Passion & Perseverance
She has been hailed as a trailblazing maverick and one of America’s most important living composers. Her name is Julia Wolfe, a genre-defying folk/rock/classical mixologist who specializes in “docu-torios,” large-scale choral-orchestral compositions that illuminate those who have struggled and triumphed throughout American history. Wolfe won the Pulitzer Prize in music for Anthracite Fields, which pays homage to the coalminers who were the backbone of American industry. Her Steel Hammer recounts the legends associated with American folk hero John Henry, while Fire in my mouth spotlights the lives of turn of the century garment laborers in New York City.
This month, the SF Symphony and conductor Giancarlo Guerrero present the West Coast premiere of Wolfe’s Her Story, written in part to celebrate the centennial of women’s suffrage in the United States. Sung by the ten dynamic female vocalists of the Lorelei Ensemble, the piece interweaves text from throughout the history of women’s fight for equality, ranging from a letter written by Abigail Adams and words attributed to Sojourner Truth, to public attacks toward women protesting for the right to vote.
“Though we have yet to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, women have been battling for equality from the beginning of the nation,” says Wolfe in a program note. “Her Story captures the passion and perseverance of women refusing subordination, demanding representation, and challenging the prejudice and power structures that have limited women’s voices.”
Guerrero pairs Her Story with another work that centers on a female protagonist, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, a timeless story about a resilient queen who saves her own life with the gift of storytelling.
COMMUNITY PARTNER HIGHLIGHT
Chinese Culture Center
Rooted in San Francisco's Chinatown, Chinese Culture Center’s (CCC) mission is to elevate underserved communities and amplify voices for equality through education and contemporary art. Since 1965, CCC has uplifted Chinatown both as a vibrant neighborhood and as a powerful metaphor for the American immigrant experience. Through an array of multi-faceted programs, CCC creates nuance in dominant narratives, drives key conversations, and inspires action for a just future.
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
Box Office Hours
Mon–Fri: 10am–6pm, Sat: 12pm–6pm
Sun: 2 hours before concert
415.864.6000
patronservices@sfsymphony.org
Unsubscribe | Forward | View in browser
Your Patron ID:
This email was sent to: mr.social@wordfly.com.
To ensure delivery to your inbox (not junk folders), please add messages@sfsymphony.org to your address book or safe list.
Programs, artists, and prices subject to change.
