sf symphony

Get holiday cheesy. They only come once a year, so why not embrace the season and let loose with unabashed joy and cheer? The SF Symphony will be your fix for all the Christmas music you can dream of in one evening. Starring Peabo Bryson, Sheena Easton, Jennifer Holliday and Maxi Priest, you'll hear all of your favorites including "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "Do You Hear What I Hear" and more.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's the perfect time to start readying yourself for Christmas. The San Francisco Symphony Chorus will sing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, a magnum opus that’s one of the most beautiful and celebratory pieces of his career. The piece dramatizes Christ’s birth and adoration in a work that rivals Handel’s Messiah.

Note: Inside Music, an informative talk with James Keller free to ticketholders, begins one hour prior to concerts.

Keep the Halloween festivities coming. Join the SF Symphony's Youth Orchestra for a celebration of Latino music and culture in its second annual Día de los Muertos family concert. Conducted by Alondra de la Parra with soloists Kristhyan Benitez and Ana Karina Alamo on piano, this matinee program is designed for the entire family and includes works by Berkeley-born composer Gabriela Lena Frank, Arturo Márquez, Ginastera, Moncayo, Revueltas and Saint-Saëns.

The SF Symphony takes on animated classics in celebration of the Walt Disney Museum's grand opening. Hear all the music from your favorites—Cinderella, Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Fantasia. Kids under 17 are half off so find someone to babysit and get your nostalgia on.

Back by popular demand, Off the Podium is a program of informal post-performance Q&A sessions about music. The events are free to all audience members and feature the evening's conductor (who is often joined by Orchestra members and the concert's soloists). Gather at the stage and fire away.

Tonight: Meet Yefim Bronfman who will be playing Brahm's second piano concerto.

Get a breath of fresh air during your lunch break and enjoy a free show by the SF Symphony in Justin Herman Plaza. Unwind by the bay in preparation for the weekend with some popular songs directed by Michael Tilson Thomas.

If you've got some money in your pocket to burn, we recommend shelling out the big bucks for the SF Symphony's Opening Night Gala with on-fire pianist, Lang Lang. The 27-year-old virtuoso lights up the stage around the globe with his musical mastery. Come early for a pre-concert Champagne Promenade and stay late for complimentary cocktails, savory bites, live entertainment and dancing. It's a splurge, but your dollars go a long way.

Times are tough but now you don't have to scrimp on culture. The SF Symphony is offering  4-concert package deals for the 2009-2010 season, featuring classical music sensations Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Gustavo Dudamel, and more. Subscribe to any 4-concert Davies Symphony Hall Classical, Great Performers, or South Bay Classical concert series and receive a FREE copy of their newest CD. This double-disc features Mahler Symphony No. 8 and Adagio from Symphony No. 10-- a $28 dollar value! Order early for the best seats and get your cd now.