Simon  Says
October 2022

As I prepare for my final two MainStage concerts as Music Director of this marvelous ensemble, I wish to share some thoughts about the past,  present,  and future. 

I love the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra!  The distinct honor and great pleasure of leading this outstanding ensemble for the past twenty-one years has been the most meaningful professional association of my life.  I cherish the friendships I have made, the music I have learned and the thrill of working with an absolutely first-class professional ensemble.  However, I am ready for new challenges and new adventures, playing a bit more viola (and bassoon!), travelling, spending time with my two grandkids, and exploring what is next in my life. This is a bittersweet transition for me – I will miss you all terribly, musicians and audience members alike and the relationships we have built together through the SFCO.

I am truly excited about collaborating with the orchestra for my two final MainStage concerts as Music Director,  bringing Copland, Barber, Stravinsky, Schubert, PDQ Bach, Mendelssohn, Haydn, soprano Ann Moss and violinist Amaryn Olmeda to our concert stages in October and December, including my final New Year’s Eve concert at UC Berkeley’s lovely Hertz Hall on the last night of 2022.   

In this world fraught with discord, inequality and fear about our collective futures, great music’s power to build community and provide inspiration is more important than ever.  The San Francisco Chamber Orchestra’s vision to create a more connected and empathetic world through music remains at the core of our organization.  Know that the SFCO has robust plans for its future; I truly hope you will all continue to support and be engaged with this jewel in the Bay Area’s cultural crown, and as I like to sign off in my correspondence, “Onward and Upward!”

Coming soon: MainStage #1 Concerts
Music Director Ben Simon with soprano Ann Moss 
October 21/22/23
Stravinsky's explosive Rite of Spring plus two American classics

Join Ben, Ann, and the SFCO in an exciting program of true chamber orchestra music:  Aaron Copland’s original 13-instrument version of his beautiful Appalachian Spring,
outstanding Bay Area soprano Ann Moss in Samuel Barber’s
haunting and evocative Knoxville Summer of  1915 
and the return of one of the SFCO’s signature projects:  our Rite Lite –
the first of our Incredible Shrinking Orchestra chamber orchestra reductions –
the ground-breaking work that caused riots at its 1913 premiere in Paris, 
Igor Stravinsky’s explosive Rite of Spring.

Friday October 21 @ 7:30pm
Herbst Theatre, San Francisco
Saturday October 22 @ 7:30pm
First United Methodist Church, Palo Alto
Sunday October 23 @ 3:00
First Presbyterian Church, Berkeley

please note new Berkeley venue: right across the street from First Congregational Church

As always, amazing and admission-free!
Classical at the Freight

Great chamber music, up close and personal. 
Join SFCO Music Director and violist Ben Simon for your monthly fix of classical masterpieces. 

These friendly and accessible 75-minute programs feature SFCO All-Stars and special guests in the intimate “chamber” of Berkeley’s iconic Freight and Salvage

Our first Classical at the Freight concert of the season is

The Robin Sharp and

Robin Sharp & Natasha Makhijani, violins
Ben Simon, viola
Eric Gaenslen, cello

Monday Nov 14 @ 7:30pm
Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse
2020 Addison St, Berkeley

A program of a few of our very favorite string quartets
Beethoven Opus 18 #3, George Walker Lyric for Strings, Ravel String Quartet

Our Classical at the Freight concerts are ticketed events.
General admission is $9 in advance, $11 at the door;
all SFCO members get two tickets for the price of one.
For more info and tickets, click here

Who's next?

Thanks to all of you who attended out recent Music Director finalist auditions.  Attendance was great - and many you came to all four!  Your support and enthusiasm is greatly appreciated and we felt that you really loved being part of the process.  We really do value you, thank you for all your survey responses and being part of forming the future of the this wonderful orchestra. 

Our announcement is pending and should be public by late October/mid November.  
Stay tuned! 

Invest in our We are a member-supported organization and rely on our generous donors to keep our adventurous and joyful programs admission-free.   

Now is the perfect opportunity to support this jewel in the Bay Area's cultural crown, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. 

Simon Says...

Onward And Upward!!!

Our season begins with an outstanding chamber orchestra program that I'm truly looking forward to - masterpieces by Copland, Barber and the piece that changed classical music forever:  Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.

Plus Robin Sharp and Friends in a program of great string quartets at the Freight on Nov. 14 and a return of our blockbuster Family Concerts Nutcracker Sweet later in the month.  

Click here to visit our website, get more information on all our upcoming programs,  and become a member (or renew your membership).