John Malkovich Joins San Francisco Symphony For Aleksey Igudesman’s THE MUSIC CRITIC

Emmy Award-winning actor John Malkovich will join the San Francisco Symphony in The Music Critic, written and conceived by violinist Aleksey Igudesman, in a special one-night performance at Davies Symphony Hall.

The production combines live performances of classical repertoire with excerpts from negative reviews written by critics at the time the works were first introduced to the public.

In the program, Malkovich portrays a sharp-tongued critic delivering commentary on composers including Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, accompanied onstage by Igudesman and the San Francisco Symphony. The work blends spoken text, humor, and orchestral performance to examine the early reception of now-celebrated compositions.

Malkovich’s career spans theatre, film, and directing, with more than 100 film credits including Being John Malkovich, Dangerous Liaisons, In the Line of Fire, and The Killing Fields. His stage work includes performances on Broadway, the West End, and at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, where he was an original ensemble member. In addition to acting, he has directed stage productions internationally and collaborated on numerous classical music projects, including The Infernal Comedy and The Giacomo Variations.

Igudesman will appear as both conductor and violinist for the performance. The event continues Malkovich’s ongoing collaborations in works that combine theatrical narrative with classical music performance.

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