SF Performances brought a stunning 3-day run of the Stephen Petronio Company to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Simply choosing the YBCA as their venue earns multiple stars off the bat. There wasn't a bad seat in the house, and the theater had plenty of restrooms at intermission. The best part, though, was the contemporary dance performance by the Company. Parts 1 and 2, titled Bud Suite and Bloom, featured the music of Rufus Wainwright with live vocals by the San Francisco Girls Choir; and part 3, titled The Rite Part, was set to music by Stravinsky. A sum of the experience: brilliant dancers, evocative choreography, beautiful costumes, expressive lighting, and captivating music. I couldn't ask for more. P.S. It was hard for me to choose which business to list this under, since YBCA also played a huge role in this experience. So check them out too at http://www.yelp.com/biz?biz_id=Ypvo0_qNnofl4f_D1HQGzA&sort_by=date_desc. read more

Nice line-up, though easily outdone by Cal Performances (the other major classical arts presenter in the Bay Area). Feels kind of stuffy compared to Cal Performances. Herbst Theater is a sub-optimal concert venue. All of this being said, administratively, San Francisco Performances is as good as it gets. They send you an e-mail with encore information after the concert, which is really nice, plus they are pretty good with taking orders by phone and have generally helpful staff. Prices are quite reasonable also. read more

I was in no shape to be here...but i just knew i would regret it dearly if i missed out on this elite extravaganza. We were immediately greeted by Jessica and she directed us to where to pick the tix. Got to meet A P who is the brother of an old co-worker -cool- After sliding away with the goods, saw Nish cruising by and tho he was on the cell- still said whaddup -super cool- Escorted to our seats in the remarkably intimate, but astonishingly beautiful theatre. The show started and from there i was just captivated on the flow, movements, energy, and soothing music that filled the space courtesy of SPC, Rufus Wainwright and the rest of the production. Throughout the show i couldn't help but "hate" some on the friggin, perfectly-etched, killer bodies of all the dancers--amazing!!! The performance was just over-the-top and i was completely up-lifted from my earlier futsukayoi status and it was then on to B Restaurant... read more

Variety and excellence. ...Well, plus sheer quantity of programming. Can't beat SF Performances for these qualities! Where else could you experience an entire weekend of Elliott Carter's string quartet and piano works, along with a film about Carter, and lectures by the inimitable music professor, Robert Greenberg, to make it all accessible? Where? I ask you. :-) I don't "get" Carter, but I'm enthusiastic about exposing my brain and heart to his stuff, to see what sticks. And the audience that this program attracted! Fascinating! I went alone, so the chats that I had with other single audience members, were half the educational fun! Next I brave Phillip Glass's Music in Twelve Parts. I don't "get" minimalism, either, but SF Performances makes the less familiar music as accessible as possible. Carter and Glass are only two examples. The overall variety and excellence of programming is the real key to SF Performances. read more

I saw Program B on 2/24/08 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and all I have to say is it was ....SPECTACULAR! I never go to any performances but after hearing people raving about Program A, I had to go! I am so glad I went. We were in the 3rd row center and I was kind of doubtful being that close. I usually like Upper Orchestra Row L but being this close was better. Wait! I have to mention that when we got to our seats, the guy behind me had his jacket draped over my chair. I sat down and thought he would move it. He didn't and I couldn't even lean back on my chair. I turned around to look at him and he just looked away and talked to his wife. I was gonna tell him to move his jacket but my hubby (yes, I dragged him with me) just pushed it to the side BUT it was still on my chair. I said out loud "well that's why there's coat check!" He didn't want a confrontation and said he would switch seats with me. I said real LOUD "that's not the point and it won't do anything." Then the theater got dim and I was just gonna use my elbow and push the jacket off my chair. But he quickly grabbed his jacket off. Some people are just so inconsiderate! I saw the beads of sweat on the dancers bodies and how they were out of breath but still moved so gracefully. They really gave it their all and it shows. Being so close you can see their bodies are toned and you can see the muscles in their thighs. Oh right, back to the show. They do a lot of odd poses but the way they moved, they looked so natural and graceful! After each piece, they bowed all together. Then couples, then by themselves, then a group again. They got standing ovations at the end of the third piece and it lasted for quite some time. If they reshow this again, I must see program A. I suggest you guys see this too. Even if you don't like dance or any performances (like me), this is a must for all you virgins out there. I am trying to broaden my horizons and this performance has really opened me up to try new things. Program A's pieces: Castrati White Darkness Third piece, TBA Program B's pieces: Guilded Goldbergs - US Premiere Gnawa Por Vos Muero Sleek, sexy, smart and a model large-scale dance company for the 21st century, Nacho Duato's ensemble is among the most revered and innovative groups in Europe. This San Francisco debut includes a US premiere: Gilded Goldbergs (2006) features Robin Holloway's breakneck adaptation of Bach's Goldberg Variations. read more

Program B performance of Compania Nacional de Danza this past Sunday was such a treat. Such talent and passion performing in an intimate venue at Yerba Buena. We are so lucky to live in the Bay Area, and I am thrilled to support Yerba Buena's choice of dance, drama and creative performances. Bravo, indeed! I regret not purchasing tickets to BOTH programs A and B, as Program B was so impressive. I have tickets to 3 more upcoming dance performances and am looking forward to the diverse line-up offered this spring and summer. read more

