Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) and the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) will release a hybrid SACD recording of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Leonore Overture No. 3 on the Orchestra’s SFS Media label – with marketing and distribution in the UK overseen by AVIE Records – on 25 June. The repertoire on the new release was captured live in concerts held at the San Francisco Symphony’s home, Davies Symphony Hall. Symphony No. 7 was recorded in concerts held 7 – 9 October 2010, and Leonore Overture No. 3 was recorded 14 – 17 September 2011. A pre-release of the album has been available exclusively on the iTunes Store from 24 April.

The new release continues MTT’s and the SFS’s ongoing exploration of the music of Beethoven. In concerts taking place 16 – 19 May 2012, they performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Pastoral, at Davies Symphony Hall. They will conclude their 2011-12 Centenary Season with performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Choral, to be recorded for release next season. In February 2011, SFS Media released MTT’s and the Orchestra’s recording of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and his Piano Concerto No. 4 featuring Emanuel Ax. In May 2013, MTT will lead the Orchestra in three concert programmes that explore Beethoven’s earliest inspirations and how they informed not only his own style but that of composers who came long after. Over the course of two weeks the journey traces Beethoven’s advanced and often revolutionary musical ideas, culminating in performances of one of his most significant works, Missa solemnis. Also next season, the St. Lawrence String Quartet joins the Orchestra for performances of John Adams’s Absolute Jest, an SFS co-commission inspired by Beethoven’s string quartets that was premiered during the 2012 American Mavericks Festival.

The Orchestra’s recording series on SFS Media continues to reflect the artistic identity of its programming, including its commitment to performing the work of American maverick composers alongside that of the core classical masterworks. Next season MTT and the SFS are scheduled to release several recordings made during the 2012 American Mavericks Festival.

All SFS Media recordings are available from all major retail outlets, and can be purchased as downloads from iTunes, Amazon and other digital outlets. SFS Media recordings are distributed by Harmonia Mundi in the U.S., IODA digitally and Avie internationally.

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For further information, image or interview requests please contact Melanne Mueller, melanne@avierecords.com, 020 8542 4866

Title: Leonore Overture No. 3, Symphony No. 7
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Artists: Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony
Recorded: Leonore Overture No. 3 recorded live at Davies Symphony Hall on 14 – 17 September 2011
Symphony No. 7 recorded live at Davies Symphony Hall 7 – 9 October 2010
Label: SFS Media
Catalogue Number: SFS0054
Release Date: 25 June 2012
Available for pre-release by download exclusively from Apple’s iTunes Music Store from 24 April 2012