Concert update: Due to the serious ill health of an immediate family member, Pekka Kuusisto has withdrawn from the February 25–26 SoundBox shows. The performances will be rescheduled for a future season to be announced.

Need assistance? Patron Services representatives are ready to help you. We can be reached by calling 415.864.6000 or by sending an email to patronservices@sfsymphony.org. Helpline Hours: Mon–Fri: 10am–6pm.

SoundBox:

Violinist, conductor, and SF Symphony Collaborative Partner Pekka Kuusisto joins forces with composer Jesper Nordin to curate a SoundBox show traversing time and traditions. Kuusisto, Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Ross Collins lead this epoch-spanning program.

TICKET TYPES:

Due to patron safety concerns regarding Omicron, food and beverage service has been suspended at SoundBox.

GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS: $65

PRODUCER PASS TICKETS: $500

Producer Pass tickets give you access to an elevated SoundBox experience. By purchasing a Producer Pass, you join a loyal group of supporters dedicated to ensuring the longevity of this much-loved music space, while also receiving the following special benefits at the venue.

• Beat the rush: Early entrance to SoundBox 30 minutes before doors open to guarantee best seats in the house.
• Get early access to tickets for future SoundBox shows: Producer Pass tickets are on sale for all 2021-22 season SoundBox performances, available for purchase at links below.
• See your name in lights: Credits on the big screen before the show
• Get free drinks: Special offer of two complimentary drinks per Passholder. (when available)
• Hobnob with the musicians: An exclusive invitation to a SoundBox event with SF Symphony musicians on select evenings.
• Enjoy a tax-deductible amount of $350 per pass.

Feel free to contact the Box Office with any questions at 415.864.6000. For information on becoming a SoundBox Sponsor, contact May Van Norman at mvannorman@sfsymphony.org or 415.503.5475.

Menu, programs, and artists subject to change. Must be 21 or older to attend. Limit 4 General Admission tickets per person, per concert.

SoundBox: Ecstasy On Sale Now

Conductor and composer Jamie Man curates a SoundBox program delving into the spiritual and corporeal states of ecstasy in a multisensory odyssey through darkness and light.

SoundBox: Ecstasy showcases the ongoing creative collaboration between Jamie Man and internationally recognized light artist Ben Zamora with an immersive musical experience of sound and illumination.

TICKET TYPES:

Due to patron safety concerns regarding Omicron, food and beverage service has been suspended at SoundBox.

GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS: $65

PRODUCER PASS TICKETS: $500

Producer Pass tickets give you access to an elevated SoundBox experience. By purchasing a Producer Pass, you join a loyal group of supporters dedicated to ensuring the longevity of this much-loved music space, while also receiving the following special benefits at the venue. 

• Beat the rush: Early entrance to SoundBox 30 minutes before doors open to guarantee best seats in the house.
• Get early access to tickets for future SoundBox shows: Producer Pass tickets are on sale for all 2021-22 season SoundBox performances, available for purchase at links below. 
• See your name in lights: Credits on the big screen before the show
• Get free drinks: Special offer of two complimentary drinks per Passholder. (excluding our Jan 14 & 15 performances)
• Hobnob with the musicians: An exclusive invitation to a SoundBox event with SF Symphony musicians on select evenings.
• Enjoy a tax-deductible amount of $350 per pass.

Feel free to contact the Box Office with any questions at 415.864.6000. For information on becoming a SoundBox Sponsor, contact May Van Norman at mvannorman@sfsymphony.org or 415.503.5475.  

Menu, programs, and artists subject to change. Must be 21 or older to attend. Limit 4 General Admission tickets per person, per concert. 

SoundBox: Embarkation On Sale October 19

Grammy Award-winning drummer/producer and composer Quentin E. Baxter curates a SoundBox program deeply imbued with the musical and spoken rhythms, bold colors, and landscapes that evoke home, heritage, and new horizons.

SoundBox: Embarkation is steeped in the sounds of Baxter’s hometown of Charleston, SC and inspired by the artists and poets who live and work there, including John Duckworth, Marcus Amaker, and Jonathan Green.

TICKET TYPES:

General Admission ($65)

Producer Pass ($500):

• Beat the rush: Early entrance to SoundBox 30 minutes before doors open.
• Get free drinks: Special offer of two complimentary drinks per Passholder.
• See your name in lights: Credits on the big screen before the show.
• Guarantee a spot: Early access to the next SoundBox show.
• Hob-knob with the musicians: An exclusive invitation to a SoundBox event with SF Symphony musicians on select evenings.
• Enjoy a tax-deductible amount of $350 per pass.

