San Francisco Symphony

Went to see a beautiful show her last Thursday, performance was incredible! My 1 star is NOT for the show or the venue, that was fantastic. It’s actually for the staff. I was so shocked and disgusted with how I was treated. I am 4 months pregnant and often need to use the bathroom a little more than usual, so during a small break where they was changing some of the musicians I went to the bathroom, only to hear a huge banging on my toilet cubical. The stewardess shouted «WILL YOU HURRY!» I was so shocked, I came out and said «Excuse me?» to which she replied «YOURE MISSING IT, QUICK, HURRY!!! YOU NEED TO GO BACK IMMEDIATELY!» I was so shocked by her manor I quickly washed my hands and left, and she was STILL waiting for me. I explained to her I was pregnant and I had to use the bathroom when nature calls (It’s pretty obvious I am pregnant!) to which she gave me a disgusted look and said «YOU NEED TO HURRY». I apologized to the lady and explained again that I had to go, and I was happy with waiting so not to disturb the performance to which she shook her head like she couldn’t believe I would suggest that. I was so upset with how I was treated my husband and I left at the interval with me in tears. I may be a little emotional, but I really don’t think that’s how I should be treated, I understand they was about to begin and I wouldn’t of wanted to walk in mid performance. It was just poor tact the way she spoke to me and I wont be returning.

The San Francisco Symphony orchestra consistently provide exemplary musicianship with compelling programming! There’s always something in the season for everyone. Whether your interests are Broadway musical theater production, holiday specials, jazz, or classical music, you will be delighted and amazed at the quality of the production of the fifth! I saw on their production of On The Town last night with Isabel Leonard and Alysha Umphress and it was a wonder! The lighting, choreography, costumes, singing, and of course, I’m playing was delightful. The entire audience was on their feet exploding with applause at the end of the show.

I love the SF Symphony!
Note that I have only been to this symphony and have no other experience to compare it off of… anyways
I usually go to the symphony by myself and buy rush tickets, which are sold on the day of and seating is chose for you. Seats are almost always front or upper orchestra (or anything they have left)…still great compared to the price! What a steal! The rush ticket seats are usually singles so I would not recommend getting these tickets with a group unless you are okay with your friends sitting sporadically.
Consistent music. Great variety of guests – make sure to check the website!

Take my family to Charlie brown Christmas symphony very lovely really enjoyed, highly recommend it.

Seeing the symphony is always a treat, but seeing them perform the live score to ET: The Extra-​Terrestrial was really magical.
All my expectations were surpassed as the symphony amplified the energy and emotion of the film. When Elliot and ET flew across the night sky, the piccolo, bassoon, timpani, and other instruments carried me right into the heart of the scene. IMHO, John Williams is the greatest film composer of all time and ET was a great choice by the symphony.
Definitely go check out one of their film performances, and I recommend sitting above the orchestra level so you can have a great view of both the movie and musicians.

It is always a special treat to go to the San Francisco Symphony. The building is a world class example of symphony sound and style. While I was pleasantly surprised by the refreshingly creative writing in the Playbill program, I was also disappointed. We had wonderful seats, and other than a full parking lot, really had an easy time of arriving punctually. As always, the guides were helpful and our fellow guests polite. It pains me to have to write something so obvious about your composer choice and history lesson. With the plethora of old and new compositions, it truly bewilders me why you would choose to perform and write about a man who over the course of his career aligned himself with Nazi ideology. I felt offended by your choice to highlight a Hitler fan. In your words, he was someone who felt «ecstatic» about Hitler. This was a poor choice executed in bad taste.

Absolutely the best part of this beautiful city, is the chance to sit in beautiful Davies Symphony Hall, and listen to this magnificent orchestra. Pure heaven on earth!

I was contacted by the SF Symphony about my review. I had a phone call with the Director of Patron Services, who was a super nice lady and based on that conversation and the great customer service she provided I have changed my review. The Director of Patron Services had actually researched the incident and spoken to the staff both on the call and the box office the day I visited. It I think just encountered a few bad apples in a box of good ones. I had failed to mention in my earlier review that the person I had spoken with to purchase my subscription was really nice and it was actually his great customer service that persuaded me to purchase a subscription. It just goes to show that a small effort goes a long way,

I’ve never seen a bad performance here. I’ve not once been disappointed by the show itself.
The sound could be better. They know this. That;s why there are all those things hanging from the ceiling and sides, they are trying to make the sound better,
It’s a pretty building, very 70’s with lots of brass.
Fun fact: They installed those arm rests in the lobby to keep people from putting their fingers on the windows! (I know this because I took the behind-​the-​scenes tour which I also recommend.)

Lovely. What a treat. It was a lovely affair… it’s always fun to dress up for an evening out on the town.
A must do if in the city.

This review is for the 2015 New Years Eve Masquerade Ball, waay overpriced for a short event that shut down long before NYE. This is a low-​end event and facility, dressing up is a waste.
1. There was no Ball or Masques
2. We arrived at 9pm expecting to stay until 12:30am
3. We were ushered out at 10pm
4. We spent $ 460 for the evening VIP package which lasted one hour
5. The advertised Prosecco was one mini bottle each
6. The dessert was one strawberry and one small candy each
After years of an anniversary tradition, I’m done with the SF Symphony.

