World premieres, special events, returning stars and debuts by guest artists are on the calendar for the San Francisco Symphony’s 2025-26 season, announced this week.
With music director Esa-Pekka Salonen having relinquished his tenure as music director at the end of the 24-25 season, 23 guest conductors – including six making their orchestra series debuts – will lead programs during the new season.
Those events begin with the Symphony’s Opening Gala on September 12, 2025, with guest conductor Jaap Van Zweden on the podium and superstar pianist Yuja Wang playing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 on a program that also includes John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine” and Respighi’s “Pines of Rome.”
Zweden’s appearance launches a three-season cycle of Beethoven symphonies, including performances of the composer’s second and seventh symphonies in February, 2026; additional major orchestra works on the season include Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7, Mahler’s Symphonies 1 and 9, and Shostakovich’s 8th. The season also includes selections from Wagner’s “Ring” cycle.
New works figure prominently on the calendar, with the world premieres of works by the Symphony’s Principal Trombone Timothy Higgins and Emerging Black Composers Project winner Tyler Taylor. U.S. premieres of works by Outi Tarkiainen and Jimmy López are also on the calendar.
The season welcomes a full roster of guest artists, including violinist Itzhak Perlman and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianists Emanuel Ax, Seong-Jin Cho, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet; vocalists including sopranos Ying Fang and Joélle Harvey, mezzo-sopranos Sasha Cooke and Kelley O’Connor, tenor Thomas Cooley, and baritone Will Liverman.
23 guest conductors – including six making their Orchestral Series debuts – will appear across 26 weeks of programs. Guest conductors for the season include David Afkham, Harry Bicket, Herbert Blomstedt, Karina Canellakis, Jane Glover, Jun Märkl, Donald Runnicles, and John Storgârds.
The Symphony’s SoundBox series returns for its twelfth season, with programs still to be announced.
Subscription packages for the 25-26 season go on sale March 20; single tickets become available on July 19. More information is available at 415-864-6000; sfsymphony.org.