Lang Lang and Gina Alice to Join SF Symphony 2024–25 Season Opening Gala

Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony will celebrate the start of the 2024–25 season with the Opening Gala on September 25 in an exhilarating program featuring superstar pianist Lang Lang performing Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2. Lang Lang also performs alongside his wife, pianist Gina Alice, in Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals, a lighthearted 14-movement piece highlighting different animals such as the lion, elephant, and swan. Salonen and the Orchestra perform selections from Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet throughout the Opening Gala program, including “Montagues and Capulets,” “Morning Dance,” “The Child Juliet,” and “Death of Tybalt.”

The San Francisco Symphony’s Opening Night Gala begins at 5:30pm with red carpet arrivals and a preconcert lobby reception for all attendees with complimentary sparkling wine and light bites catered by McCalls Catering and Events. For an elevated experience, patrons can reserve a VIP sponsorship including an exclusive preconcert cocktail reception and celebratory postconcert seated dinner in Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall. The Opening Gala features decor and catering from McCalls Catering and Events, lighting design by Got Light, and projection design by Yuki Izumihara.

The 2024 Opening Gala is led by a host committee of San Francisco Symphony Governors including San Francisco Symphony President Priscilla Geeslin, Jeff Bharkhda, Tiffany Chang, and Trine Sorensen.

In-kind support for the Opening Gala is provided by Fort Point, Gold Bar Whiskey, Humboldt Distillery, and Maker Wines.

Proceeds from the Opening Night Gala directly support the Symphony’s acclaimed education, community, and artistic programs, which serve tens of thousands throughout the Bay Area each year. For more information and reservations to the gala event, please visit sfsymphony.org/gala.