Seek refuge from the chaos of the world outside—step into a glorious realm of sound.

This February, SoundBox reimagines the old idea of sacred space, and explores the ability to create new ones through the powerful presence of music alone―no steeple necessary. Join us as we transform a cavernous void into an awe-inspiring cathedral of sound through otherworldly waves of ethereal voices, sublime amalgamations of strings and synth, rapturous visuals, and a divine DJ. It’s a transcendent healing like no other.

Come on in. Rejuvenate your mind. Electrify your soul. Leave feeling totally righteous.

SoundBox Curators

Missy Mazzoli, curator
Edwin Outwater, conductor
Marnie Breckenridge, soprano
Seth Reiser, lighting design
Adam Larsen, video design

SOUNDBOX SPONSORS

Frederic H. Smith

Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth C. Einstein

Dr. Jerome Guillen & Mr. Jeremy Gallaher

Jeff Han & Jennifer Banzaca

Bernadino J. Pistillo, Jr.

Mr. Paul Upham

Dr. Paul Wilson

TICKET TYPES:

General Admission (start at $65)

Producers Pass Benefits: 

This season, along with our $65 General Admission tickets, elevate your SoundBox experience and help support its future by purchasing a Producer Pass. By purchasing a Producer Pass, you join a loyal group of supporters dedicated to ensuring the longevity of this much-loved music space, while also receiving special benefits at the venue.

• Beat the rush: Early entrance to SoundBox 30 minutes before doors open.
• Get free drinks: Two complimentary drinks per Passholder at the Producer's Bar.
• See your name in lights: Credits on the big screen before the show and on sfsoundbox.com.
• Guarantee a spot: Early access to the next SoundBox show ( 4/24 or 4/25).
• Hob-knob with the musicians: An exclusive invitation to a special SoundBox event with SF Symphony musicians.
• Enjoy a tax-deductible amount of $250 per pass.

Producer Passes are available for the February and April performances. Guarantee your spot by purchasing your tickets today. General Admission tickets for February's SoundBox on sale now and April's SoundBox will go on sale 2/10 at 10am.

Feel free to contact the Box Office with any questions at 415-503-5299.

Menu, programs, and artists subject to change. Must be 21 or older to attend. Limit 4 General Admission tickets per person, per concert.

Principia [prin-​ˈsi-​pē-​ə]: noun, a beginning; the origin

From the raw spontaneity of jazz to meticulously refined Baroque—all music starts with an improvised spark. This December, SoundBox uncovers the mysterious art of music-making. Be there as it catches fire, experience its creative evolution intensify, and see all the wonderful and wildly different ways it can take shape on stage.

Dabble in a night of principia musica.

SFS MUSICIAN CURATORS

Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, conductor

David Chernyavsky, curator and violin

Katie Kadarauch, curator and viola

Scott Pingel, curator and bass

Adam Larsen, video design

Luke Kritzeck, lighting design and production manager

TICKET TYPES:

General Admission ($65)

Producer Pass ($400):

• Beat the rush: Early entrance to SoundBox 30 minutes before doors open.
• Get free drinks: Two complimentary drinks per Passholder at the Producer's Bar.
• See your name in lights: Credits on the big screen before the show and on sfsoundbox.com.
• Guarantee a spot: Early access to the next 2 SoundBox shows (2/7 or 2/8, 4/24 or 4/25).
• Hob-knob with the musicians: An exclusive invitation to a special SoundBox event with SF Symphony musicians.
• Enjoy a tax-deductible amount of $250 per pass.

SOUNDBOX SPONSORS

Frederic H. Smith

Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth C. Einstein

Dr. Jerome Guillen & Mr. Jeremy Gallaher

Jefferson Y. Han and Jennifer Banzaca

Bernadino J. Pistillo, Jr.

Mr. Paul Upham

Dr. Paul Wilson

Music speaks. Text is freed from the page. Speech expands and rebels.

This April, SoundBox experiments with the music of language—and the language of music—in a showcase of composers who wield text and voice as deft and dazzling instruments. Witness sonic layers of speech and script sculpted into complex acoustic architecture, and the beauty of language when it’s fueled and lifted by sublime soundwaves.

A radical conversation is underway. Hear what music has to say.

TICKET TYPES:

General Admission ($45)

Producer Pass ($350):

• Beat the rush: Gain early entrance to a SoundBox show 30min before the doors officially open.
• Get free drinks: Each Pass holder receives two complimentary drinks at the Producer’s Bar.
• See your name in lights: You’ll be credited on the big screen before the show and on the SoundBox website.
• Enjoy a tax-deductible amount of $250 per pass.

