throughout the concerto, and her fingers moved with the quick dexterity of a hummingbird.

The lion dances, fortune-telling and rabbit petting zoo in Davies Symphony Hall were all mere prologues to the San Francisco Symphony’s sweeping Lunar New Year festivities on the night of Feb. 5th.

The SF Symphony’s performance on Jan. 7 astonished as a special extension of “Jurassic Park,” a live version of a behind the scenes experience.

On Dec. 1, the San Francisco Symphony played the symphony to end all symphonies: Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9.” The German composer’s widely-regarded masterpiece was preceded by two works new to the SF Symphony: Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s one-movement “Ballade,” and Michael Abels’ “Emerge.” 

Under the glow of a waxing crescent, San Francisco Symphony conjured the raucous spirit of Halloween on Oct. 28 for the “Frankenstein and Psycho” concert.

Explosive and comprehensive, Wang played with unflappable virtuosity. She conquered epic ascending and descending runs, and she struck thick, stacked chords in rapid succession.

Morlot’s rendition deftly captured Ravel’s maddening and plucky grandeur, from the dissolute and muddy majesty of the trombone to the cutting sweep of violins.

The San Francisco Symphony enwrapped attendees in a uniquely remarkable experience of Selena’s greatest hits.

When the Symphony has the opportunity to play with a full orchestra, Davies’ cavernous hall turns into a cornucopia, offering a multi-course meal of sound and texture galore.