Watched the Back to the Future Symphony with my family and it was way better than I expected! This show definitely brought back some great memories as I watched this classic and heard the music live from the orchestra. We were seated in the 3^rd row from the front and the view was just spectacular. I was so close to the orchestra I could almost high five the violinists in the front!
They basically lower a screen in the center of the stage and project the movie onto the screen. The orchestra plays all of the background music in perfect sync which really puts you in the movie. It’s so surreal, and it sounds amazing! It truly brings the movie to life. No surround sound system can replicate this.
Overall, I had a great time and I highly recommend this venue for musical events like this. It’s definitely smaller than Bill Graham, but it’s much more intimate and classy.

My friends and I attended the Star Trek symphony feature film last night and were tickled at what an amazing experience it was!
We were all symphony ‘virgins’ and it definitely surpassed the hype. Beautiful music, great movie, wonderful venue, and kind/​helpful staff.
I was lucky enough to be received at Will Call by a lovely lady named, Hilda, who was incredibly kind and accommodating and who clearly still enjoys her job after 18 years of service. Thank you Hilda, it definitely was an incredible experience!

My husband and I attend 1 – 2 performances a year and we enjoy the San Francisco Symphony.
Why the two star rating? Because I get weekly (yes, WEEKLY) phone calls asking for a donation to support the symphony.
The first time I explained to the caller I wasn’t interested but they could email me information and I would consider a donation at the end of the year. The second time I requested they remove me from their calling list but the calls continued. I finally blocked the number so they couldn’t call me at all.
Fast forward a few months and I started getting calls from a similar number that I discovered is another line to the symphony fundraising office! In so many (not so polite words) I requested (one more time) for the calls to stop.
It’s gotten to the point where I don’t know if I even want to attend performances this year. Bad form SF Symphony.

Went to the symphony to enjoy a show by myself. It is a beautiful venue! I just parked a couple blocks away from the front doors and wasn’t too concerned about the parking of my car.
The seats are a bit squeaky but the sound carries very well across the hall which I really enjoyed. I was towards stage right in section B i believe? And I had a pretty good sightline of the orchestra and the maestro.
Definitely something to do– they are very talented and I would definitely go back.

Probably the best in the Country if not the planet.
Please come — MTT is the stuff of legends, and the SFS keeps San Francisco’s open minded intellect afloat while still sawing the warhorses.
Witness the end of an era and indulge in the opulence of a glorious acoustic temple built to celebrate mankind’s finest aspirations.
Also it’s fun for a get dressed up and then hit Hayes Valley.
See it before it’s gone — and becomes a gym or something…

Always a wonderful evening, and something everyone should have the chance to experience at least once in their lives.
I would also point out that the staff here is amazingly professional, knowledgeable, courteous, and helpful. A beautifully run organization.

I have been to a number of symphony performances in various cities, with various orchestras, over the years. The SFSO ranks among the richest sounds I’ve heard, with a tremendous band tuned perfectly to a great hall.
I’m a subscriber and have seen dozens of performances over about the past eight years. They have a fabulous orchestra, but the chorus is equally impressive, and I always look forward to shows when the organ console comes out, because I know we’re in for a full and delicious meal.
The hall has seating behind the orchestra, which gives them room to expand considerably for an experience like Mahler’s Eighth, with its cast of hundreds of singers and some extra musicians (even some offstage).
The repertory includes the expected classics, which are especially rich in the hands of a visiting maestro or the emeritus Herbert Blomstedt, but Michael Tilson Thomas also has a taste for pushing the edges and trying something unusual, often with great success. Sometimes it feels like eating your broccoli to earn your dessert, but sometimes you are treated to an unexpectedly shimmering set of harmonies, or an emotional climax that’s hard to get from a CD.
Any live performance should be better than a recording, and this is no exception, but the SFSO has done a particularly good job at bringing to life some 20^th century pieces that historically have felt a little two-​dimensional, like a Ligeti or Bartok. You expect them to shine on a Tchaikowsky or Dvorak, and they do, but these folks have played together long enough, and know each other’s abilities well enough, that they can show the artistry in even a work that might crumble in a lesser orchestra’s hands.
I guess you could kinda say I’m a bit of a fan.

I came here as a chaperone for my son’s field trip on 1.28.15. There were many schools in attendance to enjoy the concert for kids. The Hall is beautiful, clean and the staff was friendly and organized. The program they had was kid friendly and the conductor kept the kids engaged in group participation and made the audience listen to each specific sound of the instruments.
I think this is a great trip for school to take. I remember coming here in the 1^st grade. I am glad I was able to be a chaperone for my sons class trip.

Despite working for an orchestra, I’m remiss to admit that I’ve only ever been to the SF Symphony for a holiday concert… and I grew up in the Bay Area. Well, that and I’ve still never been to Alcatraz, but don’t hold that against me.
We came here with the whole fam bam for their Charlie Brown Christmas Special and loved it! I honestly enjoyed the second half & the Charlie Brown performance better than the first half with the guest soloist. I mean, don’t get me wrong — she was great, I just didn’t like that I could barely hear the orchestra.
I’d love to come back for a classical concert and really hear and enjoy the orchestra.

