articles / Classical Californians

Classical Californians: Martin West

San Francisco Ballet Orchestra performing during San Francisco Ballet's 2025 Opening Night Gala

San Francisco Ballet Orchestra performing during San Francisco Ballet's 2025 Opening Night Gala

Drew Altizer

This week’s Classical Californian is Martin West, Music Director of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra for the past 20 years. Martin has curated a playlist celebrating 50 years of the orchestra’s recordings — from its founding Music Director, Denis de Coteau, to its most recent sessions produced by Grammy-nominated Adam Abeshouse. Join Martin as he takes you into the orchestra pit and behind the scenes of recording dramatic works like Frankenstein and Kip Winger’s Conversations with Nijinsky. Tonight at 7pm!

Tchaikovsky, Pas de Deux, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Denis de Coteau

Arnold Schoenberg, Concerto For String Quartet and Orchestra: Allegro, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, The Lark Quartet

Claude Debussy, Pagodes, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Emil de Cou

Lowell Liebermann, Frankenstein Op. 130 Act I Scene 1: Elizabeth and Victor (Live), San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Martin West

Charles F Kip Winger, Conversations with Nijinsky: I. Chaconne de feu - 2023 remaster, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Martin West

Antonín Dvořák, Concerto in B minor for cello and orchestra Op.104: III. Finale: Allegro moderato, John-Henry Crawford, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Martin West