While some classical organizations in San Francisco avoid programming contemporary works by local composers, a world-trotting violinist from Berlin has stepped up to advocate for just this sort of music in the coming year.
The always-in-transit Daniel Hope, music director and concertmaster of New Century Chamber Orchestra, has announced his ensemble’s 2025–2026 season, set to spotlight world premieres, renowned guest artists, and yes, works by San Francisco composers. The entire year is dedicated to Gordon Getty, “San Francisco champion of the arts,” as NCCO’s announcement describes the composer and philanthropist. (Editor’s note: Getty is a funder of SF Classical Voice.)
Among the contemporary works on the season are David Conte’s Harper’s Song and Mistletoe and selections from Jake Heggie’s On the Road to Christmas, slated to be featured in holiday concerts with the San Francisco Girls Chorus, Dec. 11–13. Following in the new year is a world-premiere commission from Nathaniel Stookey in honor of Getty, scheduled for March 13–15, 2026, part of program that also includes Heggie’s Overture.
The season concludes April 23–25, 2026, with another world-premiere commission, this one by Minnesota-based composer Henry Dorn and in partnership with the Emerging Black Composers Project at the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
“New Century is where brilliance meets boldness, and this upcoming season will really highlight the remarkable energy and dynamic music-making of the orchestra,” Hope said.
“There are so many highlights, from some of the most famous works of the repertoire, like [Vivaldi’s] The Four Seasons, to fresh, adventurous, contemporary works like Dawn by the phenomenal Bulgarian British composer Dobrinka Tabakova.
“It’s that examination of music through the ages that inspires us to give some of our best performances. And this season is a very special one for us — dedicated to our greatest supporter, Gordon Getty, whose vision and generosity have shaped so much of what we do. This season honors his remarkable legacy.”
In addition to stage and symphonic works, Stookey — a violinist and violist in addition to composer — has also written chamber music throughout his career. Of his new work for NCCO, he said: “This one will be a relentlessly fast, exuberant, celebratory piece, both to honor Gordon Getty and because strings-in-counterpoint feels like a bubbly homecoming for me after years of opera.”
Of his works featured in the upcoming season, Heggie told SFCV:
“My experience with NCCO has always been joyful. On the Road to Christmas was commissioned and premiered in 1996 — created for the extraordinary [mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade], who also wrote a couple of the texts.
“It was created while I was still working in the PR department of San Francisco Opera and could only dream of what was to come. Not many people know this, but an archival recording of that premiere was what convinced [librettist] Terrence McNally to collaborate with me on our first opera and led us to what became Dead Man Walking.
“The Overture [that NCCO will play in March 2026] was created in 2023 at the request of Daniel Hope and is a celebration of this magnificent ensemble. It is meant to embody the joy, beauty, and magic of the way the musicians of NCCO breathe and move as one.”
2025–2026 will be a big season generally for Heggie. Dead Man Walking, which has had more than 80 productions around the world, is returning to SF Opera 25 years after its debut here, with performances Sept. 14–28. Meanwhile, the world-premiere recording of Heggie’s latest major opera, Intelligence, is expected to be released by Houston Grand Opera on Aug. 29, and the work is then slated for a new production from Virginia Opera in January and Ferburary 2026.
On top of all that, the SF Conservatory of Music has appointed Heggie distinguished professor of composition, effective this fall. The appointment follows years of involvement with SFCM, including receiving an honorary doctorate in 2023.
Back to NCCO and Hope. Asked about the difficulties of travel and financing for the arts in the current cultural climate, the violinist told SFCV:
“As a European artist and music director of a U.S.-based orchestra, I feel a deep responsibility not only to curate meaningful musical experiences but also to help foster cultural connection at a time when empathy and unity are urgently needed.
“There are undeniable challenges today. The logistical and bureaucratic hurdles of crossing borders as an artist have grown, and international collaboration isn’t always as smooth as it should be. But music remains one of the few universal languages — a bridge between people when many other channels feel uncertain.”
Hope continued: “With NCCO’s new season, we’re celebrating that idea: blending local voices with global perspectives, honoring tradition while embracing the present. It’s our way of showing that culture can still bring people together across communities, across continents, and across differences.”
Other highlights of NCCO’s season include:
— Antonín Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons (Oct. 30 – Nov. 2)
— Andrew Norman’s Sabina, Hildegard von Bingen’s “O virtus sapientiae” (Oh divine wisdom), Mozart’s Divertimento in F Major, and works by Heinrich Biber, Juhi Bansal, J.S. Bach, and Heitor Villa-Lobos. (Jan. 23–24, 2026)
— The Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ Violin Concerto in A Major and Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence (March 13–15, 2026)
— Guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas soloing in Michael Daugherty’s Bay of Pigs and Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez (April 23–25, 2026)
Performances take place in San Francisco, Berkeley, San Rafael, and other Bay Area locations. Season subscriptions, individual ticket purchases, and more information are available at NCCO’s website.
