Nine months. Four cities. Opera, ballet, symphony.
The 2025-26 season ahead represents a year of meaningful collaborations and artistic range across Sacramento, Denver, Atlanta, and San Francisco. Each city brings distinct repertoire that asks me to recalibrate how I listen, communicate, and lead.
The season opens in October with pianist Jeremy Denk performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in Sacramento. November brings two contrasting works: Verdi's La traviata with Opera Colorado and Bartók's haunting Bluebeard's Castle back in Sacramento. December marks a significant milestone—I return to Atlanta Ballet for The Nutcracker, 25 years since I first conducted the production with the company.
The new year opens with cellist Zlatomir Fung joining the Sacramento Philharmonic for Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations and Schumann's Third Symphony in January. February takes me back to Atlanta for Giselle, one of ballet's most technically demanding works. In March, I head to San Francisco Conservatory to conduct Massenet's Cendrillon with emerging artists. The season closes in May with Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in Sacramento and five performances of Puccini's Madama Butterfly with Opera Colorado—back-to-back productions that require sustained focus through music that never relents emotionally.
What defines a season like this is the recalibration required to move between opera, ballet, and orchestral repertoire. Each discipline demands its own approach to listening and communication. That's where the work deepens.
If you're in any of these cities this season, I'd be grateful to see you there.
@sacphilopera@operacolorado@atlantaballet@sfconservmusic@jeremydenkpiano@zfungcello