We saw musician Chris Thile at the Herbst Theater last Sunday, and it was one of the best performances I've ever seen. At just 31 years old, Thile is undoubtedly the living master of the mandolin, and an impressive singer and interpreter of songs as well. He jumps from genre to genre seamlessly, with skill, grace and humor. He is capable of changing rhythm on the head of a pin, and there was never an unmusical moment. As for the production itself, it was simple but flawless. There are really no bad seats at the Herbst Theater, and the sound was perfect, the lighting simple. Kudos to SF Performances for having the vision to present Thile in this unadorned solo performance. read more

I am so glad I bought tickets to both programs of the Spanish dance company, Compania Nacional de Danza. Thursday's performance was amazing, especially the final piece, "White Darkness" where sand cascaded from the ceiling onto the dancers onstage. BREATHTAKING. Program B on Saturday was just as good. "Gnawa" was my favorite during that evening. As an independent presenter of music, vocal, jazz and contemporary dance, San Francisco Performances brings some amazing, talented people to the Bay Area. Showing in a number of venues across San Francisco, it's a great and inexpensive way to add some culture to your life! This is the third dance performance I've seen with SFP. I have previously attended Armitage Gone! Dance and Stephen Petronio Company. I loved how both of these dance companies collaborated with contemporary artists, musicians and fashion designers, like Rufus Wainwright, David Salle, and Imitation of Christ. I will definitely purchase a subscription next year and branch out and try some music events as well. read more

This was my first time to attend a performance at the Herbst Theatre, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was Orchestra, 5th row on the right, which was great, but it is such a small venue that I think the balcony seats would have been fine as well. The violinist, Nikolaj Znaider, didn't use a mike to announce the sets, but the sound quality was still excellent. The audience was enthralled by the performance of the piano and violin dueling it out through several of the sets. The spontenaity and cheerfulness of the two Encores brought laughter to the audience. Overall -- a wonderful performance and a wonderful venue. read more

We've attended the fabulous guitar Duo Melis in the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. It was our first visit in that theater and we were glad we did attend. Their skills were just awesome, especially since they had to coordinate their play to each other. The handwork and the fast fingers were fascinating and the time was just flying. The theater itself has an old fashioned but charming ambiance, which we like very much for these kind of locations. We had seats in the C row of the chorus where we could see the two guitarists very well. Even though I would recommend to seat more to the middle for acoustic guitar concerts. We will come again, for sure. read more

Wow, all I can say is check out m A n I.'s review, it's on target with my experience. SFP is mostly run out of the Herbst Theater and they offer an amazing array of music and dance performances. I got lucky and saw a show at YBCA and was able to hang out with the organizer and the dancers from the Stephen Petronio Company afterwards. They have a great season coming up for 2007! read more

SF Performances is the scene for those looking for a more interesting and intimate classical music experience than the "see and be seen" atmosphere at the more popular symphony and opera concerts. They bring in top-tier talent with varied programs -- the Alexander String Quartet doing the Shostakovich string quartet cycle, Ian Bostridge singing Schubert, and a bevy of other chamber delights. Most concerts are at Herbst, a really nice venue. I've found great seats both out on the main floor and up in the balcony -- it's hard to go wrong. Highly recommended. This is an easy organization to support. read more

In choosing their artists, their booking office stays just in front of the Symphony and good chunk of Artist bookers in other cities as well. As a result, San Francisco Performances will present musicians that you haven't heard of yet---but are going to in a big way soon---or that have a special something that makes them really appealing to a sophisticated listening audience. Examples? As strange as it might seem, the recent Dan Zanes children's concert in the War Memorial is one---they had a "kiddie mosh pit" up front, great tunes, kid friendly-set up and a great time was had by all. Much more authentic and real than "Blah blah blah on ice" or other such stuff (and hey! He's the ex-lead for the Del Fuegos!). Another example? Booking Mitsuko Uchida, the eccentric, reclusive and brilliant pianist (renowned for her Mozart) to play small, PACKED recitals---or another? Musicologist Robert Greenberg presenting a talk on Beethoven's string quartets with a live string quartet illustrating his points and then performing the piece. Yah, I know, you are thinking, this geeks out so much I can't even believe it---and you'd be wrong---he's a brilliant speaker, totally holds your attention (an artist in residence for San Francisco Performances) and adding the live quartet made for something really, really special. So look over their artist and performance listings and pick something you already know you like---and something you've never heard of. You may indeed be very pleasantly surprised... (and the ticket prices won't break you either----even if you decide not to stay, it's nowhere NEAR the bizarre levels of cognitive dissonance you sometimes experience going to the Opera when your tickets cost an arm and leg---and it's not really turning out to be an enjoyable evening....though I'm wiser now, when I was younger, sometimes the high cost of Opera tickets almost became a reason to self-impose some sort of bizarre masochistic punishment for having spent so much money on something for so little cultural payback... Don't make that mistake... Go see something at San Francisco Performances! read more

