2020 cultural events

This page lists 10 cultural events I attended in 2020. Movies are listed on my films page, not here. The program index page displays thumbnails of all the printed program images. Cities are in California, except as noted.

The world shut down in spring 2020 due to coronavirus. Cancellations included concerts by Earplay, Noe Valley Chamber Music, Philharmonia Baroque, San Francisco Symphony, and many others. Oregon Shakespeare canceled most of its season, later the entire season. Large SF arts organizations then canceled through the end of the calendar year.

In early July 2020, I wrote "large public performances seem very distant." In late December 2020, vaccine availability suggests we may see public performances sometime in 2021, but surely not until late spring or summer at the earliest. Fingers crossed...


I started keeping event data in the format used by this page in 2010, so data from 2010 to date is accurate. I started keeping appointment calendar data in .txt format in August 2005. I later extracted 2005-2009 event data ex post facto, so data for 2005 to 2009 is less complete and a bit less accurate. I have older pocket calendars and hard copies of event programs going back to 1963, but I have not yet scanned programs for years before 2010 or entered event data for most years before 2005.

See also: 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1971 1981 1982 1983 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1993 1994 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 All

Click on a heading below to sort the list accordingly. Click on a Program link to see the printed program for an event. Enter a search string (e.g., "Mahler", "Berkeley", "piano") below to filter the output.


Date Category Description Performers Venue City Works
02/01/20 @ 20:00 Opera Snapshot 2020 West Edge Opera Atrium San Francisco Program Nahmer, von der: El Canguro
Suleiman: Moon, Bride, Dogs
Huang: Eighteen Melodies for Hu-jia
Benavides: Gilberto
01/30/20 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Herbert Blomstedt, conductor Davies San Francisco Program Berwald: Symphony No. 1
Brahms: Symphony No. 3
02/27/20 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Franciso Symphony Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor
Leila Josefowicz, violin
Davies San Francisco Program Beethoven: Overture to King Stephen
Salonen: Violin Concerto
Nielsen: Symphony No 5
02/29/20 @ 18:00 Fundraiser Cinnabar Theater Cinnabar Theater Doubletree Rohnert Park Program Broadway Bash
02/07/20 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Richard Egarr, conductor Herbst San Francisco Program Bach: Harpsichord Concerto No. 7
Bach: Cantata No. 211 'Coffee Cantata'
Bach: Harpsichord Concerto No. 1
Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3
02/10/20 @ 19:30 Chamber Earplay Earplay Herbst San Francisco Program Camsuzou: Twilit
Bennett: the art of disappearing
San Martin: Fray
Cohen: Late Shadow
Saariaho: Terrestre
03/01/20 @ 16:00 Chamber Noe Valley Chamber Music Aizuri Quartet Noe Valley Ministry San Francisco Program Dvorak: Cypresses
Beecher: These Memories May Be True
Komitas: Armenian Folk Songs
Giddens: At the Purchaser's Option
Sibelius: String Quartet 'Voces Intimae'
01/31/20 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Nicolas McGegan, conductor ODC San Francisco Program Händel: Aci, Galatea e Polifemo
03/04/20 @ 19:00 Chamber Noe Valley Chamber Music Aizuri Quartet Private San Francisco Program von Bingen: Columba aspexit
Gesualdo: O tenebroso giorno
Gesualdo: Io Parto
Nancarrow: String Quartet No. 3
Haydn: String Quartet Op. 64 No. 2
Smith, Gabriella: Carrot Revolution
02/15/20 @ 20:00 Dance Grupo Corpo Grupo Corpo Van Duzer Arcata Program Dança Sinfônica
Gira