SF Symphony Has Canceled All Concerts For The Rest Of 2020

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SF Symphony Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas, who is retiring, accepts a Grammy award in 2004. Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Symphony's Instagram page.

SAN FRANCISCO—As of Thursday, June 18, the San Francisco Symphony has canceled all of its concerts planned for the rest of the year in order to continue complying with COVID-19 health guidelines.

In total, over 60 concerts scheduled to be performed at Davies Symphony Hall have been canceled, while nine others are either plan to be rescheduled or already have a new date.

Along with these concert cancellations, the Symphony has also postponed the start date for the new Music Director, Esa-Pekka Salonen, an orchestral conductor and composer from Finland who has previously served as the artistic advisor and main conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London.

The Symphony has had to make a number of financial adjustments in order to compensate for the losses that these cancellations will impose. All employees at the San Francisco Symphony making more than $75,000 will see pay reductions, some positions will be terminated and other workers will be temporarily furloughed.

On July 31, the Symphony will also be shutting down its resale store Repeat Performance. The shop is located on Fillmore Street and sells fashion pieces, jewelry, art, and other donations from Symphony patrons and Pacific Heights residents.

The music organization has asked for donations as they continue to navigate the financial obstacles posed by the coronavirus pandemic. The Symphony’s Board plans to match any ticketholder who donates the cost of their typical ticket back to the Symphony.

Though the Symphony has had to put its in-person concerts on pause, it is still working to deliver musical content online. In light of the retirement of Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas, who has held the position for 25 years, the Symphony has put together a 25-day digital tribute that highlights the musical projects from the archives of Thomas’s career. The tribute is called MTT25: An Online Tribute and is available here. It will end on June 28 with a final remote tribute event featuring guest artists, as well as performances by the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus.

On June 21, the Symphony will also be releasing a video performance of “Whistle Tune,” a new song composed by Tilson Thomas based on a tune he used to whistle to his father. The song was performed by orchestra members remotely. On June 26, the Symphony will also release a new album called “From the Diary of Anne Frank & Meditations on Rilke,” along with an accompanying documentary video on the production of the new songs.

Regarding these changes, the Symphony said in a statement on Thursday, “Bearing all this in mind, we ask you to join us on a journey of hope as we look to the future. We continue to be focused on creating exceptional performances and experiences that engage audiences and expand their connections to live orchestral music, to each other, and the world around them.”