Tag Archives: san francisco symphony

Aaron Copland Symphony No. 3
New Releases, Products

Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, Aaron Copland Symphony No. 3

Aaron Copland Symphony No. 3

Recorded live at Davies Symphony Hall in March 2018, the album features the San Francisco Symphony performing Copland’s Third Symphony, completed in 1946 and described by the composer as an “end-of-war piece—intended to reflect the euphoric spirit of the country at the time.”

Michael Tilson Thomas of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) and Local 9-535 (Boston, MA) has championed the music of pioneers of the American sound such as Aaron Copland. Thomas has commented: “What can you say in summation of a man like Aaron Copland? Everything about him marked him as an outsider, and somehow he found a way to be true to himself, his art, and his society.”

San Francisco Symphony musicians are members of Local 6 (San Francisco, CA).

This album will be available for download in high quality, 24-bit/192kHz Studio Master, and for streaming via all major retailers.

Orchestra News

San Francisco Symphony Sees Raises in New Contract

In mid-November, musicians of the San Francisco Symphony approved a new four-year CBA ahead of schedule. The contract maintains the symphony’s position as one of the top paid orchestras in the US. Weekly base salary, previously $3,200, increases to $3,263 under the new agreement. Base salary will increase again to $3,570 in the final six months of the contract.

Among other changes, musicians will share in contributing to health insurance premiums beginning in the second year of the contract, retirement benefits will increase, and the symphony will transition from a housing loan program to a housing shared equity program. Management has characterized the contract as an investment in the future of the symphony.

The San Francisco Symphony musicians are “pleased to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement that reaffirms our place among the top orchestras of the world,” says David Gaudry of Local 6 (San Francisco, CA), chair of the Musicians’ Negotiating Committee.

symphony no. 6
New Releases, Products

San Francisco Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, Pathétique

symphony no. 6

Released June 29
SFS Media

This digital-only release from San Francisco Symphony, members of Local 6 (San Francisco, CA), and Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT), a member of Locals 47 (Los Angeles, CA) and 9-535 (Boston, MA), was recorded during live performances at Davies Symphony Hall in March 2017. Symphony No. 6 is known as Tchaikovsky’s final, and arguably, greatest symphony. Thomas explains that the work requires delicacy and vulnerability, but also requires enormous power. “This symphony, an amazingly constructed piece, is an outpouring of elegant melodic invention,” he says. “I have put my whole soul into this work.” The release follows San Francisco Symphony’s release of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture (May 2015) and the inaugural episode of the Keeping Score documentary series (2004), which explored Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4.

International Musician, Recent News

MTT to Step Down as San Francisco Symphony MD

San Francisco Symphony Music Director and Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas announced he will step down as music director at the end of the 2019-2020 season. Thomas, who has been credited with propelling the symphony to international recognition, will celebrate his 25th season at the helm and his 75th birthday in December 2019.

As a member of Locals 9-535 (Boston, MA) and 47 (Los Angeles, CA), Thomas has promised to continue in the post of music director laureate, conducting at least four weeks per year and working on special programming projects. He is credited with altering San Francisco Symphony’s performance style, while expanding repertoire to include emphasis on American and contemporary composers, as well as theatrical music. He also promoted music education and outreach, including his multimedia project Keeping Score.

Orchestra News

San Francisco Symphony’s SoundBox Draws New Audiences

In December, the San Francisco Symphony opened its new performance space, SoundBox, a multi-level venue with a lounge atmosphere built at the back of Davis Symphony Hall. Formerly a storage and rehearsal space, the 450-seat venue is now home to a Friday and Saturday night series that features a mix of traditional and experimental classical music and offers drinks and food.

Audience members can sit, stand, and mingle, or grab a seat at the bar during performances. The stage and seating setup is movable, and varies depending on the event. SoundBox performances have been at capacity and primarily

Orchestra News

San Francisco Symphony Ratifies New Contract

San Francisco SymphonyIn February, musicians and management of the San Francisco Symphony (http://www.sfsymphony.org/) ratified a three-year contract. Negotiated less than two years after a strike that led to the cancellation of several concerts and an East Coast tour, this agreement calls for an increase in weekly base salary from $2,892 to $3,200 in its final year, as well as a negotiated $4,000 annual increase in musician pension benefits. “I was particularly impressed with the way in which both sides were able to share consulting resources and develop a viable plan by which musicians maintained the quality of their health insurance coverage while management was able to save a considerable amount of money in health benefit costs,” says Local 6 President David Schoenbrun.