It’s 1999, and Ami is an awkward Asian American high schooler whose world comes crashing down with a terrible discovery: her family is responsible for manufacturing MSG, the mysterious ingredient getting all the kids hooked! Meanwhile, a cool new girl arrives from Japan, and she’s not playing by the rules. In Keiko Green’s new play, Ami vows to redeem her family name and save the world from MSG. This whimsical, time-traveling adventure is a riotous and hilarious romp through wild teenaged crushes, family legacies, and the magical properties of instant ramen!

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Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play

San Francisco Playhouse

Nocap - Before I Disappear Again Tour

The Fillmore San Francisco

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Baroque music with the American Bach Soloists' presentation of "Love & Transformation," featuring Handel's pastoral opera, "Acis and Galatea." This captivating performance, under the artistic direction of Jeffrey Thomas, is a highlight of the 2024-2025 Discovery Series.

"Love & Transformation" brings to life the poignant love story of Galatea, a sea-nymph, and Acis, a shepherd, as recounted in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Their idyllic love is tragically interrupted by the jealous cyclops Polyphemus, leading to a tale of loss, love, and ultimately, transformation. Handel's "Acis and Galatea," composed during his early years in London, is celebrated for its beautiful arias and emotional depth. Jeffrey Thomas, alongside a quartet of exceptional singers including Hélène Brunet as Galatea, James Reese as Acis, Mischa Bouvier as Polyphemus, and Michael Jankosky as Damon, promises an unforgettable rendition of this Baroque masterpiece.

The series of performances will take place across four nights, starting on Friday, February 21, 2025, at St. Stephen’s Church in Belvedere, and concluding on Monday, February 24, 2025, at Davis Community Church. Each evening promises an immersive experience lasting approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, including one intermission, allowing audiences to fully engage with the timeless beauty of Handel's music.

This event is part of the Discovery Series Subscription, offering attendees the opportunity to explore the full season with a savings of 15-25% depending on the price category. Don't miss this chance to experience the magic of Baroque opera in some of the most beautiful venues in the Bay Area.

For tickets and more information, visit the American Bach Soloists at 182 Howard Street, 536 San Francisco, CA 94105, or contact them at 1 415 621 7900. Further details, including ticket purchasing options and additional resources, can be found on their website. Join us for a night of exquisite music, timeless storytelling, and the transformative power of love.

Love & Transformation

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

Saint Mark's Episcopal Church

Davis Community Church

St. Mark's Lutheran Church, San Francisco

A riot broke out at the 1913 premiere of The Rite of Spring—musical modernism’s Big Bang—and more than a century later, the ballet remains a thrilling provocation. Many leading pianists have avoided Sergei Prokofiev’s fiendishly difficult Second Piano Concerto, but it gives Daniil Trifonov plenty of opportunities to demonstrate his otherworldly talents. Opening this electrifying concert is an exciting new work by Xavier Muzik, the third winner of the Emerging Black Composers Project

Esa-pekka Salonen & Daniil Trifonov

Davies Symphony Hall

Writing is done better near others! Join a weekly, structured playwriting room, intended to create a focused and accountable space for writers to do their craft, without distraction.  The format is simple: We’ll gather around a table, quickly share what we’re working on, perhaps do a little warm-up, and then dive into writing together, in silence, for two 75-minute periods (with a little bathroom break in the middle).

The Writers' Room at Z Space

Z Space

Daphne and Ralph are young classics professors who have just made a discovery that is sure to turn them into academic superstars. But something goes disastrously wrong, and Daphne cries out in a panic, "Save me, gods of ancient Greece!" And the gods actually appear! The Ivy League will never be the same as a pair of screwball deities encounters the carnal complexity of college coeds, campus capers, and conspicuous consumption.

The Gods of Comedy and Everybody

The Pear Theatre

Night two brings a special night of duets with Jorge Roeder — a longtime collaborator with Lage and among the most acclaimed bassists in modern music.
Hailing from Lima, Peru, Roeder began classical cello and bass studies at age 14 and was the assistant principal bassist for the Lima Symphony by 21. Among the first musicians he met when arriving in New York in 2007 were Julian Lage and virtuoso pianist Shai Maestro, who have been long-term musical partners ever since. A winner of the International Society of Bassists Jazz Competition and semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Bass Competition, Roeder has recorded and performed with Lage, Maestro, Gary Burton, Dan Tepfer, Brad Shepik, Nels Cline, Sofia Rei, Ryan Keberle, and John Zorn, and released his solo debut, El Suelo Mio, in 2020.

Julian Lage Duo

SFJAZZ Center

ALO - Tour D'Amour XVIII

Experience a unique musical collaboration that transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries with the extraordinary talents of classical guitarist Sharon Isbin and sarod master Amjad Ali Khan. This performance brings together the rich traditions of European medieval music and Indian ragas, creating a harmonious blend that interweaves musical, spiritual, and artistic legacies. Sharon Isbin, celebrated for her extraordinary lyricism, technique, and versatility, has been hailed as one of the best classical guitarists in the world. Her illustrious career includes performances with over 200 orchestras and sold-out concerts in prestigious venues across 40 countries. Amjad Ali Khan, a sixth-generation sarod virtuoso, has redefined Indian classical music with his innovative interpretations and global performances. His illustrious career is marked by numerous accolades, including the Padma Vibhushan and the UNESCO Award. Together, Isbin and Khan present "Strings for Peace," a program that showcases their exceptional artistry and the universal language of music. This collaboration promises to be a mesmerizing journey through the intricate and soulful sounds of the guitar and sarod, offering a profound and enriching musical experience.