I forgot to mention that the modern dance offerings from SFP are second to none. They have an amazingly diverse selection of modern dance performances and I am in love with many of the dance groups they've brought to SF. Far more fulfilling and intimate an experience than going to the ballet. read more

I've been attending the SF Performances presentations of the Alexander String quartet for several years now. Their interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, and Shostakovich were uniformly excellent in every respect. Robert Greenberg's introductory commentaries on the pieces are both informative and witty. In short, we are very fortunate to musicians and scholars of such high quality with us in the Bay Area. read more

Monday, April 23, 2012 Brendan & Christian attended a concert at Herbst Auditorium with Matthias Goerne the German Baritone with the voice like "crushed velvet" accompanied by the world's greatest Pianist, Norwegian, Leif Ove Andsnes. Their music together was beautiful surpassing earthy description . Please experience these Artists if you want your life to be complete!!! They are also superb Artists in their individual careers...I have never heard a more beautiful voice that that of Matthias Goerne... read more

We attended the 5/5/12 Alexander String Quartet performance of the Schubert String Quintet in C Major with guest artist David Requiro on cello. Robert Greenberg also lectured before the performance as he often does. We attend ASQ's performances regularly and especially enjoy the lectures by Mr. Greenberg which add much to the appreciation of the music. This performance was one of the BEST we have attended. The musicians played beautifully and the music was absolutely lovely! The only thing we too issue with this time was that the lecture, although filled with wonderful information, could have been shortened as it was longer than the actual musical performance. While entertaining some of the ephemera could have been omitted. That said, we really appreciate the length to which Mr. Greenberg goes to share his vast knowledge and experience with the audience and to enrich the listening experience a great deal. read more

I hadn't heard of San Francisco Performances before learning that Evgeny Kissin would be part of its 08/09 season. According to the SFP site, half-price rush tickets are available to students and seniors an hour and a half prior to the start of a show. During the days before and the day of the concert, I kept checking the seating chart online to make sure tickets were still available. There were plenty and I didn't think I'd have to worry. Luckily, the neurotic planner in me decided to call the box office the day of the concert to check if rush tickets would be available and I was told they were not because although there were still seats left, they were expecting a lot of interest. I ended up buying some of the remaining $35 tickets online instead, and when I was at the concert, I noticed many empty seats in the concert hall. I think offering rush tickets is a really good idea to give students a chance to do something they might not otherwise be able to afford to do, and I thought it was disappointing that San Francisco Performances chose not to do so without very good reason. read more

There just isn't enough modern dance. It's hard to find the good stuff. When I heard Akram Khan's dance company was coming to the Bay Area for their show bahok, I scored a pair of front row tickets for my girlfriend Samantha's birthday months in advance. And this past Friday night, in the darkness of the Yerba Buena theatre, we were enthralled. The show was thoroughly outstanding. Akram and his company succeeded in creating a beautiful piece about globalization, diversity, and the human struggle to connect and define home. The choreography and execution were superb. Not only do the cast members span multiple continents and styles of dance, but the piece's format and musical score also embrace the melting pot theme. By blending theater with performance art, the piece is able to portray characters with strong personalities and moments of passion, humor, hopelessness, and hope. The minimal but powerful stage art, a dominating airport sign with changing letters, serves the multiple purposes of plot device, poet, and prophet. During a painful customs interrogation scene, the random flickering letters and numbers evince the stress of communicating in a foreign language. I won't give away the final scene (think Steve Martin in LA Story when he discovers the talking sign) but it has the power to bring a hushed audience to tears. The musical score by Nitin Sawhney is explosive, from low frequency electronic swooping bass tones in the eerie intro to tempo-building tribal rhythm climaxes. The dancers feed off the musical energy, hurling, flailing, and writhing their bodies against the floor and each other. I can't recommend this show highly enough. If Akram Khan Company comes near you, it's an easy decision: don't eat anything for a day and use the money to buy a ticket. You might be hungry but you will be satisfied. read more

if anyone is interested in classical music, modern dance or jazz...this is an organization you must check out...they have some of the best performing artists in town as well as a great educational program where the resident artists go and visit students from schools to work with them. they are starting a new season so best time to get good tickets. read more

sfp offers a great variety of classical music, jazz, and contemporary dance. personally, my faves tend to be the performance art and dance artists. always quality stuff here! read more

In a word, AWESOME! The DV8 performance I saw last night was so creative and stunning that no words can do it full justice. The show's use of multimedia effects was simply in a class by itself. The dancers were, to a person, great. Go, nay, RUN to see it! read more

Just saw the "Akram Khan" modern dance company on Saturday night and thought it was fantastic! Very reasonable ticket prices for first rate entertainment. read more

Saw and heard Luciana Souza with her trio and it was a fabulous performance in a great venue. Enjoyed all- well worth the ticket price.

It was an excellent concert. This was the first time we heard Robert Greenberg. He did a fantastic job. We enjoy it very much.

This multimedia dance performance was as good as it gets. The choreography was brilliantly in tune with Philip Glass's musical score, and the dancers moved across the stage as if they were floating on air, free of weight or gravity. Lyrical, intense, fantastic. read more