On Thursday, September 25, the San Francisco Symphony marked the opening of its 115th season with an elegant Opening Gala that brought together leading figures from San Francisco’s arts, philanthropic, business, and civic communities.

The evening began with red carpet arrivals and preconcert VIP receptions in the Wattis Room and Loge Lobby, setting the tone for a night centered on music, culture, and community. Guests enjoyed complimentary beverages, light bites, and entertainment before taking their seats for the season-opening performance.

Guest conductor Giancarlo Guerrero and the Orchestra opened the program with The Star-Spangled Banner, followed by Bay Area composer John Adams’ The Chairman Dances, a lively orchestral “foxtrot” written as Adams worked on his acclaimed opera Nixon in China.

The evening’s musical highlight came with superstar violinist Hilary Hahn, who joined Guerrero and the Orchestra for Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. Following a standing ovation, Hahn returned to the stage for an encore, performing the Gigue from J.S. Bach’s Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006. Guerrero and the Orchestra then brought the concert to a spirited close with Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol, a five-movement orchestral work
inspired by Spanish folk music.

Following the performance, guests gathered for the celebratory Gala Dinner, where music and fine dining continued to take center stage. McCalls Catering & Events created both the menu and the evening’s décor, transforming the space with rich blue and violet tones, sculptural lighting, shimmering details, and metallic accents.

The dinner opened with an amuse course of potato-leek vichyssoise and caviar from The Caviar Co., followed by a menu featuring herbed Maine lobster, Half Moon Bay spaghetti squash, and other seasonal offerings. Wines from Trois Noix Winery and spirits from Hotaling & Co. complemented the evening.

Adding another musical dimension to the dinner, San Francisco Symphony musicians Scott Pingel and Edward Stephan, alongside pianist John Wilson, performed a special jazz set for guests.

More than a celebration of a new season, the Opening Gala served as an important philanthropic occasion for the Symphony. Proceeds directly support its artistic, education, and community programs, which reach tens of thousands of people throughout the Bay Area each year.

The evening welcomed an influential cross-section of San Francisco’s cultural and civic community, including Matthew Spivey, CEO of the San Francisco Symphony; Priscilla Geeslin, Chair of the Board of Governors; Hilary Hahn; Giancarlo Guerrero; and host committee members Aditi Iyer and Solenn Seguillon.

Among the evening’s sponsors and guests were Marlo McGriff and Nicholas Pukstas, Joachim Bechtle and Hannah Herzog, Margaret Liu Collins, Dagmar Dolby, Curt Kirschner and Nicholas Augustinos, Patricia Lee-Hoffmann and Steven Hoffmann, Ann Paras, Trine Sorensen and Michael Jacobson, Diane B. Wilsey, Rebecca Lin, and William and Susan Oberndorf.

The guest list also reflected San Francisco’s civic and cultural leadership, including Mayor Daniel Lurie, California State Senator Scott Wiener, Ned Segal, Chief of Housing and Economic Development for San Francisco, Mimi Haas, Bransil Henselmann, Executive Director of San Francisco Ballet, Soyoung Lee, CEO of the Asian Art Museum, Nikisha Fogo, Principal Dancer of San Francisco Ballet, and Trent Norris and Jack Calhoun.

With a program that paired world-class classical music with an elegant gala celebration, the San Francisco Symphony’s Opening Gala offered a fitting beginning to its 115th season, while reaffirming the institution’s enduring role in the Bay Area’s cultural life.

Photo Credit: Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Mahelly Ferreira, Jessica Monroy and Devlin Shand for Drew Altizer Photography