Charlie Brown Christmas at the SF Symphony
There’s nothing more splendid that will put you in the Holiday mood than a night at the SF Symphony. During the Charlie Brown Christmas show, half the show was dedicated to the Symphony playing selected medley’s of Christmas classics while the other half was an on-​stage dance re-​enactment of the Charlie Brown Christmas special with the symphony playing in the background.
The Charlie Brown Christmas re-​enactment was a unique experience. With selected portions of the story narrated by children and the cutest Charlie Brown tree, the symphony nicely complimented the on-​stage performance.
However, I was surprised to enjoy the Symphony’s selected X-​mas medley more than the actual Charlie Brown Christmas portion of the show. The Symphony’s rendition of selected classics like White Christmas sent me in a calm and serene mood out into an SF’s winter’s night.
Bottom-​line: I’d recommend an X-​mas night at the SF Symphony to all those scrooges out there. I believe it could turn any Grinch into a X-​mas dancing snoopy.

What an amazing experience! Everyone should make it a point to go to the symphony at some time in their lives…
My first experience ever going to the symphony was nothing short of fantastic. The symphony was playing the score to the movie Home Alone. Although we didn’t go for a classical performance there was still something so magical about having live music hit your ears. I played the clarinet for 7 years and 4 of those years was in an orchestra so when the symphony started playing I was immediately flashed back to my high school years and got chills.
I can’t imagine any seat in this hall being a bad one. We were in the second tier front row. It was perfect seating for a very reasonable price, only $ 25 each. Sure, you couldn’t see every string being played on the violins but its more about opening your ears instead of your eyes.
There are plenty of places to park when visiting. I usually go to the civic center garage. It is very cheap and much safer then leaving your car on the street.
If you plan to drink while at the event please make sure you get there early and if you plan to grab a drink during intermission try to make a sprint to the line. It was very long by the time we saw it.
I hate that is has taken me 25 years to finally visit the symphony but I can guarantee that I will be back for many more performances in the future.

Disney at the symphony! Yes please!
i heard about this two day series a couple of days before, and immediately told man friend to take me at once!
Well…man friend knows me too well. He already got surprise tickets haha
Ended up being a two minutes late, but they have so many pretty christmas trees right now!
Ups:
–The orchestra is awesome! I love love love coming to the symphony and they did a great job with the Disney theme
–The décor during the holidays are beautiful. Bring your camera
–Love dressing up! Love seeing other people dress up!
–Seats are pretty decent in the floor and balcony.
–Hayes valley has good food/​bar options before and after shows
Downs:
–Parking sucks ugh
–Drinks and food options suck
–The four vocalist during the performance somewhat overpowered the orchestra during the first half. It sounded like one of the girls was almost screeching. Yikes. –The second half as far as singing goes was way better.
–Not everyone dress up. Jeans? Really? For the love of god, please put some effort in your choice of clothing when you come to an elegant venue. I get it, SF is pretty casual, but it would be nice if dress code was somewhat enforced.
All in all, the venue is great, the sound is great, and I would love to come back in the future again!

What can one say about a Grammy-​winning, world-​renowned Symphony? I’m thinking the awards speak for themselves but there’s always room for more praise!
Been coming to the Symphony for as long as I can remember — seen pieces ranging from classical to contemporary & everything in between
This most recent set of visits saw the Mr & I enjoying the Centennial Celebration of Britten — we got to hear a suite from Price of the Pagodas & see a semi-​staged performance of Peter Grimes, complete w/​a 250-​person chorus
Xmas singalongs, «background» music to movies, there’s always something to draw in the crowds
Conductors also vary from the awesome resident, MTT to guests alike & let’s not forget the featured soloists who grace us w/​their excellence
AND if *that* weren’t enough, there’s always the Black & White Ball or the New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball to entice… and who doesn’t love any reason to get all dolled & dudded up?
There’s always something to learn, enjoy & behold at San Francisco Symphony. I’m a season subscriber for a reason!

I got a lil’ misty taking my little boy to the Symphony for the first time to hear «Peter and the Wolf» narrated by John Lithgow. This is sure to be a Christmas tradition. John Lithgow was very playful and engaging; it was a lot of fun.
And each time I’ve been to Louise M. Davies Symphony hall, I marvel at the wonderful acoustics and our incredible symphony led by the incomparable Michael Tilson Thomas.
Going back quite a few years, MTT’s first gig as a conductor of a major symphony orchestra was the Buffalo Philharmonic in my hometown. I was about my little boy’s age when I first saw him conduct; I was transfixed. My love of classical music — and years as a competitive classical pianist — stem from attending the symphony as a child.
You don’t have to be a classical music aficionado to appreciate the San Francisco Symphony and if you haven’t gone yet, do buy tickets and see Michael Tilson Thomas conduct. He is truly one of the great conductors of our generation and a San Francisco treasure.