Press Room

Feb 4, 2022

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—The San Francisco Symphony’s 2021–22 Music for Families series, designed to bring children together with their parents to engage with classical music through interactive themed performances, kicks off February 19 with a program titled “Music Around the World—Percussion.” The program, conducted by Resident Conductor of Engagement and Education Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, takes the audience on a trip around the world with music which specifically highlights the percussion section, including Zoltán Kodály’s Viennese Musical Clock from Háry János Suite, Bartholomew-Poyser’s arrangement of the traditional tune Hlonolofatsa Bacchanale, John Philip Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever, George Gershwin’s ​Introduction from Porgy and Bess, Charles Wilcoxon’s Heating the Rudiments, Phoon Yew Tien’s​ Martial Artists Welcome Spring, Richard Strauss’ Sunrise and Introduction from Also sprach Zarathustra, Bartholomew-Poyser’s arrangement of Parang, Parang, and Alberto Ginastera’s Malambo from Estancia Suite.

The 2021–22 Music for Families series continues April 9 with “The Planets,” featuring Wattis Foundation Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra Daniel Stewart leading the Youth Orchestra in music from Gustav Holst’s The Planets and Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst. The final Music for Families concert of the season takes place May 7 with Akiko Fujimoto conducting the San Francisco Symphony in a program titled “Superheroes,” featuring superhero-themed music from film scores including Alan Silvestri’s The Avengers, John Williams’ Star Wars: A New Hope and Superman, and Michael Giacchino’s The Incredibles; and selections from Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, Eroica, Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite, Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia, Valerie Coleman’s Seven O’Clock Shout, and Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man.

About Music for Families
This popular series for Bay Area families was launched in 1993 and is designed to introduce children and their parents to the wonders of live orchestral music. Part performance and part family outing, the series consists of matinee concerts designed to spark the imagination of the whole family through an exploration of different aspects of the orchestra and its repertoire. Music for Families concerts are designed to be educational, engaging, and fun. They include performances of great symphonic music, fascinating musical discoveries, and informative talks about the orchestra, the instruments, the musicians, and the music. Music for Families concerts are geared to ages 5 and up.

CALENDAR EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE: 

Tickets 
Tickets for concerts at Davies Symphony can be purchased via sfsymphony.org or by calling the San Francisco Symphony Box Office at 415-864-6000. Ticket prices for Music for Families concerts range $12.50–62.

Location 
Davies Symphony Hall is located at 201 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco.

Health & Safety Information 
Davies Symphony Hall is currently operating at full audience capacity. Based on health and safety recommendations from the City and County of San Francisco and due to the transmissibility of the Omicron variant, all San Francisco Symphony patrons are required to wear a non-vented respirator, such as a N95, KN95, KF94, or equivalent face mask while inside Davies Symphony Hall. Effective February 1, 2022, the San Francisco Symphony requires proof of up-to-date vaccination against COVID-19 for everyone entering Davies Symphony Hall ages 16 and up who’s eligible—including patrons, performers, volunteers, and staff. “Up-to-date vaccination” is defined as two weeks after completion of the two-dose regimen of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or other WHO authorized COVID-19 vaccine, and one week after receiving a booster shot, for those eligible. Beginning March 1, 2022, this requirement is expanded to ages 12 and older. Patrons under age 12 must show proof of up-to-date vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test (PCR test taken within 2 days of event entry or antigen [rapid] test taken within 1 day of event entry.

For those patrons under age 12 who wish to show verification of a negative COVID-19 test result, the following are acceptable as proof: a printed document (from the test provider or laboratory); or an email, text message, web page, or application (app) screen displayed on a phone or mobile device from the test provider or laboratory. The information should include person’s name, type of test performed, negative test result, and date the test was administered. Self-administered antigen testing is not acceptable at this time, but patrons may bring an unopened at-home rapid test with them to Davies Symphony Hall to take with a verified EMT present. Details about health and safety protocols at Davies Symphony Hall can be found here. 
 

• High-resolution images of the San Francisco Symphony and guest artist headshots are available for download from the Online Photo Library.

• High resolution images from past Music for Families performances are available for download from the San Francisco Symphony’s Online Press Kit.