The San Francisco Symphony celebrated the opening night of their anticipated 2022-2023 season with the party of the year! We've had the opportunity to attend many of their previous opening nights but this particular opening was one that will go down in our books as "one of the best opening nights events to date"! Scroll below to see some of our favorite moments from the evening along with a peek at our top pick concerts of the season...

The theme of the night was a whimsical 'Mid-Summer Night's Dream' that began on the lavish blue carpet, decorated with dreamy designs and imaginative decor that instantly transported each person to Shakespeare and Mendelssohn's fantasy world. From feathers to sparkles, guests arrived in enchanting garments and gowns to bring their personal touch to the theme.

Looking across the crowd, our spirits were giddy with joy to see everyone just purely enjoying each other and celebrating the excitement we all have for San Francisco Symphony’s new season. It was hard to believe that this was just the beginning of such a magical night.

So much thought and detail went into making this wonderful gala such an unforgettable night. We were lucky enough to snap a photo with the amazing co-chair Navid Armstrong who truly put her heart and soul into this event along with her amazing and talented co-chair Jeremy Gallaher. Both of them came dressed to impress and we were so excited to see how their vision came to life.

"The opening night of San Francisco Symphony is such an uplifting and inspiring night; from the music of Felix Mendelssohn’s "Midsummer Night's Dream" to the Shakespeare company's performance, it has it all," said Navid. "And I look forward to a brilliant 2022/2023 season with "something magical for everyone" with the clear vision of Esa-Pekka Salonen"

After everyone arrived, we were led inside to the Davies Symphony Hall for the San Francisco Symphony's performance of Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 21, featuring the African-American Shakespeare Company. This was the first time for the two arts organizations to collaborate on a performance together and we hope that this sparks a long-term partnership for the two groups because it was such an amazing production! Everyone was laughing and clapping throughout the performance and we were truly mesmerized by the music that the San Francisco Symphony performed. We are so lucky to have a symphony of musicians that are world-class and we are so excited about their new season!!

Scroll below to see highlights from the after-party and find out which 5 concerts we are most excited about this season...

The dinner was a complete fairytale come true with opulent decor, delicious food (including Char.cuterie's bites!), and vibin' music while everyone's spirits were at an all-time high! We had the opportunity to attend dinner in "The Lounge" which was hosted in the same location they present Soundbox, one of our favorite immersive theater experiences in the Bay Area. Fun fact, this space is also where the SF Opera hold some of their rehearsals because it's the same size as their stage in the War Memorial Opera! 

One of the best parts of the night was hanging out with the artists from the San Francisco Symphony and the African-American Shakespeare Company who were at the same dinner party so we got to share a toast to their performance together!

Instead of hosting an after-party in a tent near the Davies Symphony Hall, this year's party was held outside where the festivities took up the entire block in front of the hall. Lucky for us, the weather was perfect and there was a lot more room to grab snacks and cocktails while meeting new people who shared a love for classical music.

The best view and highlight of the after-party were seeing some of the SF Symphony musicians perform alongside DJ Masonic (Mason Bates) with the city hall lit up in the distance. Their live music and DJ beats had everyone moving and dancing! Mason Bates is not only a trendsetting DJ, he is a Grammy Award-Winning opera composer who will be showcasing his (R)evolution of Steve Jobs opera next fall at the SF Opera!

There is so much to look forward to this season and we are so thankful to everyone that was involved in planning and hosting such a memorable night for such a special occasion. It was truly a night we'll never forget! But this was only the beginning of so many things ahead this season, including over 300+ concerts presented by the SF Symphony. 

The top 5 concerts that we are most looking forward to are...

1. Hocus Pocus in Concert: Oct. 25th, 2022 - In celebration of the new film coming out this Halloween season, brush up on your nostalgic memories of the original film by watching it on a gigantic screen while the SF Symphony plays the movie score live!
2. Beethoven + 2 SF Symphony Premieres: December 1-3, 2022: Kick off the holidays by listening to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" followed by two SF Symphony Premieres by Michael Abels (who infuses jazz into his orchestra compositions) and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor who was known as the "African Mahler".
3. Harry Connick, Jr. and His Band: December 24, 2022 - Celebrate Christmas Eve at the Davies Symphony Hall with a one-night-only concert featuring all your favorite Christmas classics sung by singer/songwriter/actor, Harry Connick, Jr.!
4. Itzhak Perlman in Concert: January 15, 2023 - The legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman performs a program of violin showpieces guaranteed to amuse, dazzle, and inspire; hence one of the many reasons that have made him a household name for six decades and counting.
5. John Williams Conducts the SF Symphony with violinist, Anne-Sophie Mutter: February 14, 2023 - If you love Harry Potter, ET, Home Alone, Star Wars, etc., come see John Williams conduct a special selection of his iconic scores featuring renowned violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter 

See more of the San Francisco Symphony's upcoming concerts on RedCurtainAddict.com!