CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF PLAYS MOZART WITH THE SF SYMPHONY

“There’s something untouchable about him” (The Telegraph). German violinist Christian Tetzlaff brings his arresting artistry to Mozart’s elegant Third Violin Concerto. On the second half of the program, MTT unleashes the thundering might of the San Francisco Symphony in Sibelius' exhilarating Second Symphony. The concert opens with Ravel’s gentle and nuanced nod to the French Baroque, Le Tombeau de Couperin.

Conductor/Performers

Michael Tilson Thomas
Conductor

Christian Tetzlaff
Violin

San Francisco Symphony

Program

Ravel
Le Tombeau de Couperin

Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 3

Sibelius
Symphony No. 2

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Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) and the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) embark on their final National Tour together before MTT concludes his distinguished 25-year tenure as Music Director at the end of the 2019–20 season, presenting concerts in eight cities across the United States, March 19–29. Violinist Christian Tetzlaff joins the SFS for performances of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Washington (March 19); Hertzberg Hall in Kansas City, Missouri (March 21); and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (March 23); and performs Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts (March 24) and Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Illinois (March 26). Concerts at the Krannert Center in Champaign, Illinois (March 27), Lied Center in Lincoln, Nebraska (March 28), and Iowa State Center in Ames, Iowa (March 29) feature violinist Alexander Kerr performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. Tour repertoire also includes Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, Eroica, and Michael Tilson Thomas’s Agnegram, written in 1998 to celebrate the 90th birthday of the San Francisco Symphony’s extraordinary patron and friend Agnes Albert.
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Throughout more than two decades, Michael Tilson Thomas’ leadership of the San Francisco Symphony has been recognized worldwide for building an orchestra that consistently displays artistry of the highest level in its home of Davies Symphony Hall, on over two dozen national and international tours, and through media and recording projects. He has championed the creation and performance of new music through relationships with today’s important musical voices, explored the adventurous and iconic American sound, and enhanced the orchestral concert experience through innovative staging and immersive settings. MTT has led the Symphony in growing new audiences by making orchestral music accessible to all through extensive, award-winning media projects including audio and video recordings, national radio and television broadcasts, and streaming and web content. Under his leadership, the Orchestra has built a leading commitment to music education and community activities, expanding its involvement with San Francisco’s public school children, fostering many of the finest young musicians, and embracing creative ways to engage with the Bay Area’s diverse population. Following the 2019–20 season, Michael Tilson Thomas will assume the title of San Francisco Symphony’s first-ever Music Director Laureate. Esa-Pekka Salonen will begin his tenure as the Orchestra’s 12th Music Director in September 2020.
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Pre-tour performances take place March 14–17 at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall and include Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, and Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 featuring Christian Tetzlaff.