The San Francisco Symphony has rolled out an ambitious 2026–27 season that leans into star soloists, splashy collaborations and several world premieres, and it will bring Esa-Pekka Salonen back to Davies Symphony Hall for a single program in April 2027. The plan pairs crowd-pleasing classics with new work from emerging composers, plus dance and film projects aimed at widening the orchestra’s reach, all while the organization continues its search for a permanent music director and weighs potential renovations to Davies, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Salonen’s return comes with a double spotlight: he will conduct Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and lead the world premiere of René Orth’s Concerto for Harp and Percussion. The soloists are both Symphony principals, harpist Katherine Siochi and percussionist Jacob Nissly, who are reportedly planning to marry this summer, the San Francisco Chronicle noted.
Bay Area-born composer Gabriella Smith will serve as the orchestra’s creative partner for 2026–27. Her violin concerto How to Be a Bird lands at Davies in March with soloist Alexi Kenney, and her oceanic Tumblebird Contrails turns up in June on a program that also features music by John Adams and projected California landscapes. The fall schedule includes Renée Fleming singing Strauss’s Four Last Songs, collaborations with Alonzo King LINES Ballet, a film series stretching from fall to spring and other special events, a package the Symphony’s CEO has described as a musical portrait of San Francisco - bold, curious, and constantly evolving, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
New players and premieres
The Symphony is also tweaking its roster. Section cellist Starla Breshears is slated to join the orchestra in September 2026, strengthening the cello ranks, according to the San Francisco Symphony.
On the commissioning front, Kyle Rivera, winner of the Emerging Black Composers Project, will receive a new work that the orchestra plans to premiere February 11–13, 2027. The move highlights the ensemble’s push to feature early-career composers, the San Francisco Symphony said.
Finances and Davies plans
The big season announcement lands in the middle of some serious number crunching. IRS filings summarized by ProPublica show about $67.8 million in revenue against roughly $84.6 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending August 2024, a gap that helps explain the careful mix of blockbuster programs and riskier new work.
At the same time, the Symphony is advancing an entitlement-stage proposal to overhaul Davies Symphony Hall, with Mark Cavagnero Associates and Gehry Partners named as the design teams, according to Archinect.
Trustee Jerome Dodson has previously told reporters he has pledged $50 million toward adding a small recital hall, a commitment cited in regional coverage of the renovation effort, including the San Francisco Chronicle.
What this means for audiences
For Bay Area concertgoers, the takeaway is straightforward: there will be a lot to hear. The 2026–27 season stacks big, familiar scores next to late-night SoundBox sets and premieres that will only be experienced in this hall, even as leadership works through a major artistic search and a possible building makeover.
Ticketing and subscription details for programs through spring 2027 are available on the Symphony’s website, for anyone already plotting which nights to stake out a seat at Davies.
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