PRESS RELEASE

Orchestra to host 50th anniversary gala concert at The Herbst Theatre on March 8  

Community concert on February 26 to feature finalists of inaugural Legacy Orchestral Composition Concert 

2026 Denis de Coteau Fellows announced 

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) February 17, 2026—San Francisco Ballet Orchestra (SF Ballet Orchestra), led by Shelby and Frederick Gans Music Director & Principal Conductor Martin West, today announced a suite of special performances and awards commemorating its milestone 50th anniversary season. Marking five decades as one of the world’s premier ballet orchestras, these celebrations honor the Orchestra’s legacy while investing in its future.  

Highlights include a gala concert, the launch of a new composition contest created and funded by members of the orchestra, and continued support for rising instrumentalists through the Denis de Coteau Fellowship, presented in partnership with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM). 

50th Anniversary Gala Concert 
On Sunday, March 8, the Grammy Award-winning SF Ballet Orchestra will celebrate a historic 50 years with a one-night-only concert at San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre and a fundraising dinner in the Green Room. Curated by Martin West, this performance will pay homage to the Orchestra’s rich history of artistic excellence across genres, and history spanning its inaugural 1976 season to recent projects.  

Programming for the anniversary concert includes: 

• Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s orchestral showpiece Scheherazade, a vivid suite that highlights the Orchestra’s virtuosity, based on the collection of Middle Eastern folktales One Thousand and One Nights; 

• Björk’s Overture, first performed by SF Ballet Orchestra during the 2018 Unbound Festival, representing the Orchestra’s continued embrace of contemporary and cross-genre collaboration; 

• From Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, Bernard Herrmann’s sweeping Scène d’Amour, which the Orchestra will perform live together for the first time following a COVID-19 project that compiled members’ individual home recordings; 

• Sergei Prokofiev’s “Grand Waltz” from Cinderella, a beloved ballet score that formed part of the Orchestra’s inaugural 1976 season; and 

• Léo Delibes’s energetic “Galop Final” from Coppelia, one of SF Ballet Orchestra’s most frequently broadcast recordings. 

Tickets for the SF Ballet Orchestra 50th Anniversary Concert may be purchased online at sfballet.org or by calling Ticket Services at 415-865-2000, open Monday through Friday, 10am to 4pm. Programming and prices are subject to change. 

The performance is 1 hour and 30 minutes with one intermission. 

Legacy Orchestral Composition Contest 
This year, the Orchestra launched its inaugural Legacy Orchestral Composition Contest, a new annual competition designed to provide emerging composers with career-advancing recognition as part of SF Ballet’s continued mission to commission new works. The winner of the contest, selected by a jury of SF Ballet Orchestra musicians, will be awarded a $7,500 prize alongside opportunities for their work to be performed live by SF Ballet Orchestra. 

This contest is created and funded by the musicians of SF Ballet Orchestra, who will donate annual royalties earned from the orchestra’s landmark 1988 recording of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker at Skywalker Sound toward the final prize. 

Submissions from contest finalists will be performed live by SF Ballet Orchestra at the Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall on Thursday, February 26, during a free community concert in partnership with SFCM, where the final winner will be announced at the end of the performance. Tickets are free, but seats must be reserved in advance. 

The three finalists of this year’s inaugural contest are Bobby Ge (Violin Concerto movements 2 and 3), Simon Rivet (Ellipse of a Cry), and Sheridan Seyfried (Subtle Electronic Fire).  

About Bobby Ge 
Bobby Ge is an American-born, Shanghai-raised composer and media artist whose work engages with themes of communication, home, and hybridity. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D at Princeton University and holds degrees from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University (M.M.) and the University of California, Berkeley (B.A.). 

About Simon Rivet 
Simon Rivet is an emerging composer from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. After an early career as a classical guitarist, he has been exploring music composition for concert, film, and dance. His music is a reflection of the underlying forces of nature, and, consequently, of humanity’s own internal forces. It is an invitation to stop, contemplate, and connect with one’s deeper dimension; to enter one’s “silent sanctuary.” 

About Sheridan Seyfried 
Sheridan Seyfried’s melodic, accessible style connects with listeners of many different musical backgrounds. Firmly grounded in classical tradition, it is also influenced by styles including New Age, Celtic, and folk. He studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and later went on to receive a graduate degree at the Manhattan School of Music. He currently lives near Philadelphia, where he is also active as a church music director and educator. 

2026 Season Denis de Coteau Fellows 
SF Ballet Orchestra and San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) have selected two new students for this year’s Denis de Coteau Fellowship. This year’s fellows are Brianna Aye, violin, studying with Simon James, and Elmer Carter, cello, studying with Jennifer Culp. 

“The importance of the de Coteau Fellowship goes far beyond music,” says Jason Hainsworth, Associate Dean of Community Development and Executive Director of Roots, Jazz, and American Music (RJAM) at SFCM. “It speaks to the impact that music, mentorship, and access can have in the lives of young musicians. Being afforded an opportunity such as this fellowship will undoubtedly shape the careers of young and talented musicians that are all too often unseen. Maestro de Coteau’s legacy helps to change that.”  

Both musicians, whose personal and professional experiences contribute meaningfully to an expanded culture of diversity in the performing arts, will receive tuition, housing, and a stipend for SFCM’s one-year Professional Studies Certificate in Instrumental Performance. The two students will have the opportunity to play rehearsals and shows with the SF Ballet Orchestra, as well as other training and support, including invitations to mock auditions and financial support for professional auditions. As part of the SFCM certificate program, each fellow will participate in advanced, focused studies that emphasize individual instruction and preparation for a performance career. 

“The Denis de Coteau fellowship has been an invaluable experience for me,” says Brianna Aye. “Through the fellowship, I have had many wonderful opportunities, including performing in [SF Ballet’s] annual Gala, for guests at the Legion of Honor museum, and in interactive children’s concerts. The members of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra have been a joy to work with. Everyone has been incredibly welcoming and kind, and I am deeply grateful to them for their generosity.” 

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. 

About San Francisco Ballet Orchestra 
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra is recognized as one of the foremost ballet orchestras in the world. Led by Shelby and Frederick Gans Music Director & Principal Conductor Martin West for two decades, the orchestra is comprised of 49 recurring members with expertise in musical stylings spanning from classical ballet and symphonic pieces to modern and contemporary scores. The orchestra accompanies San Francisco Ballet for its full repertory season at the War Memorial Opera House running January to May, as well as its annual production of the Nutcracker. 

About the San Francisco Conservatory of Music  
SFCM draws on the bold creativity of San Francisco to offer unparalleled training for the 21st century musician. We support students in developing the skills and vision to chart successful careers and advance the human experience through music. We believe a musical education must extend far beyond technical and performance skills. Our commitment to music of enduring quality and importance is the foundation of our innovative curriculum, cultivating critical thinking and business acumen alongside artistic practice, and creating a transformative environment of inquiry, collaboration, and entrepreneurship. Our DNA combines a global perspective with the unstoppable energy and imagination of our hometown. Our pioneering programs and partnerships with leading institutions and businesses prepare students to seize opportunities in music and a wide array of the fastest developing sectors today. SFCM is a magnet for exceptional faculty whose ongoing professional experience benefits our students. As the only conservatory partnered with a leading artist management company, we are able to provide our students unique insight and access to the music industry. 

Contact 
Public Relations, San Francisco Ballet 
press@sfballet.org 
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