Newly Named Shelby and Frederick Gans Music Director and Principal Conductor Martin West to Celebrate 20th Year with Orchestra
(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) June 9, 2025—Today, the Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Ballet Orchestra announced the naming of its Music Director and Principal Conductor position, made possible by a major gift from Shelby and Frederick Gans.
The gift comes at a significant time for both the Orchestra, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary during the 2025–2026 Season, and Music Director and Principal Conductor Martin West, who marks 20 years with SF Ballet in September 2025. Additionally, the San Francisco Ballet Association Board of Trustees and the Orchestra’s union, American Federation of Musicians (AFM), have mutually ratified a three-year agreement with SF Ballet that, among other terms, will add a new position to the orchestra’s ranks, bringing the total to 50 members during the contract’s duration.
Shelby and Frederick Gans have supported SF Ballet for over three decades and recognize the Orchestra’s talent and milestone year with their gift, which will name the Music Director role for 25 years. A seasoned philanthropist in the performing and visual arts, Shelby Gans has served as a member of SF Ballet’s Board of Trustees since 2011, and on the Board’s school, planned giving, governance, and artistic committees.
Shelby stated, “Frederick and I are proud of the outstanding artistic excellence of both Martin West and San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. We are honoring their dedication and respective 20th and 50th anniversaries with a gift that will support our beloved ballet through the year 2050.”
“We are deeply grateful for the longtime support of Shelby and Frederick Gans, whose generosity will help achieve our vision for SF Ballet now and into the future,” said SF Ballet Artistic Director Tamara Rojo. “We are so lucky to have Martin West’s extraordinary talent and leadership of the SF Ballet Orchestra, and look forward to celebrating his 20th year of bringing live classical and contemporary music of the highest caliber to audiences in San Francisco.”
On the ratification of the Orchestra’s labor agreement, AFM representative and principal tubaist with the Orchestra, Peter Wahrhaftig, adds: “The musicians of San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, proud members of Musicians Union Local 6, are gratified to have ratified a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the San Francisco Ballet Association. The strong, long-standing relationship between the musicians and the Ballet’s management, with its emphasis on constructive problem-solving and creative outcomes, has resulted in a comprehensive settlement reached an unprecedented seven months before the present agreement’s expiration, setting the stage for the Company’s exciting season ahead.”
“SF Ballet’s commitment to its musicians as a vital foundation upon which the Company stands is concretely expressed by this agreement,” continued Wahrhaftig, “expanding Orchestra membership, highlighting the celebratory events surrounding the Orchestra’s 50th birthday, and supporting our ability to attract and retain new players. The Orchestra eagerly looks to the future as the Company’s momentum and excitement continue to build.”
About San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Ballet, led by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, is a world-leading ballet company and a trailblazing commissioner, collaborator, and presenter in dance. With a deep commitment to new and contemporary works and the classical repertoire, SF Ballet is a catalyst for the future of ballet, investing in commissions and acquisitions; presenting established and emerging choreographers with a breadth of viewpoints; uplifting dancers, artists, and creatives across disciplines; and cultivating the next generation of the world’s top dancers in its School.