Premieres Friday, November 19 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings)
Great Performances celebrates the opening night of San Francisco Symphony’s 110th season as it welcomes its Music Director, GRAMMY-winning conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen, to the stage as conductor, marking their first opening night concert together since Salonen assumed the post of Music Director last season. Scheduled to be recorded October 1, 2021, before a live audience, the coronavirus pandemic-delayed concert includes performances of John Adams’ “Slonimsky’s Earbox,” Alberto Ginastera’s “Estancia” Suite with dancers from San Francisco-based contemporary ballet company LINES Ballet performing original choreography by Alonzo King, and Silvestre Revueltas’ “Noche de Encantamiento” from his film score to “La Noche de los Mayas.” The concert also features GRAMMY-winning bassist and vocalist esperanza spalding and a jazz trio of guest musicians performing GRAMMY-winning composer-saxophonist Wayne Shorter’s “Gaia” with the San Francisco Symphony. Great Performances: San Francisco Symphony Reopening Night premieres Friday, November 19 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video app.
The concert joins Great Performances: A John Williams Premiere at Tanglewood, premiering Friday, November 12 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings) and Great Performances: Coppelia, premiering Friday, November 26 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings) as part of the series’ classical fall lineup. All episodes are part of #PBSForTheArts, a multiplatform campaign that celebrates the arts in America. For more than 50 years, PBS has been the media destination for the arts, presenting dance, theater, opera, visual arts and concerts to Americans in every corner of the country.
Musical Selections:
- “Slonimsky’s Earbox” by John Adams
- “Estancia” Suite by Alberto Ginastera
- Excerpts from “Gaia” by Wayne Shorter
- “Noche de encantamiento” from La noche de los Mayas” by Silvestre Revueltas
Notable Talent:
- Esa-Pekka Salonen – Music Director and GRAMMY-winning conductor-composer
- esperanza spalding – vocalist and bass
- Alonzo King LINES Ballet
- San Francisco Symphony
Series Overview:
Throughout its nearly 50-year history on PBS, Great Performances has provided an unparalleled showcase of the best in all genres of the performing arts, serving as America’s most prestigious and enduring broadcaster of cultural programming. Showcasing a diverse range of artists from around the world, the series has earned 67 Emmy Awards and six Peabody Awards. Peek behind the curtain at the Great Performances website for exclusive videos, interviews, photos, full episodes and more. The series is produced by The WNET Group.
Production Credits:
Directed by Michael Beyer and produced by Bernhard Fleischer, Great Performances: San Francisco Symphony Reopening Night is a production of Bernhard Fleischer Moving Images and The WNET Group. Bill O’Donnell is series producer and David Horn is executive producer.
Underwriters:
Series funding for Great Performances was made possible by The Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Arts Fund, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Jody and John Arnhold, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, the Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, the Abra Prentice Foundation, Rosalind P. Walter, The Starr Foundation, the Seton J. Melvin Charitable Trust, the Estate of Worthington Mayo-Smith, and Ellen and James S. Marcus.
Websites: pbs.org/gperf, facebook.com/GreatPerformances, @GPerfPBS, giphy.com/great-performances, youtube.com/greatperformancespbs #GreatPerformancesPBS #PBSForTheArts
