On the night before the San Francisco Symphony embarks on its East Coast tour, it will host a concert to reaffirm its commitment to inclusion and to donate a majority of ticket proceeds to LGBTQ service providers. The performance will take place on April 4th at 8pm in Davies Symphony Hall.

The San Francisco concert—Symphony Pride—was announced after the orchestra decided to cancel its two North Carolina performances in response to the state's adoption of discriminatory legislation relating to bathrooms and transgender people.

“We didn’t want to necessarily deny the people of North Carolina our music,” said Theodora Karatzas, one of the symphony’s publicists. “But like others, we took a stand and said [these bathroom bills] aren’t something we support.” 

The symphony, led by music director Michael Tilson Thomas, chose to replace the North Carolina concerts with a benefit in San Francisco that supports the LGBTQ community.

Karatzas told us the symphony will donate $80,000 in ticket sales to four LGBTQ nonprofits: Larkin Street Youth Services, Transgender Law Center, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and The Trevor Project.

Symphony Pride will feature Tony award-winning Broadway star Audra McDonald as a co-host, vocalist and narrator, and music for the night has been curated to spotlight “the essential contributions that LGBTQ composers have made in shaping the American musical sound,” said Tilson Thomas in a press release.

”One of music’s greatest roles is to bring people together,” he said. “I am proud to join with the musicians of the San Francisco Symphony … in presenting an evening that celebrates and honors the spirit of our community.”

Tickets to next week’s Symphony Pride performance are available at the San Francisco Symphony's website.