Symphony Parnassus

Symphony Parnassus was founded in 1989 as the UCSF “Doctors” Orchestra. It has had three musical directors: Founding director Jonathan Davis (1989-1994), Jeremy Swirling (1994-1997) and Stephen Paulson (1998-present).

In 1999, the orchestra was reorganized as a non-profit and renamed Symphony Parnassus. While Symphony Parnassus continues to attract a number of UCSF-affiliated musicians, increasingly its membership draws from non-UCSF musicians.

The orchestra rehearses weekly at San Francisco’s School of the Arts. Symphony Parnassus performs four concerts programs a season – all in San Francisco:

2014-15 Season Highlights
• Mahler: Symphony No. 1
• Local composer Eleanor Armer: The Great Instrument of the Geggetets
• Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1, Jeremy Tai, soloist
• Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2, Alina Kobialka, soloist
• 25th Anniversary Concert: June 2,

2013-2014 Season Highlights
• Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring - involved 100 musicians and attracted our biggest audience to date: 800 (400 comps to veterans and music students. Concert dedicated to the veterans.).
• Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 22, Helene Wickett, soloist
• Bloch: Schelomo Jewish Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra, E. Oliver Herbert, soloist
• Martin: Violin Concerto, Stuart Canin, soloist. Mr. Canin is the former concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony.
• Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite

2012-2013 Season Highlights
• Glazunov: Violin Concerto, Hannah Tarley, soloist
• Chausson: Poeme, Noemy Gagnon-LaFrenais, violin soloist
• Karpman: “Take 4” for Four Woodwinds and Strings – West Coast premiere
• Sibelius: Violin Concerto, Alina Ming Kobialka, soloist
• Janacek: Sinfonietta – This obscure piece was a tough sell for our audience and we had low attendance.

for more information and tickets for its forthcoming concerts go to WWW. SymphonyParnassus.org