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Hong Kong-born conductor Elim Chan becomes first woman to lead San Francisco Symphony
Hong Kong-born Elim Chan signed a six-year contract and will become the first woman to lead one of the U.S. Big 7 orchestras.
- On Thursday, the San Francisco Symphony appointed Elim Chan as music director for an initial six-year term beginning in September 2027, marking the first woman to lead the orchestra in its 115-year history.
- Chan, a 39-year-old Hong Kong-born conductor, succeeds Esa-Pekka Salonen, who stepped down in 2025 after leading the orchestra. She previously served as principal conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra in Belgium.
- Critic Joshua Kosman called Chan "the real deal" with "physical authority," while Symphony CEO Matthew Spivey praised her as "a musician of unusual gifts." Chan won the 2014 Donatella Flick Conducting Competition, the first woman to do so.
- Serving as Music Director Designate, Chan will conduct debut concerts on June 5 and 6, featuring works by Richard Wagner, Hector Berlioz, and Claude Debussy at Davies Symphony Hall.
- Chan will be the first woman to lead one of the "Big 7" symphony orchestras in the United States, encompassing ensembles in New York, Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
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New SF Symphony director invites 'everyone to come in with an open heart'
Conductor Elim Chan has been named the 13th music director in San Francisco Symphony’s 115-year history. When she assumes the post for a six-year term starting with the 2027-28 season, she will be the first woman to lead the symphony. It will also mark the first time the artistic leaders of SFS, the San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Ballet are all women.
·San Francisco, United States
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Associated Press News+21 Reposted by 21 other sources
Elim Chan hired as San Francisco Symphony's first female music director
Elim Chan has been hired as the first female music director of the San Francisco Symphony. She will start with the 2027–28 season and has been given a six-year term.
·United States
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At 39, the Hong Kong-born chef became his musical director.
·Montreal, Canada
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources36
Leaning Left15Leaning Right0Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution58% Left
Bias Distribution
- 58% of the sources lean Left
58% Left
L 58%
C 42%
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