SOUNDBOX SPONSORS

Presenting Sponsors

John & Marcia Goldman Foundation

SoundBox is supported in part by a generous grant from the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund, a program of the League of American Orchestras made possible by funding from the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation.

Tony Politopoulos

Kenneth & Christina Einstein

Jerome Guillen & Jeremy Gallaher

Jefferson Han

Frederic H. Smith

Leave the familiar behind. Embrace the journey to the unknown.

This February, SoundBox explores the circuits of the universal language of music. Curated by composer, guitarist, and newly appointed SF Symphony creative partner Bryce Dessner—one of the most sought-after composers of his generation—witness a vibrant program of Dessner’s breakthrough compositions that bridge musical languages and culture. Take a journey through fusions of colors and textures. Feel driving rhythms that alternate with deft suspensions in time. It's not where you come from, it's what lies beyond the road ahead—buckle up and let the adventure begin.

SOUNDBOX ARTISTS

Bryce Dessner, Curator 

Case Scaglione, curator and conductor

Iva Bittová, mezzo-soprano and violin

Tim Day, flute and alto flute

Jerome Simas, clarinet and bass clarinet

Jacob Nissly, percussion

Marc Shapiro, piano

Wyatt Underhill, violin

Margaret Tait, cello

Luke Kritzeck, lighting designer

Adam Larsen, video designer

L.A. Dance Project:

 Benjamin Millepied, Artistic Director & Choreographer for Aheym (Homeward)

 Anthony Lee Bryant, Dancer

 Aaron Carr, Dancer

 David Adrian Freeland, Jr., Dancer

 Mario Gonzalez, Dancer

 Madison Hicks, Dancer

 Daisy Jacobsen, Dancer

 Rachelle Rafailedes, Dancer

 Patricia Zhou, Dancer

 James Buckhouse, Costume and Video Design for Aheym (Homeward)

 Roderick Murray, Original Lighting Design for Aheym (Homeward)

 Justin Peck, Choreographer for Murder Ballades

 Sterling Ruby, Visual Artist for Murder Ballades

 Brandon Sterling Baker, Original Lighting Design for Murder Ballades

SOUNDBOX PRODUCERS

Scott Bays
Nigel Gamble
Meriko Borogove
Heather Brundage
Jennifer Chang
Peter and Quin Curran
Monica Donovan
Martha Ehrenfeld
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth C. Einstein
Patrick Gales
John & Paula Gambs
Genevieve Getman-Sow
Michael A. Gonzalez
Michael Grady
Mr. Jerome Guillen & Mr. Jeremy Gallaher
Renee Hahn
Mark Kalow
Paul Kenney
Laura G. Leibowitz
Gary Loeb
Mr. Richard Martin
Mary Ann Maxwell
Mrs. Ernst Meissner
Russell Nelson
Dominic Paschel
Bernadino J. Pistillo, Jr.
Tony Politopoulos
Mr. Kevin Osinski and Mr. Marc Sinykin
Miriam Sedman & Ralph Nyffenegger
Mrs. Noelle Shahin
Frederic H. Smith
Trine Sorensen & Michael Jacobson
Mr. Paul Upham
James Wade
Dr. Paul Wilson
Kevin Yeh and Catherine Meng
Mark Young
Constance Yu
David Yu
Anonymous

TICKET TYPES:

General Admission ($45)

Producer Pass ($350): SOLD OUT

• Beat the rush: Gain early entrance to a SoundBox show 30min before the doors officially open.
• Get free drinks: Each Pass holder receives two complimentary drinks at the Producer’s Bar.
• See your name in lights: You’ll be credited on the big screen before the show and on the SoundBox website.
• Enjoy a tax-deductible amount of $250 per pass.

SOUNDBOX SPONSORS

Presenting Sponsors

John & Marcia Goldman Foundation

SoundBox is supported in part by a generous grant from the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund, a program of the League of American Orchestras made possible by funding from the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation.

Tony Politopoulos

Kenneth & Christina Einstein

Jerome Guillen & Jeremy Gallaher

Jefferson Han

Frederic H. Smith

Scale the stratospheric heights of passion. Journey through a maze of madness. Witness feats of daring avant-garde, satirical jest, and breathtaking beauty.

This April, SoundBox tackles the breadth of aural expression as music mirrors the infinite facets of our emotions, from unfettered insanity to a loving caress; from the hysteria of a swarm of bees to a destructive percussionist; from sacred Baroque arias to the carnal howl of a wolf. Human emotions can be a wild ride. We invite you to come aboard.

Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor and curator
Lauren Snouffer, soprano
Virginia Warnken, mezzo-soprano
Cameron Beauchamp, bass
Members of the San Francisco Symphony
Luke Kritzeck, lighting designer
Adam Larsen, video designer

Featuring the artwork of:
Leo Caillard
Alexey Kondakov
Kris Kuksi
Alexa Meade

Presenting Sponsors

John and Marcia Goldman Foundation

SoundBox is supported in part by a generous grant from the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund, a program of the League of American Orchestras made possible by funding from the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation.

The Show:

J.S. Bach: “Ich habe genug” from Cantata No. 82, BWV 82

Handel: “O, Sleep, Why Dost Thou Leave Me?” from Semele, HWV 58

Monteverdi: “Pur ti miro” from L’Incoronazione di Poppea, SV 308

J.S. Bach: “Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen” from Cantata No. 51, BWV 51

Intermission

J.S. Bach (arr. Berio): Contrapunctus XIX from The Art of Fugue

James Kallembach: The Song of Fenrir

Ligeti: Ramifications for 12 Strings

Intermission

Ligeti: Aventures

Ligeti: Nouvelles Aventures

SOUNDBOX PRODUCERS

Mr. Alexander Beilin and Ms. Kira Makagon
Mrs. Cecilia Bell
Ms. Meriko Borogove
Heather Brundage
Mr. David Friedberg
Mr. Nigel Gamble
Mr. & Mrs. A. John Gambs
Mr. and Ms. Genevieve Getman-Sowa
Mr. Michael Gonzalez
Ms. Elizabeth Gordon
Mr. Jerome Guillen
Mr. Jackson Haddad
Mrs. Zoe Harris
Mr. Wilford Hoover
Michael Jacobson & Trine Sorensen
Mr. F. C. Kirschner Jr
Ms. Laura G. Leibowitz
Mr. Glenn R. Lym
Mr. Richard Martin
Ms. Mary Ann Maxwell
Mr. Ryan McKillen
Mr. & Mrs. Augustus B. Morr
Mr. Russell Nelson
Mr. Bernie J. Pistillo
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Powell
Mrs. Jacqueline Pritzker
Mr. Nicholas Pritzker
Betty & Jack Schafer
Mr. Paul Upham
James Wade
Dr. Paul Wilson
Mr. Galen Wixson
Mr. David Yu

We would like to thank our SoundBox Crowdfunding supporters for their generosity in helping us launch this fourth season of SoundBox!

Experience a world of music that goes beyond what you hear.

See sounds conjured into images, colors, and shapes. Feel the amplified vibrations of its rhythms travel through your body like electricity. And, witness as choreography is digitally translated into music in real-time. This February, SoundBox presents a multi-sensory concert experience like no other. From French Impressionism to industrial rhythms, this is music at its most physical, psychedelic, and stimulating level. Come hear, feel, and see what music can do.

Christian Reif, conductor and curator
International Contemporary Ensemble (I.C.E.)
   Rebekah Heller, bassoon
   Ryan Muncy, saxophone
   Jennifer Curtis, violin
   Mike Lormand, trombone
Stefan Weinzierl, timpani
Adam Larsen, video designer
Daniel Brodie, video designer
Seth Reiser, lighting designer
Members of the San Francisco Symphony

Presenting Sponsors

John and Marcia Goldman Foundation

SoundBox is supported in part by a generous grant from the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund, a program of the League of American Orchestras made possible by funding from the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation.

SOUNDBOX PRODUCERS

Mrs. Robin Ayers-Lee
Dr. Elaine Baskin & Mr. Ken Krechmer
Mrs. Cecilia Bell
Ms. Meriko Borogove
Ms. Jennifer Braun & Mr. Raymond J. Ryan
Heather Brundage
Ms. Terin Christensen
Ms. Michèle Beigel Corash & Dr. Laurence Corash
Mr. & Mrs. Steven Denning
Ms. Monica Donovan
Ms. Martha Ehrenfeld
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth C. Einstein
Joanne Ferris
Mr. David Friedberg
Mr. & Mrs. A. John Gambs
Mr. Nigel Gamble
Michael A. Gonzalez
Ms. Elizabeth Gordon
Mr. Jerome Guillen
Ms. Renee Hahn
Mr. Jefferson Han
Mr. Wilford Hoover
Mr. Andrew Isaacson
Paul Kenney
Mr. F. C. Kirschner Jr
Ms. Laura G. Leibowitz
Mr. Richard Martin
Ms. Mary Ann Maxwell
Mr. & Mrs. Augustus B. Morr
Mr. Russell Nelson
Mr. Kevin Osinski & Mr. Marc Sinykin
Ms. Serene Pianist
Mrs. and Mr. Susan S. Pritzker
Mr. John Rogers
Dr. Adam Stoller
Michael Jacobson & Trine Sorensen
Mr. Paul Upham
Dr. Paul Wilson
Mr. David Yu

We would like to thank our SoundBox Crowdfunding supporters for their generosity in helping us launch this fourth season of SoundBox!

