John Adams and Vikingur Olafsson Join Forces for ”After the Fall’
After the pianist, Vikingur Olafsson, asked for a concerto over beers, the composer, John Adams, wrote “After the Fall,” which will now travel the world.
Esa-Pekka Salonen to Leave San Francisco Symphony
Esa-Pekka Salonen, the ensemble’s music director, said that he no longer shared the same goals as the administration, which has been cutting costs.
Cartier’s Perfumer Creates Scents for ‘Prometheus’ Music
Mathilde Laurent, Cartier’s perfumer, has created a scent poem that enhances the experience of Scriabin’s synesthetic score for “Prometheus.”
How California Became America’s Contemporary Music Capital
On the eve of a sprawling new festival, John Adams, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel and others recount how the state reinvigorated classical music.
What Spatial Audio Can and Cannot Do for Classical Music
Immersive audio formats, while newer for pop, have been used by composers for decades. But not all works call for spatial treatment.
‘It Has It All’: Taking on a Strange, Immense Piano Concerto
The conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and the pianist Igor Levit discuss Ferruccio Busoni’s Piano Concerto, a rarity they are performing in San Francisco.
San Francisco Becomes an Opera Capital
Audiences could take in works by Strauss and Kaija Saariaho, as well as a new one by Gabriela Lena Frank about Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
Review: Kaija Saariaho’s ‘Adriana Mater,’ After Her Death
The conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and the director Peter Sellars, two Saariaho collaborators, brought “Adriana Mater” to the San Francisco Symphony.
Audiences Are Coming Back to Orchestras After a ‘Scary’ Fall
“It seemed like a switch flipped right before Thanksgiving,” the leader of the Chicago Symphony said.