Photo Credit: Courtesy San Francisco Symphony
Summer may be most associated with beaches, barbecues and baseball but it’s also a sensational season for the San Francisco Symphony Summer Concerts, which kick off July 2 with Johnny Mathis, who was raised in the City by the Bay, and run through July 26 when a tribute to The Beatles takes place. Here are some of the other highlights of the season. For the full lineup, visit www.sfsymphony.org/summer. Note that all of the SF Symphony Summer Concerts are at Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, unless otherwise noted.
4th OF JULY FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR with the SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
Saturday, July 4 at 8 pm
Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View
San Francisco Symphony
The SF Symphony’s annual Fourth of July concert at Shoreline Amphitheatre celebrates American film music, with a special tribute to The Sound of Music in honor of the movie’s 50th anniversary. Director of Summer Concerts Edwin Outwater conducts the Orchestra in an evening that finishes with a spectacular fireworks show.
Photo Credit: Courtesy San Francisco Symphony
FREE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY CONCERT AT THE STERN GROVE FESTIVAL
Sunday, July 5 at 2 pm
Stern Grove, 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard, San Francisco
Vocalist Shara Worden, the classically trained rock artist who also performs as My Brightest Diamond, will sing songs by American composer Sarah Kirkland Snider as well as her own material with the San Francisco Symphony at its annual free concert at the Stern Grove Festival. Director of Summer Concerts Edwin Outwater tips his hat to the venue’s forest setting with performances of Korngold’s The Adventures of Robin Hood Suite, excerpts from Humperdink’s Act II of Hänsel und Gretel featuring Soprano Julie Adams and mezzo-soprano Renée Rapier, and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8.
Photo Credit: CAMI
ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
Friday, July 10 at 7:30 pm
West African singer Angélique Kidjo makes her US orchestral debut in this San Francisco Symphony concert featuring music from her new recording with the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, “Angelique Kidjo Sings” (2015), as well as the US premiere of Ifé, three Yorùbá songs for Orchestra that composer Philip Glass wrote for her. The Grammy-winning vocalist will also perform crossover hits such as Gershwin’s “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess. Known for a unique sound that mixes Afropop, Latin rhythms, gospel, jazz, and traditional African singing, Kidjo has attracted an international following with her electrifying vocals and infectious energy. The New York Times calls her “dynamic and unstoppable.”
FREE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY CONCERT AT THE PORT ON THE WATERFRONT
James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27
Sunday, July 12 at 12 noon
San Francisco Symphony’s Director of Summer Concerts Edwin Outwater leads the Orchestra in a free outdoor concert in the grassy plaza in front of the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27, located on the Embarcadero at Lombard Street. For this water-themed concert perfect for the waterfront setting, guitarist/composer Bryce Dessner from the indie rock band The National will join the Symphony to perform his work St. Carolyn by the Sea. Dessner’s orchestral, chamber, and vocal compositions have been commissioned by orchestras, ballets and new music ensembles alike. The program includes Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes and more.
STAR TREK (2009) FILM WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
Thursday, July 16 at 7:30 pm
Friday, July 17 at 7:30 pm
Monday, July 20 at 7:30pm
In director J.J. Abrams’s 2009 reboot of the series that started it all, old and new characters go on a thrilling adventure through space and time on the maiden voyage of the USS Enterprise. Enjoy the film on the big screen as the Symphony performs Michael Giacchino’s Grammy Award-nominated score live with Sarah Hicks conducting.
Photo Credit: Courtesy San Francisco Symphony
BACK TO THE FUTURE FILM WITH SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
Saturday, July 18 7:30pm
Sunday, July 19 2:00 pm
Recharge your flux capacitor and get ready to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Back to the Future, as you’ve never experienced it before. Watch Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and the Doc (Christopher Lloyd) in this cult-hit, time-traveling adventure as the Symphony performs Alan Silvestri’s Grammy Award-nominated score live, with conductor Sarah Hicks and the San Francisco Symphony.