The Show:

Debussy (arr. Schoenberg): Prelude à L'Après-midi d'un faune

Oliveros: A Singing Bowl of Steaming Soup from Thirteen Changes

Oliveros: Air Borne Carriers of Transparent Seedlings from Thirteen Changes

Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Sequences

Oliveros: Solar Winds Scorching the Returning Comet's Tail from Thirteen Changes

Oliveros: Atomic Imagery - Rotating Molecules - Instantaneous Particles Dancing – Vanishing from Thirteen Changes

Jacob Sello: Licht und Hiebe

Intermission

Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Aequilibria

Oliveros: A Sip of Midnight Well Water from Thirteen Changes

Oliveros: Elephants Mating in a Secret Grove from Thirteen Changes

Beethoven: Selections from String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Opus 131 for String Orchestra

Intermission

Bartók: Selections from Rumanian Folk Dances

Oliveros: Rollicking Monkeys Landing on Mars from Thirteen Changes

Oliveros: A Single Egg Motionless in the Desert from Thirteen Changes

Oliveros: Tiny Mites Circling One Hair in the Coat of a Polar Bear from Thirteen Changes

Jacob Sello: code_of_conduct

Oliveros: The Well and the Gentle

Read notes on the music
Read the show credits

SoundBox returns Apr 6 & 7

Watch this space for more details on these upcoming shows.

General admission tickets go on sale Monday, March 5 at 10am, but “Producer Passes” are available now. Click here for additional information. We can’t wait to unveil what we’ve got in store for you. See you at the show!

Presenting Sponsors

John and Marcia Goldman Foundation

SoundBox is supported in part by a generous grant from the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund, a program of the League of American Orchestras made possible by funding from the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation.

Immerse yourself in a constellation of influences. Sharp contrasts and surprising tastes converge in a dazzlingly colorful spectrum of sound.

This December, SoundBox explores the diverse nature of inspiration through a defiantly eclectic program, ranging from chamber-folk fusion to sardonic French salon music, from Romantic masterpieces to thundering heavy metal. Dare to open Pandora’s box. It’s all here, but all may not be what it seems. Come explore what makes people tick.

Michael Tilson Thomas, curator and piano
Christian Reif, conductor and piano
Adam Larsen, video designer
Luke Kritzeck, lighting designer

Presenting Sponsors

John & Marcia Goldman Foundation

SoundBox is supported in part by a generous grant from the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund, a program of the League of American Orchestras made possible by funding from the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation.

The Show:

Poulenc: Sonata for Piano Four Hands

Fauré: Morceau de concours

Ibert: Entr'acte

Dutilleux: Trois Strophes sur le nom de SACHER

Debussy: Cello Sonata in D minor

Intermission

Akhmedyarov/Sam Post: Sketches from Kazakhstan

Intermission

Shostakovich (arr. Levon Atovmian): Präeludium from Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano

Ligeti: Ballad and Dance

Schubert: Scherzo, from String Quintet in C major, D.956

J.S. Bach: Prelude, from Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008

Greg Paulson: Excerpts from Nemethia

Read notes on the music
Read the show credits

SOUNDBOX PRODUCERS

Mrs. Cecilia Bell
Ms. Meriko Borogove
Ms. Jennifer Braun & Mr. Raymond J. Ryan
Mr. Terry Breedlove
Mr. Zheyong Chen
Ms. Michèle Beigel Corash & Dr. Laurence Corash
Ms. Katherine Brown-Favrot
Mr. David Corbell
Ms. Gail L. Covington & Mr. John Murray
Mr. & Mrs. Steven Denning
Ms. Monica Donovan
Mr. Mark L. Kalow
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth C. Einstein
Mr. David Friedberg
Mr. Nigel Gamble
Mr. & Mrs. A. John Gambs
Mr. Ed Goldfarb
Mr. Jefferson Han
Mr. Wilford Hoover
Mr. Henrik Jones
Mr. Mark L. Kalow
Mr. F. C. Kirschner Jr. & Mr. Nicholas Augustinos
Ms. Laura G. Leibowitz
Mr. Richard Martin
Mr. Russell Nelson
Mr. Bernie J. Pistillo
John Rogers
Ms. Alexandra Silverman
Trine Sorensen & Michael Jacobson
Ms. Lidia Szajko
Mr. Paul Upham
Dr. Paul Wilson
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald C. Wornick
Ms. Letitia Yang
Ms. Susan S. Young
Mr. David Yu

We would like to thank our SoundBox Crowdfunding supporters for their generosity in helping us launch this fourth season of SoundBox!

