By Lina Broydo
So many fab events this month… September enriched my cultural, culinary and sports life to the max.
Thanks for the memories…
Yuja Wang Inaugurates the 2025/2026 SF Symphony’s Season
SF Symphony Opening Night Gala for the 2025/2026 New Season
Yuja Wang – The Dazzling Fashionista:
A sparkling silver gown with an off white chiffon skirt… gorgeous hair cut with light purple and maroon highlights… and very high heels shoes…
Stunning!!!
Did I mention that the concert was phenomenal?!?! And Yuja: the brilliant virtuoso pianist showcased her personal and unique interpretation of the famous Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto #1 which culminated in the prolonged standing ovations of the adoring crowd which was awarded with a generous number (4) of additional gifts of her charming and playful selection of the piano compositions including the effervescent variations of “Carmen” by Bizet.
A truly sensational overture to the SF Symphony’s new season.
***** And to add to the announcement live from the stage: the musicians union and the SF Symphony’s management agreed on the future contract!!
The sounds of beautiful music guaranteed to fill the architecturally stunning Davies Symphony Hall!
Photos courtesy of the SF Symphony and Lina Broydo.
SF 49ers Showcase Food&Beverages Extravaganza at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara
Bravo to Alvin Kabiling, the Levi’s Stadium Executive Chef, who spoiled the invited guests by the gourmet journey of his and his guest chefs’ unique and delicious culinary creations as well as taste some Cheers!-ful beverages.
And my favorite Hall of Fame cocktail was a ready-to-drink Double Gold cocktail pitched by the legendary Joe Montana who collaborated on this creation with the Bay Area’s Gold Bar Whiskey company located on the Bay Area’s Angel Island.
This event was an exclusive look at Levi’s Stadium’s new concessions offerings ahead of the 2025-26 NFL season and the upcoming Super Bowl.
In addition to seeing and tasting the updated concessions offerings, the event featured several restaurant vendors from across the Bay Area who can speak to what it means to be featured in this prestigious venue.
Hope you have the new season’s tickets! www.49ers.org.
Go Niners!
Photos courtesy of Lina Broydo
Opera San Jose’s Fun Presentation of Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte”
In the heart of Silicon Valley, where innovations are born every minute, Opera San José added a touch of high tech to an opera with an exciting interactive experience this fall—giving audiences the power to decide how Mozart’s “Così Fan Tutte” should end. In a playful production directed by internationally renowned tenor and director Alek Shrader, the centuries-old comedy was staged with a “choose your own ending,” with patrons voting live—through a partnership with Cloud4Wi—on whether the original couples in this comedy reunite, end up with new partners, or follow an entirely original ending.
Beyond the comic intrigue, the production also addressed long-standing critiques of the work by restoring wit and intelligence to its female characters, reframing the opera not as a lesson in women’s infidelity but as a sparkling farce of love, loyalty, and choice.
I had lots of fun and joy for over two hours! As always I love attending performances at the beautifully restored California Theater in Downtown San Jose. And being greeted by the live sounds of a talented organist is a special treat!
www.operasj.org;
Photos courtesy of Opera San Jose and Lina Broydo.
The Laver Cup at Chase Stadium Brings Tennis Champions to the City by the Bay
And my dream came true as I met my tennis idol Roger Federer who together with Daniel Lourie, the Mayor of San Francisco, joined the city’s John McLaren Park Tennis Courts Unveiling Ceremony as a part of the Laver Cup Legacy Project
The court resurfacing project, completed in partnership with the USTA Foundation and Mercedes-Benz, represents a lasting legacy investment ahead of the Laver Cup‘s arrival at Chase Center (September 19-21). The renovated courts will serve as one of the home bases for Youth Tennis Advantage, part of the USTA Foundation’s National Junior Tennis & Learning network. Beyond infrastructure improvements, the Community Legacy Project will provide significant funding to support programming at two recognized local leaders in youth tennis programs: Youth Tennis Advantage (YTA) and East Palo Alto
