Autumn is for the arts, and there's absolutely no shortage of ways to get your culture fix in the Bay Area. We've plucked 69 creative events from a seemingly endless roster of options; we hope you enjoy the show.
MUSIC
Folk vocalist Lila Downs.
San Francisco Symphony
When Yo Yo Ma opens the season, the rest of the programming had better be good. Of course, the San Francisco Symphony is bringing it big-time this year. A few of the highlights? Look for Michael Tilson Thomas to conduct the carnivalistic Symphonie Fantastique (Sept. 29 through Oct. 1); a to-die-for tribute to Leonard Bernstein, including his Chichester Psalms and tunes from West Side Story (Nov. 22-24); a big Bavarian polka party, including sing-a-longs and a pop-up biergarten to celebrate Oktoberfest (Oct. 3); and a one-of-a-kind Dias de Los Muertos Community Concert (Nov. 4), starring the vocals of Mexican cultural icon Eugenia León. // Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. (Civic Center); for more performances and tickets for the 2017-2018 season, sfsymphony.org.
San Francisco Opera
Female leads, gold-digging, and a soap opera-like drama—what more could you want? The San Francisco Opera's world premiere of Girls of the Golden West (Nov. 21 through Dec. 10) has all that and more. If La Belle Epoque is more your style, don't miss the sultry tale of dangerous liaisons in Paris in Jules Massenet's Manon (Nov. 4-22). Fans of the classics can see Turandot, the tale of an icy princess and her hot-blooded suitor, again (Sept. 8 through Dec. 9). // War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave. (Civic Center); for more performances and tickets for the 2017-2018 season, go to sfopera.com.
La Circe, ODC Theater
A classic of Greek mythology will be revisited at ODC Theater. Ars Minerva, the company founded by renowned mezzo-soprano Céline Ricci with the purpose of reviving lost and forgotten operas from 17th century Venice, will present the opera La Circe by Pietro Andrea Ziani. Circe—beautiful goddess, sorceress, and queen of a magical island—is abandoned by Ulysses. Left with a broken heart she looks for revenge by seducing all men come ashore. The opera will feature eight singers, one acrobat, and a small orchestra of five instrumentalist led by Derek Tam. // Sep. 8-9, 2017; 7:30pm; ODC Theater, 3153 17th Street, (Mission) odc.dance
Ludovico Einaudi, Paramount Theater
A live concert by one of the most famous classical Italian pianists and film composers, Ludovico Einaudi, takes place in mid-October. He will play some tracks of his latest work, Elements, where he combines the soft melody of the piano with electronic sounds and orchestra arrangements that will recall the music of Mother Earth. He was once described as "Radiohead, but without the lyrics." // Oct. 15, 2017, at 8pm; The Paramount Theater; 2025 Broadway Street (Oakland); paramounttheatre.com
Lila Downs and Riccardo Muti, Cal Performances
Zellerbach Hall will host two astonishing live music events. Acclaimed vocalist Lila Downs will perform in a concert where she'll blend her folk and ranchera music with American jazz and blues. Conductor Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will be playing a three-day run in October, performing a classical repertoire including Rossini's Overture from William Tell, Schubert's Symphony No. 8, Unfinished, Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, and Brahm's Symphonies No. 2 and No. 3.// Lila Downs (Sep. 30, 2017); Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Oct. 13 -15); Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley), calperformances.org