From the back of the orchestra, it steals the show. Now, it’s in the spotlight.

Sensual like an Argentine tango, romantic like a French love poem. Hear the brilliance of an unsung hero of the orchestra, the trombone.

A marimba and harpsichord make an unlikely pair. Baroque ideas expand and contract. Shiny brass in a dark room brings life to the party. Improvised melodies and rhythms reverberating through your body. Cascading over each other.

See it in a new light. SoundBox goes brass.

Presenting Sponsor

The Show:

Hans Koolmees: Allegro rigoroso from Trotter

Stuart Dempster (arr. Timothy Higgins): Standing Waves: 1976

Timothy Higgins: Altemusik

Bertali: Sonata à 3 in A minor

Intermission

Beethoven: Three Equali for four trombones

David Biedenbender: “for me, time moves both more slowly and more quickly,” from Radiant Spheres

Piazzolla (arr. Timothy Higgins): Mon âme a son secret

Intermission

Florian Maier: Slipstream for Trombone Solo and Loop Station

Timothy Higgins: Café Velocio

Stephen Rush: Rebellion

How do artists respond to their cultural climate?
Express dissent in the face of injustice?

Next month at SoundBox, rebels and artists take the spotlight. Reclaiming their voice.

Let music move forward in the face of opposition. Find the intensity in creativity. In self-expression. Shostakovich did it sixty years ago. And we’re still doing it today.

Experience a sonic rebellion that spans eras and geographies. Break free. Rebel.

Presenting Sponsor

Push forward. Push the envelope. Forge ahead into the unknown.

Hear the rebellion of what’s new. Of what’s next. Of the extraordinary and the raucous.

This month at SoundBox, iconic American composer John Adams presents a program of groundbreaking soundscapes featuring an eclectic assortment of contemporary composers.

Unexpected. Mind opening. Always captivating.

Exploring what’s possible. On the brink of something.

John Adams, host and curator
Chris Rountree, conductor
Seth Reiser, lighting designer
Adam Larsen, video designer
Mark Grey, sound designer

Presenting Sponsor

The Show:

Andrew Norman: Try

John Adams: Hallelujah Junction

Intermission

Ashley Fure: Shiver Lung

Jacob Cooper: Ripple the Sky

Intermission

John Adams: Selections from John’s Book of Alleged Dances

John Adams: Ragamarole

This January, immerse yourself in a musical journey exploring the vast and intimate duality of the universe.

The echoes of a baroque past reverberate through time and space. The sounds of the Amazonian jungle intermingle with beating techno rhythms of late night revelry. With bursts of warmth from a Hawaiian sunset to a kaleidoscope of pulsating colors lighting up an infinitely dark room, drink it all in.

It’s the wonderfully small and the breathtakingly big. At SoundBox.

Mason Bates and Edwin Outwater, co-curators
Adam Larsen, video designer
Luke Kritzeck, lighting designer

Presenting Sponsor

The Show:

HAYDN: Adagio—Allegro, from Symphony No. 6, Le Matin

Vaughan Williams: "Bredon Hill," from On Wenlock Edge

Christopher Rouse: Ku-Ka-Ilimoku

Intermission

Gabriela Lena Frank: Milagrito—Danza de Tingo María and Milagrito—Sombras de Amantaní, from Milagros

Osvaldo Golijov: Lúa Descolorida, from La Pasíon Según San Marcos

Gabriela Lena Frank: Chasqui and Coqueteos, from Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout

Intermission

J.S. BACH: Gavotte en Rondeau, from Partita No. 3 in E Major for Solo Violin

J.S. BACH: Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C major from Well-Tempered Clavier

Mason Bates: The Rise of Exotic Computing

Stand in the towering serenity of a sequoia grove. Hear the trees rustling in the wind and rain of a summer storm. The distant chimes of a Javanese Gamelan.

Lou Harrison traveled the world. Was inspired. Believed everyone is fundamentally good and that art is the expression of that goodness.

