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San Francisco Symphony Names Elim Chan First Female Director

5/23/2026

Summary

Elim Chan Appointed

The San Francisco Symphony announced on May 21 2026 that Elim Chan will become its first female music director.
Chan will begin a six-year term in September 2027 and will conduct the orchestra on June 5-6 2027 with works by Wagner, Berlioz and Debussy.
Chan, a Hong Kong-born Smith College and University of Michigan graduate, was the first woman to win the 2014 Donatella Flick Conducting Competition and led the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra from 2019 to 2024.

Summary

Chan Appointed

The orchestra appointed Chan as its new music director, marking a leadership change.
Esa-Pekka Salonen left after the 2024-25 season, citing a mismatch with the Board’s future goals.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the symphony’s audience revenue and contributions have fallen sharply, causing postponed commissions and a canceled European tour.
CEO Matthew Spivey said the organization is optimistic under Chan, who programs with curiosity and aims to expand the orchestral canon.

History

Historical Context

In September 2005 Marin Alsop became the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s music director, the first woman to lead a major U.S. orchestra. She broke a 115-year male-only streak by conducting the BBC Proms’ Last Night on 7 September 2013, the first female conductor. Following that precedent, the San Francisco Symphony named Elim Chan its first female music director in 2026, extending gender diversification in American orchestras.

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Elim Chan Appointed

The San Francisco Symphony announced on May 21 2026 that Elim Chan will become its first female music director.
Chan will begin a six-year term in September 2027 and will conduct the orchestra on June 5-6 2027 with works by Wagner, Berlioz and Debussy.
Chan, a Hong Kong-born Smith College and University of Michigan graduate, was the first woman to win the 2014 Donatella Flick Conducting Competition and led the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra from 2019 to 2024.

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