Amjad Ali Khan sarod Sharon Isbin guitar

War Memorial and Performing Arts Center

Julian Lage brings a program of music including material from his new Blue Note album Speak To Me with his current working trio including longtime bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King of The Bad Plus fame. For this special night, the band is joined by keyboard master John Medeski

Julian Lage Quartet

Lage's final night as Resident Artistic Director pairs him with the iconoclastic guitar genius Marc Ribot, who returns following his 70th Birthday celebration in September of 2024.

A singular instrumentalist, Ribot follows his muse wherever it leads, resulting in a career path that has ranged across free jazz and no wave, rock, film music, and Cuban rumba. Beyond his wildly eclectic output as a leader, which has veered from the rollicking Los Cubanos Postizos project and the avant-rock Ceramic Dog to a solo guitar score to Charlie Chaplin’s 1921 silent classic The Kid, Ribot is best known as a key collaborator with Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, John Zorn, the Lounge Lizards, Diana Krall, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (contributing to their 2007 hit album Raising Sand).

Julian Lage DUET FOR GUITARS

Kurt Erickson, Ten Year Composer-in Residence Celebration! 1

Maybeck Studio

Old First Presbyterian Church

Yunchan Lim stunned the music world in 2022 when he became the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn Piano Competition.  His performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 has since been watched more than 12 million times on YouTube.

YUNCHAN LIM, piano

“When the time comes, Bernstein clicks an invisible switch and the band pops into semi-flawless unison. At that point, you might imagine yourself in Harlem in 1929,” says the Village Voice about trumpeter Steven Bernstein’s expansive Millennial Territory Orchestra, an ensemble inspired by the pre-swing era territory bands that crisscrossed the country in the 1920s and 1930s.



Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra West

Experience an evening of profound musical exploration with Singaporean-British mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron, hailed as a knockout performer by The New York Times and a striking stage presence by Seen and Heard International. In this intricate and intriguing recital, Barron delves into diverse perspectives on colonial history through a carefully curated program of music and poetry spanning the last 150 years. The performance, titled "The Power and the Glory: Music of Colonialism," features works by composers such as Zubaida Azezi, Edo Frenkel, Theodoro Valcarcel, Messiaen, Xavier Montsalvatge, Ernesto Lecuona, Mahler, Schönberg, Weill, Ilse Weber, Kamala Sankaram, H.T. Tsiang, and Chen Yi. Each piece reflects the search for identity during the height of the Empire, offering a rich tapestry of cultural and historical narratives. Barron's passionate interpretation and commanding stage presence promise to bring these stories to life, making for an unforgettable evening of music and reflection.

Fleur Barron mezzo-soprano

This programme will be performed side by side with students from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as the culmination of a Music Residency with ASMF and Music Director Joshua Bell. Programme to be announced soon.

San Francisco Conservatory Of Music Residency With Joshua Bell

Settle in as the world’s most electrifying artists and ensembles converge at Davies Symphony Hall. Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields return to Davies Symphony Hall for a program of favorites.

Joshua Bell & Academy Of St Martin In The Fields

Magic City Hippies - Enemies Tour

In Bocca al Lupo (meaning “in the wolf’s mouth,” an Italian turn of phrase similar to “break a leg” as used in opera and theater) is a project spearheaded by medieval & renaissance music luminary Shira Kammen. The ensemble comprises a dynamic roster of multi instrumentalists and singers versed in historical and global performance practices.

In Bocca al Lupo

First Congregational Church of Berkeley

First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto

It’s not Rachmaninoff’s fault that songwriters swiped his best hooks—like the sighing and songlike slow movement of his Second Symphony—and turned them into soft-rock earworms. If you’re going to steal, you might as well steal from the best. Conductor Robin Ticciati and debuting pianist Francesco Piemontesi make their case for Beethoven’s alluringly strange, strangely alluring Piano Concerto No. 4.

Events in San Francisco, CA

Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG...

San Francisco Playhouse

Nocap - Before I Disappea...

The Fillmore San Francisco

Love & Transformation

American Bach Soloists

Esa-pekka Salonen & Danii...

San Francisco Symphony

The Writers' Room at Z Sp...

Theatre Bay Area

The Gods of Comedy and Ev...

The Pear Theatre

Julian Lage Duo

San Francisco Jazz

ALO - Tour D'Amour XVIII

The Fillmore San Francisco

Amjad Ali Khan sarod Shar...

San Francisco Performances

Julian Lage Quartet

San Francisco Jazz

Julian Lage DUET FOR GUIT...

San Francisco Jazz

Kurt Erickson, Ten Year C...

Lieder Alive

YUNCHAN LIM, piano

Chamber Music San Francisco

Steven Bernstein's Millen...

San Francisco Jazz

Fleur Barron mezzo-sopran...

San Francisco Performances

San Francisco Conservator...

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

Joshua Bell & Academy Of ...

San Francisco Symphony

Magic City Hippies - Enem...

The Fillmore San Francisco

In Bocca al Lupo

San Francisco Early Music Society

Ticciati Conducts Rachman...

San Francisco Symphony