In a world where chaos reigns, join Harrison’s journey to achieve greater peace through music.

Curated by Michael Tilson Thomas, let music guide you from discord to harmony as East meets West in the first SoundBox of the season.

Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor and curator
Eva Soltes, music consultant and filmmaker
Adam Larsen, video designer
Luke Kritzeck, lighting designer

Presenting Sponsor

The Show:

Michael Tilson Thomas/Soltes: Live remarks by MTT and selections from LOU HARRISON: A World of Music

Harrison: Kyrie from Mass to St. Anthony

MTT/Soltes: Live remarks by MTT and selections from LOU HARRISON: A World of Music

Harrison: Concerto No. 1 for Flute and Percussion

Harrison: Canticle No. 3

Intermission

MTT/Soltes: Live remarks by MTT and selections from LOU HARRISON: A World of Music

Harrison: Suite for Violoncello and Harp

MTT/Soltes: Live remarks by MTT and selections from LOU HARRISON: A World of Music

Harrison: Selections from Pacifika Rondo

Intermission

MTT/Soltes: Live remarks by MTT and selections from LOU HARRISON: A World of Music

Harrison & Dee: Selections from Suite for Violin and American Gamelan

MTT/Soltes: Live remarks by MTT and selections from LOU HARRISON: A World of Music

Harrison: Selections from Concerto for Organ with Percussion Orchestra

Musicians are driven by all kinds of strange impulses. Come explore the visionary world of artists who inhabit the space between the possible and impossible—between genius and obsession.

A composer compulsively teases melodies from a single note. An architect creates elaborate designs for a vast imaginary city. And it all concludes with Frank Zappa defying genre through mind-blowing, creative energy.

Be part of a show where music and performance converge on the edge of mania.

The Show:

Ted Hearne: For the love of Charles Mingus

Nathaniel Stookey: YTTE

Intermission

Purcell (arr. Cable): Fantasia on One Note

Stradella: Queste Lagrime e Sospiri” from Giovanni Battista

Frederic Anthony Rzewski: Attica

Intermission

Zappa: Selections from Yellow Shark

You stumble upon a hidden garden. A forgotten place. A mythological place. You catch the faint sound of an ancient pan-flute.

Through a gate, you find yourself on the streets of Paris. A medieval cathedral towers above. Sunlight plays with the brilliant colors of the stained glass. The echoes of chanting voices seep through the heavy doors.

You peek into an art gallery. Expressionist, impressionist and surrealist paintings dominate the space. Nearby, in a smoky nightclub, an eccentric pianist plays a bizarre tune—its beautiful chaos draws you in.

This March at SoundBox, experience the avant-garde and its rebellious spirit. Hear the creation of new musical possibilities that transform centuries-long traditions. Take part in this revolution of sound.

Vive la musique.

The Show:

Rebel: Selections from Les élémens

Perotin: Sederunt principes

Intermission

Debussy: Syrinx

Messiaen: Couleurs de la cité céleste

Intermission

Ravel: Pièce en forme de Habanera

Saint-Saens: Molto allegro from Oboe Sonata in D Major, Opus 166

Milhaud: Concerto for Percussion and Small Orchestra, Opus 109

Milhaud: Excerpt from Scaramouche

The world is a complicated place. Pain and beauty are all around us. But we have an instrument that can express our troubled lives—one that’s literally part of us.

Our voices.

The emotional power of the human voice. From bitter love songs to mystical visions, this is how we deal with life’s struggles. Let an 80-voice chorus surround you and guide you through the maelstrom into a dream of peace. A thousand years of musical responses to war, beauty, and heartache.

Come weather the storm. Pour another drink. Raise your voice. Transcend.

Join us for a night of music that’s not what it seems.

Music can take many forms. Can a flute sing like a whale? Can a tuba shred like a Stratocaster?

Follow these and other musical shape-shifters to the other side of the looking glass. From the buzzing rhythms of modern life to the deep currents of the ocean. This is music that takes you into other worlds. Puts you in a new frame of mind. Or, even into your own head.

It’s music from a different angle that gives you a new perspective. Really, it’s all in how you hear it.

Notes on Music at "Hidden Worlds"

This December, SoundBox Goes Underground.

In this show, we’re mixing a cocktail of the surreal, the exaggerated, and the dramatic — with more than a dash of bitters.

Drown yourself in a night of mysteries and passions. Edgy, dizzying songs from the notorious cabarets of Berlin. Operatic outbursts of the deepest ecstasy. A gritty, yet strangely glamorous and entertaining evening, that will take you to the very edge.

