Salonen, Shostakovich & Brahms in San Francisco

Feb 25, 2018

Making his greatly anticipated return to the Davies Symphony Hall stage, Pablo Heras-Casado conducts the San Francisco Symphony for a three-concert series on March 1, 2 & 3. Works featured on these concerts span more than 150 years of compositional history, showcasing the contemporary alongside works written in the 19th and 20th centuries. Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Helix opens the concerts, followed by Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with SFS Concertmaster Alexander Barantschik as soloist. The finale of the programmes features Brahms’ Symphony No. 1.

Mr. Heras-Casado and the SFS have a fruitful partnership, dating back to his debut with the Orchestra in 2010. Recent performances with the SFS in 2016 received tremendous critical acclaim:

“The Spanish conductor, who made his first appearance with this orchestra in 2010, has had an excellent rapport with the Symphony players from the start. And so it was on this program … Wednesday’s performance in Davies Symphony Hall, which repeats through Saturday evening, found the conductor in top form …” (The Mercury News)

“Pablo Heras-Casado, who seems to levitate with the music itself and lead with his whole body. I can’t vouch for personality, though the orchestra was so reluctant to let him go at concert’s end, he had to wave goodbye … So how did this concert sound? Magnificent, is the answer.” (New York Arts)

In addition to his concerts with the SFS, Pablo will work with the student musicians of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra on Wednesday, February 28, furthering his personal commitment to arts education in one of his favorite communities. He will conduct the SFSYO in a rehearsal of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, which they are preparing for a concert on March 4.