Jaap Van Zweden Conducts The San Francisco Symphony At Davies Symphony Hall, January 11–13
The program begins with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, one of classical music’s most well-known symphonies.
Conductor Jaap van Zweden leads the San Francisco Symphony in concerts on January 11–13.
The program begins with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, one of classical music’s most well-known symphonies. Beethoven wrote his Fifth and Sixth symphonies simultaneously, premiering them together in a marathon 1808 concert. The work's four-note opening is said to represent fate and has been referenced frequently in popular culture.
In the second half of the program, van Zweden conducts Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, composed after Joseph Stalin and the state newspaper Pravda publicly condemned Shostakovich’s music. His music was banned throughout the Soviet Union, and fearing for his life and career, Shostakovich temporarily abandoned his Fourth Symphony to focus on his Fifth. He described Symphony No. 5 as “a Soviet artist’s reply to just criticism” and the work was well-received, restoring Shostakovich’s reputation in the eyes of the public and the government.
Tickets for concerts at Davies Symphony Hall can be purchased via sfsymphony.org or by calling the San Francisco Symphony Box Office at 415.864.6000.

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The Secret Garden Warren Theater at Sonoma State University (6/12-6/28) |
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West Side Story—Film with Live Orchestra Davies Symphony Hall (7/09-7/10) |
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The Still Point: An Immersive Experience SOMArts Cultural Center (7/16-7/25) |
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark SPARC (7/03-7/26) |
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Ah Ha! Circus Bella (6/03-7/26) |
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C.S. Lewis On Stage: Further Up and Further In Irvine Barclay Theatre (7/09-7/10) |
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Voices of Rock LIVE in Laguna Beach | July 30 - August 2, 2026 The Laguna Playhouse (7/30-8/02) |
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Josh Kornbluth’s What Is To Be Done?: Fighting Fascism and Depression The Marsh San Francisco (6/19-7/31) |
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The Legend of Zelda in Concert Grace Cathedral (7/17-7/17) |
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Dear San Francisco Club Fugazi (9/16-9/30) |








