Product Review

In September 2011, Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony launched the Orchestra's milestone Centennial Season with a celebratory gala concert at Davies Symphony Hall dubbed ''Fanfare for a New Century.'' The gala concert was broadcast nationally on PBS in March and April 2012 as part of their Great Performances series. The gala was hosted by Bay Area author Amy Tan and directed for television by Gary Halvorson and features one of the leading artists of our time, violinist Itzhak Perlman performing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor. The concert opens with Aaron Copland's vivid portrayal of American prairie life, the Billy the Kid ballet suite and concludes with Britten's orchestral showpiece The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. Capping off the concert is an encore of Bay Area composer John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine featuring moving images of San Francisco projected throughout Davies Symphony Hall. San Francisco Symphony at 100 also includes historical documentary features narrated by Amy Tan highlighting the orchestra's early beginnings, its rich history of touring and its commitment to young people and innovations in media.