Virtual: Concerts & Covid-19: Live Music in the Age of the Pandemic?

Francesco will introduce a new virtual music model: Santa Rosa Symphony’s series of concerts featuring musicians socially distanced on stage in groups of up to 32, to be streamed, at no cost, to music lovers everywhere.  It is something that only a handful of select orchestras around the world are working towards this fall as a way to remain relevant and connected with their communities.

He is the Music Director & Conductor of two orchestras, the Eugene Symphony in Oregon and the Santa Rosa Symphony in California.   He has appeared with orchestras around the world including the San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and the New York Philharmonic as part of the Young People’s Concert Series.

Trained as a pianist and composer, Francesco completed his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music with Otto-Werner Mueller after attending the Mannes College of Music in New York and Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Italy. He has had the privilege of being mentored and supported by celebrated conductors including Bernard Haitink, David Zinman, Edo de Waart, Manfred Honeck, Donald Runnicles and Michael Tilson Thomas.

“Francesco Lecce-Chong, the young American conductor…made a first-rate debut with the San Francisco Symphony…There was no mistaking the vitality and brilliance of the music-making he drew from members of the San Francisco Symphony. He’s got a firm but flexible rhythmic control that allows him to shepherd an orchestra at top speed without losing a bit of precision, and he can shape big instrumental textures with a robustness and grace that is inspiring to behold. Perhaps best of all, Lecce-Chong seems to be a resourceful and imaginative programmer." Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle

More Information:

This Santa Rosa Symphony link provides information on SRS's performances during the pandemic, called "SRS@Home".  Sign up here to watch the performances: https://www.srsymphony.org/Events-Tickets/SRS-HOME

If you would like more information on Francesco, who is represented by IMG, please check this link: https://imgartists.com/roster/francesco-lecce-chong/

The Santa Rosa newspaper, the Press Democrat, has a very informative article on SRS and Francesco: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/entertainment/santa-rosa-symphony-adapts-to-pandemic-with-chamber-music/?sba=AAS&artslide=0

More information on the Stanford Women's Club of San Francisco can be found at: http://stanfordwomensclub.org/index.html