San Francisco Symphony to Launch SUMMER WITH THE SYMPHONY Series, 7/4

SAN FRANCISCO, April 18 - The San Francisco Symphony announces its annual Summer with the Symphony series, which runs July 4-29 at Davies Symphony Hall and at other outdoor locations throughout the Bay Area. Led by Director of Summer Concerts Edwin Outwater, Summer with the Symphony features a festive lineup of concerts and events for all ages, beginning with the SFS's annual Fourth of July concert and fireworks spectacular at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View. On July 7, Outwater leads the SFS in The Music of John Williams-From Star Wars to Harry Potter!, which will include Williams's iconic music from such films as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Jaws, and others.

Summer film events begin with a 50th anniversary celebration entitled Star Trek - The Ultimate Voyage July 14-15. The event features some of the franchise's greatest music, including favorites from The Original Series, The Motion Picture, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and more, with excerpts projected on a large movie screen above the orchestra. On July 16-17, the SFS provides live accompaniment of Michael Giacchino's award-winning score to Pixar's Ratatouille, with Sarah Hicks conducting.

Other summer highlights include Final Symphony: Music from FINAL FANTASY VI, VII, and X on July 27. Conductor Eckehard Stier leads the SFS and pianist Katharina Treutler in music familiar to fans of the video game franchise. Musical group Pink Martini returns to the SFS this summer for two concerts with the Orchestra July 28-29.

Classical performances during the summer season include Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on July 8-9, a Parisian-themed concert with singer/songwriter/guitarist Madeleine Peyroux July 21, an evening of Russian favorites July 22, and an American classics performance with pianist Makoto Ozone July 23. The Orchestra performs two free concerts this year, first at the Stern Grove Festival on July 10, featuring Dvo?ák's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World," and at the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27 on July 24, also with pianist Makoto Ozone performing Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3.

About Edwin Outwater

San Francisco Symphony Director of Summer Concerts Edwin Outwater is the Music Director of Ontario's Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony (KWS) in Canada and regularly guest conducts the Chicago and New World Symphonies. In the United States, Outwater has also conducted the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Houston, Detroit, Seattle, and many others. International appearances include the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, New Zealand Symphony, and Adelaide Symphony. He participated as Associate Conductor in both YouTube Symphony projects, at Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House. Outwater was Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony from 2001-2006, where he worked closely with Michael Tilson Thomas, accompanied the orchestra on tour, and conducted numerous concerts each season. He made his subscription debut in 2002 with Kurt Masur conducting Britten's War Requiem, and has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Evelyn Glennie, and many others. On two occasions, Outwater stepped in for Michael Tilson Thomas, conducting performances of Stravinsky's complete Pulcinella, as well as works by Beethoven, Wagner, and Cherubini. In July 2006, Outwater conducted the world premiere performance and recording of The Composer is Dead by Nathaniel Stookey and Lemony Snicket, which was later released by HarperCollins. From 2001-05, Outwater was Wattis Foundation Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. During his tenure, he led the orchestra in all of their concerts as well as on tour through Europe in summer 2004, when the orchestra made its debut at Vienna's Musikverein and Paris's Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Outwater was recently named Artistic Director and Conductor of the Eastern Sierra Symphony in Mammoth Lakes, California.

Tickets

NEW for the 2016 Summer with the Symphony season: concertgoers who purchase tickets to three or more performances will receive 25% off their entire order.

Tickets are on sale today for Summer with the Symphony concerts at www.sfsymphony.org/summer, SFS Patron Services at (415) 864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall box office on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street. Tickets are priced from $15-$140.

Tickets for the Fourth of July Celebration at Shoreline Amphitheatre go on sale through LiveNation.com at a later date, TBA.

To post a comment, you must register and login.