SAN FRANCISCO, CA- the San Francisco Symphony announced to the press that its November 11-13 concerts will feature United States premiere of Danny Elfman's Cello Concerto performed by Gautier Capuçon, (Third picture on the right) alongside Igor Stravinsky's Symphonies of Wind Instruments and Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky Serenade No. 1 and Piano Concerto No. 1 for strings.

November 17-l9 concerts will include an all Johannes Brahms program of Serenade No 1 and Piano Concerto No.1 with soloist Emanuel Ax

November 11-13 MTT Gautier Capuçon's Cello Concerts

With Maestro  Michael Tilson Thomas (Picture Center) conducting  the U.S. premiere of Danny Elfman's Cello Concerto with Gautier Capuçon  (pictured third right) as soloist, This is film-composer Elfman's second major concerto following his Violin Concerto, written in 2017. A lauded and prolific film composer, Elfman is well-known for scoring over 100 feature films, including the Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissor hand, Batman, Men in Black, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Good Will Hunting, and he's been steadily expanding his concert repertoire over the last several years. In an interview with The Strad, Eifman said he found the intensive parameters of the classical genre appealing. "I can do denser things that I'm allowed in film," he said. "I gravitate towards whatever's most difficult. That's how I'm wired." His cello concerto was written for Capuçon and I premiered the piece in Vienna, in March.

The program is framed by showpieces for two sections of the SF Symphony: Igor Stravinsky's Symphonies of Wind Instruments, dedicated to the late Claude Debussy, and Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky's charming and romantic Serenade for Strings.

November 17-19 MTT & Emanuel Ax

On this dates, Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas will lead the Orchestra in two early works by Johannes Brahms, both written when the composer was in his 20s. Serenade No.1, and Piano Concerto No. 1, performed by Pianist Emanuel Ax.

Brahms first wrote his Serenade No. 1 for a smaller ensemble, but on the advice of his colleague and close friend Joseph Joachim, scored it for a full orchestra. Joachim conducted the original version in Hamburg, Germany in l859, and he was also on the podium for the first performance of the final version, which took place a year later in Hanover, in its expanded form. The Serenade retains the intimacy of chamber music while harnessing the power of the full orchestra.

After the intermission, Emnuel Ax will return to the symphony to interpret Brahms' turbulent First Piano Concerto, written over a four year period. The work was poorly received at it second performance in Leipzig, in l858, but Brahms found a silver lining in the rejection. "I think it's the best thing that could happen to one," he said "it forces you to collect your thoughts and raises your courage." He also wrote to Joachim, "For all that, one day, when I've improved it physical structure, this concerto will please, and a second one will sound very different."
Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas will return to Davies Symphony Hall, located at 201 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco, for two additional programs during the 2022-2023 Season.

Tickets for the concerts at Davies Symphony hall can be purchased via: https://www.sfsymphony.org/ or by calling the San Francisco Symphony box Office at 415 864-600, and  check its Health Safety information.