Itzhak Perlman at San Francisco Symphony Opening Gala

Itzhak Perlman and alumni from the Perlman Music Program playing the Bach Concerto for Two Violins (Photo credit: Drew Altizer)

On September 5, 2018 Itzhak Perlman performed at San Francisco Symphony’s opening-night gala concert at Davies Symphony Hall alongside conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and alumni from The Perlman Music Program. The program featured the Bach Concerto for Two Violins as well as selections from John Williams’ film scores.

The Symphony’s 107th opening-night gala was also a groundbreaking one, as it was chaired by a same-sex married couple for the first time, Ambassador James Hormel and his husband Michael Nguyen-Hormel.

Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle raved about the six students from the Perlman Music Program: “Their presence onstage alongside their teacher, lined up like so many adorable ducklings, gave the evening a welcome jolt of nervous energy and charm. Better still, the musical offering was as satisfying as it was unorthodox. The vehicle for this massive group appearance was Bach’s D-Minor Concerto for Two Violins, with Perlman taking one of the solo parts and his young charges rotating, tag-team style, through the other one.”

Also from the San Francisco Chronicle Catherine Bigelow praised the “sold-out soiree, benefiting the Symphony’s community programs and its free Adventures in Music serving 75,000 Bay Area children, featured violinist Itzhak Perlman and his music students in a program ranging from Liszt and Bach to scores by such composers as George Gershwin and Ennio Morricone.”