Come drink it all in.

Co-curated by Edwin Outwater and Meow Meow.

The show:

Schubert (arr. Bischoff): “Die Forelle” ("The Trout")
Schubert: Piano Quintet in A major, The Trout
Weill (arr. Grandage): "Ballad of the Drowned Girl"

Intermission

Weill (arr. Grandage): "Surabaya Johnny"
Hindemith: Kammermusik No. 1
Weill (arr. Grandage): "Pirate Jenny"

Intermission

Schulhoff: Sonata Erotica
Ligeti: Mysteries of the Macabre 
Laurie Anderson (arr. Grandage): The Dream Before (for Walter Benjamin)

Signal. Noise. Shuffle. Repeat.

Pause.

How do you find your way when the whole world is at your fingertips?

Filter your results. Find a new pattern.

Hear how five young composers are interpreting our digital culture. Navigating our mashed-up modern lives. Examining. Processing. Responding with music you’ve never imagined.

A string section gets a twist of digital and unconventional. 1-bit microchips make an orchestra. A grand piano collaborates with an iPad. Classical fragments meet information overload. When left to their own devices, musicians find new ways to play. This is a prototype of a new musical culture.

The Show:

Tristan Perich: Observations

Clara Iannotta: Àphones

Intermission

Daniel Wohl: Saint Arc

Samuel Adams: Shade Studies

Intermission

Ted Hearne: Law of Mosaics

Up next, SoundBox is celebrating the mystical, technological, and psychological visions of outsiders.

This is the scene that started here, in California, on the edge of genius and madness. Playland, the Summer of Love, the Playa, and farther out.

It’s a strange trip brought to you by the limitless imagination of the 1960s. Featuring deep explorations of ambient music, an eccentric vision of a wind-up arcade, a mind-altering take on the psychedelic, and other surprises from the far reaches of creativity.

Enter the musical funhouse and let your experience guide you. What will you make of it?

Doors (of perception) open at 8.

We feel it in echoing footsteps. In drumming rain on the roof. In the thump of our own heartbeat. It’s elemental—it’s instinctual.

Rhythm.

Hear it. Feel it. Touch it. A world of unbeatable sound will be on display for you to experience—and even take into your own hands. Where electronic dubbing and looping transforms the marimba. Where drums and gongs are given a radical new voice. Where the body itself becomes the instrument. Where what it means to be a percussionist is expanded, contorted, and completely redefined.

SoundBox presents a striking show of modern percussion. Hit it, this February.

The Show:

Reich: Electric Counterpoint

Applebaum: Aphasia

Intermission

Lei Liang: Trans

Guo: Parade (Xiang)

Intermission

Reich: Clapping Music

Golijov: Mariel

Cage: Third Construction

An unexpected gift. A trapdoor revealed under a rug. A locked cabinet full of whimsical figurines.

You want to tear off the paper, throw open the doors. See what’s inside. You can’t help it.

What will you discover? What will you unleash?

This January, SoundBox brings you a musical menagerie of the most curious kind. Enter a raucous Parisian dance hall turned on its head, bursting with color, laughter, and mischief. Join an absurd battle between drunken soldiers. Twist and turn through the bizarre underworld of a chaotic city.

The extraordinary world of the transformative SoundBox space. You’ll be surprised by what you find.

Pre-Show

Luke DuBois: Vertical Music (video)

Show

Adams:  Selections from Shaker Loops

Volkert: Selections from Serenade

Biber: Battalia

First Intermission

Bach: Selections from Cello Suite No. 1 in G major

Summer: Julie-O

Britten: Selections from Les Illuminations

Intermission

Milhaud: Le boeuf sur le toit

Move through time, space, and sound.

Listen to: The smooth, languid world of French impressionism, a brook running through a meadow, starlight sparkling.

Busy New York streets, confrontational instruments replacing honking horns and pushy crowds.

A 14th century gothic cathedral, echoes bouncing off stone walls, candlelight flickering.

Explore how music evolves in physical space in a completely new, immersive setting.

Pre-Show

Cage: Branches, amplified cacti; Inlets, amplified shells filled with water and recorded pinecones burning

Show

Various: "Stella splendens in monte" from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat

des Prez: Kyrie from Missa Pange Lingua, with original Plainchant

Meredith Monk: Panda Chant II 

Steve Reich: Music for Pieces of Wood

First Intermission

Steina: Voice Windows, SFMOMA Film

Ravel: Introduction and Allegro

Varèse: Intégrales 

Second Intermission

Monteverdi: Magnificat from Vespro della Beata Vergine