S.F. Symphony Gala brings AI, hip-hop to the party
Judy Foulkrod has worked as an usher at Davies Symphony Hall for 43 years and has donned her tuxedo for numerous blacktie events. Her first night on the job was the opening of the hall on Sept. 16, 1980, and she still remembers the ankle-length skirts that were part of the usher uniform in that era.
“The skirts had a kick-pleat,” recalled Foulkrod, who is now the interim house manager at Davies. “They were impractical, running up and down the stairs all night. We looked like the Rockettes. Thankfully, they didn’t last.”
While the skirts didn’t last, Foulkrod has. She has worked San Francisco Symphony performances under four of the company’s musical directors, ranging from Michael Tilson Thomas conducting Mahler’s Tenth Symphony (a personal favorite) to concerts with Broadway divas including Patti LuPone and Bernadette Peters. But this year’s Symphony Gala, under the baton of Musical Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, was the first time Foulkrod remembers artificial intelligence being on the program. “You can’t fight what’s new, and Esa-Pekka has really reached out to a broad spectrum of artists,” said Foulkrod of the latest innovation. “We had some very modern programs in the summer where the audience went in saying, ‘Oh, really?’ and came out thrilled.”
At the 112th season opening gala on Friday, Sept. 22, new thrills were present throughout the night. Guests mixed with robots stationed in the lobby and lit-up dancers from Las Vegas’ iLuminate during the cocktail reception, before the intermingling of tradition and technology during the 90-minute performance.
To honor tradition, the pro