Tilson Thomas’ swan song with SF Symphony cut short
Canceled season means that the tenure of the famed conductor is completed
The San Francisco Symphony has canceled the rest of its 2019-20 season, which is its last with legendary Michael Tilson Thomas at the helm.
Clearly, this isn’t how MTT wanted to end as his legendary tenure as music director for the symphony.
“I am greatly saddened by the cancellation of the remainder of our season,” Tilson Thomas says. “We would have been performing essential works in which we have developed our special sound, style and collaboration. It would have been such a joy to share our innovative tradition with our audiences and to savor once again how much we have grown together during these last 25 years. I’m looking forward to our making music together in the future in my new role as music director laureate.”
The reason for the cancellation, of course, is the coronavirus pandemic, which has effectively shut down so much of the music world — at least in terms of live, in-person concerts. And the shutdown has been very costly for these arts organizations and presenters.
The symphony faces “more than $13 million in lost revenue and $5.4 million in net losses due to the cancellation of 64 performances, including the remainder of the Orchestral Series, Great Performers Series, Summer with the Symphony and film concerts, and the cancellation of a three-week tour to Carnegie Hall and Europe,” according to a news release.
To help compensate for the losses, members of the Orchestra Chorus and stagehands have reportedly agreed to salary cuts of (on average) 25% from April 19 to Sept. 5. Also, Michael Tilson Thomas is not receiving any money for canceled performances.
Workers are retaining all health care and insurance benefits during this time.
“Our top priority from the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has been to take care of the people who are the San Francisco Symphony family,” says orchestra CEO
Mark C. Hanson. “Realizing that it may be many months from now before we will be allowed to resume normal concert activity, we worked together to implement a shared-sacrifice plan that attempts to balance individual and institutional needs.”
To further help alleviate the organization’s financial hardship, those who bought tickets to these canceled performances are being encouraged to donate the cost of the ducats back to the symphony.
“In the coming weeks, the San Francisco Symphony will also announce special additional opportunities for those who opt to donate their tickets,” according to the news release. “Every ticket donation goes a long way in helping the San Francisco Symphony come back stronger and more vibrant than ever. As an added incentive, a group of generous San Francisco Symphony Board members and donors consisting of President Sakurako Fisher and William Fisher, President-elect Priscilla B. Geeslin and Keith Geeslin, former President John Goldman and Marcia Goldman, and Development Committee Chair Trine Sorensen and Michael Jacobson, has committed to match all ticket donations through an initial matching fund of $1 million.”
Another recommended option for ticket holders is to be refunded in the form of gift certificates. Those who opt for that avenue will receive a 20% credit, based on the value of the original tickets, to be used for future shows.
Requests for ticket donations and gift certificates, as well as exchanges and refunds, must be received by Aug. 31. For more information, call 415-864-6000 or email patronservices@ sfsymphony.org.
Also note that “a small number of concerts” are being listed as postponed, as opposed to canceled, and will be rescheduled. For a full list of those concerts, go to sfsymphony.org. Tickets purchased for the original dates will be honored for the new ones.
The symphony also is working on creating new online content and experiences, including a forthcoming 25-day digital celebration of Tilson Thomas’ 25-year tenure as music director. More information on that celebration also can be found on the symphony’s website.