Chinese New Year 20th Anniversary Celebration

The San Francisco Symphony presented its annual Chinese New Year Concert & Emerald Banquet on Saturday, February 1, 2020, marking the 20th anniversary of this event. Chaired by Lawrence & Gorretti Lui, the event was an elegant and colorful celebration of the Lunar New Year, drawing upon vibrant Asian traditions, past and present. Conductor Perry So made his SF Symphony conducting debut leading the Orchestra in traditional folk music and works by Asian composers, including the U.S. premiere of Huang Ruo’s recently-completed Folk Songs for Orchestra and Bright Sheng’s Red Silk Dance. The eclectic concert program featured sheng player Hu Jianbing, pipa player Yang Wei, pianist Sa Chen, SFS cellist Amos Yang, and performers from the Loong Mah Sing See Wui dance company. Performances were accompanied by original video projections created by video designer Adam Larsen. The concert was preceded by a celebratory Festival Reception in the Davies Hall lobbies—open to all ticketholders, and the glamorous Emerald Banquet took place following the concert in Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall. Inspired by the vibrant visual pageantry of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations, the banquet was also accompanied by unique video projections, courtesy of Adam Larsen and Yee Eun Nam.

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