Barbara Bogatin
Photo credit: SF Symphony

Following the horrific fires in Los Angeles this past January and the devastating effects on performing artists in the area, the musicians of the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) wanted to find a way to lend meaningful support to our fellow Californians. In SFS, we have a musicians’ action committee that supports our negotiating committee and initiates orchestra-wide projects and activities. Led by Principal Bassist Scott Pingle and First Violinist Melissa Kleinbart, this committee saw a golden opportunity during a free week in March to put together a benefit concert to raise money for several LA organizations that are aiding victims of the fires.

After a whirlwind month of planning, organizing, advertising, and community outreach, we brought together musicians of the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Symphony Chorus and San Francisco Conservatory of Music, along with conductor Edwin Outwater and pianist Garrick Ohlsson, to create “SF Musicians for LA: A Benefit for Fire Relief” on March 8, 2025. The SFS Administration and staff worked alongside the musicians to spread the word, and everyone volunteered their time to make this momentous event a success. We were thrilled to be able to raise $118,500 from ticket sales which were split evenly between the Entertainment Community Fund and ReBUILD LA, the campaign by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles dedicated to supporting those affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires.

Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Symphony Chorus and San Francisco Conservatory of Music, along with conductor Edwin Outwater and pianist Garrick Ohlsson rehearse for the concert.

From the stage of Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie addressed the audience with a poignant statement: “Tonight I’m reminded of the benefit concert that we held here in 2017 for Napa and Sonoma after those devastating fires…[as in 2017], this concert was an example of how this community responds. We come together and lift one another up in times of need.”

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie (center) poses for a photo with violinist Melissa Kleinbart and bassist Scott Pingle.
Photo Credit: Melissa Kleinbart

The program featured works by Copland, Dvorak, and Rachmaninoff, ending with a powerfully moving rendition of “Make our Garden Grow” from Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. Conductor Edwin Outwater, a native of Pacific Palisades, one of the epicenters of the wildfires, posed the question raised in Voltaire’s novel, “How do we endure in a cruel world?” He continued, “there’s no easy answer, but Leonard Bernstein’s answer is to build a garden and make the garden grow. Work together to build something back. That’s what we’re doing here tonight.” 

Before taking their seats in the orchestra, Scott and Melissa spoke to the audience about the “healing power of music and the virtue of charity.” The San Francisco Conservatory of Music students who joined the orchestra were delighted to play side-by-side with many of their teachers who are SFS members. The whole city came out to lend their support and our benefit concert was featured on the NBC Bay Area news broadcast later that night. It was a truly collaborative event that showcased the commitment and power of the performing arts in our great city!