Symphony Silicon Valley

Just saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert… FANTASTIC. Excellent performance of John Williams score by the symphony.
Highly recommended… For the entire family.

Got tickets for the Lord of the Rings trilogy symphony. First symphony I’ve ever been to!
Amazing performances. I initially had seats on the balcony, 4^th row to the side which were. okay. Since we were elevated and pretty far away, we were able to enjoy seeing every instrument being played, but I could only really tell that I was listening to a live symphony when the brass instruments were being played. We were able to move more toward the center after the showing had started since the performance was not sold out, and the sound quality improved greatly. I highly recommend getting seats more toward the center or if you are lucky and nobody is sitting next to you, definitely move in.
I was able to sit in the orchestra seats, 10^th row for the Return of the King showing and sitting in the orchestra area made a HUGE difference. I was able to really enjoy watching the performers and the sound quality was fantastic (of course, the closer the better, except for being in the front rows: P).
My issue was that during the Return of the King showing, some audience members would clap and cheer during parts of the movie that were climactic (battles being won, epic lines in the movie, etc.) WHILE the symphony was playing. I thought this was so rude to the conductor, performers, and the other audience members that were trying to hear the symphony! There were definitely heads shaking in disapproval in the rows in front of me when people started clapping, so it seemed like my party was not the only ones bothered by it.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the movies, but I paid for these tickets to enjoy the symphony and watching the movies was a bonus as the songs would have context. I didn’t pay so much to watch a movie with a bunch of people that during epic scenes (which would typically be concurrent with an epic song) would drown out the music with clapping!
I felt like all of the clapping and cheering really took from symphony experience and ruined the songs that were being played. If all symphonies are like that, I would not attend another one and instead would enjoy soundtracks uninterrupted at home.
I sent an email to Symphony Silicon Valley explaining my experience and that while the performance was wonderful, I suggested for future performances, perhaps an announcement or something that would ask the audience to save their applause for the end would prevent the same thing happening to other people. It’s been 2 weeks and Symphony Silicon Valley did not even send a response back. While I don’t expect my suggestions to necessarily be taken, I think it is very poor customer service that my email was not even acknowledged.
TL;DR Conductor and performers were fantastic. Audience members marred the experience. Emailed Symphony Silicon Valley, no response or acknowledgement = bad customer service.

Phenomenal performance!!! Breathtaking performance!!! Most amazing symphony I have attended! Bonus performance Nobllis
Piano Trio was beyond perfection!!! Pianist was more than incredible!!! Thank you Mr. Bob Weil for your 48^th season performance! You are amazing!!!

We had Groupon tickets for the orchestra section– sat in Row G on the aisle. Loved the seats. The theater is very beautiful, and was built in 1927. It was the finest theater in California when it opened– and it has been restored in a glorious way. Apparently the pipe organs have been restored too, and I’d love to go back and hear those. This review is for the Kurt Weill –Berlin Paris NY show.
First, Let me say how much I love Weill’s early work. I’m a huge fan of The Threepenny Opera (and of the Beggar’s Opera, by Gay). That instrumental part was probably my favorite, and also the encore in which the Soprano sang Mac the Knife. I have never heard the Ballad of Mac the Knife sung better– and performing it in English French and German (working backwards, through Kurt’s homelands) was a magnificent touch.
I loved the accordion with the soprano also, and when the conductor played the piano for It Never Was You. The conductor (James Holmes) was marvelous on the piano.
I also was touched by the history of Weill and his music which the conductor imparted to the audience as we made our way through the program. I learned things about Weill I did not know.
I was less familiar with the later portions of the program, especially the work Weill did in America, so those musical numbers were very interesting. I thought all the singers were very good especially the soprano (Lisa Vroman)
I am not as fond of the Seven Deadly Sins as I am of the Threepenny Opera– but this company certainly did that section justice. The staging was minimalist, and yet highly effective.
This show was my first time at the California theater and the symphony in San Jose (I used to go to Davies Hall), but it won’t be my last. Based on the excellence of what we saw I’m going to try to get tickets to Verdi’s Requiem, another favorite piece of mine.
Thank you SSV for a marvelous day of music. I can honestly say I have rarely enjoyed my time at the symphony as much as I did today.

This review is for SSV’s Target Summer Pops series:
Finally! Free outdoor orchestral music in SJ! I can’t stand the washed-​up cover bands that frequent most of the valley’s Music in the Park venues, so I was excited when Symphony Silicon Valley and Target announced this collaboration in 2009.
Apparently, I was not the only excited person. Right from the beginning, these concerts have been packed! If you want to be able to see the performers, arrive early. There is also the added danger of being in the dreaded Toddler Zone if you arrive too late. I love small kids, but not so much when I’m trying to listen to music…
That being said, these events are totally family-​friendly. They feature lots of accessible music (movie themes, recognizable classical pieces, big band…), free ice cream nights, and grassy areas where kids can play waaayyy in the back.
Bring:
–A chair
–A picnic (wine is permitted!)
–A sweater
SSV is a professional union orchestra, and a solid organization. So, you’ll hear some fairly high-​quality music making.

Ok, I just have to say I felt «fancy» going to the symphony. A friend decided to take me on an adventure and part of it was going to the symphony. I have to say I am not much of a «classical» or relaxing type of music person, but I wanted to check this out.
The location is very convenient, downtown SJ. There are several parking structures near the location. The people working the event are very nice, except when you bring in a drink to an area where you are not supposed to… then they get on your case.
Other that that, during the intermission they bake cookies, they also have wine and champagne.
The price is a little on the high side. People are not super dressed up, so don’t feel obligated to pull out the ball gown and tux, a nice dress will do.

I perform frequently with Symphony Silicon Valley. The orchestra has grown artistically since its founding and puts on exciting concerts.
Since there is no music director it’s a different game every time. The best conductors produce really exciting concerts. Indifferent conductors produce indifferent concerts. The orchestra gets better every year and includes many players who sub frequently in the big orchestras in SF. The principal players are the best freeway phil players around.
Where you sit makes a huge difference in this hall. The seats in the orchestra not below the balcony are best and the music sounds live and rich. Farther back on either the main floor or the balcony tends to sound dry and distant.
The symphony also plays for the ballet and there is now a very fun summer concert series at SJSU. Last year there were all John Williams and an all Beatles concert. These are free outdoor concerts.

Loved the Copeland and Beethoven evening last Sunday. Theater was beautiful. Pre-​concert lecture was entertaining – highly recommended. Pre-​concert organist was great – played favorites and Halloween spooky tunes. The concert itself was wonderful. It was Beethoven with a wonderful piano soloist from Argentina, incredible performance of part of Copeland’s Billy the Kid and then fun choral Copeland American Songbook. What a gem of an evening that we didn’t expect from this new orchestra.

To be fair, this is based on one performance and a bit of intuition.
On the basis of that performance, would I go to hear Symphony Silicon Valley again? Yes, if the program was good, I’d really like to give them another shot. If the program was of no interest, I don’t think the Symphony would sell me through force of performance alone.
The California Theatre was a really nice venue. We had mid-​range tickets I selected in the mezzanine and the sight was good and acoustics were terrific except the lower notes from the double bass, which disappeared. A great view, comfortable seats, good looking theater.
You can check out their interactive seating plan at
: just roll over the spots and it will show you the view from many sections. Nice feature. — and if you want to avoid a handling fee, buy your tickets in person at the Symphony’s office downtown.
Overall, we had a good night — the program was the problem probably more than the Symphony itself.