In partnership with The Exploratorium
Join us as Awesöme Orchestra returns to After Dark at The Exploratorium on Thursday October 2. We're pulling out all the stops this time for some classical bombast We'll be kicking it off with Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" and music from Danny Elfman's score to Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, followed by the first movement of Beethoven's 5th and the Finale from Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 As usual, it promises to be a musical adventure for all!
Musician sign-ups begin Tuesday, September 16 @ 12pm
Session 110 Details
WHERE: Gallery 3, The Exploratorium, Pier 15, The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111* Please note: This venue is 18+. Anyone under the age of 18 will not be allowed to enter the venue *
WHEN:6:30-9:30pm Thursday October 2, 2025
ADMISSION: Free for confirmed musicians. Audience members will need to purchase After Dark tickets from The Exploratorium ($22.95)
TRANSPORTATION SUGGESTIONS: Easily accessible from the F muni line or BART (Embarcadero stop is .75 miles away, 15-minute walk). The Exploratorium has a lot of tips for public transportation options, street parking, garage parking, and driving directions.
SCHEDULE AND REPERTOIRE
conducted by Artistic Director David Möschler, featuring Associate Artistic Director, Brian Adam McCune and guest conductor Christine Brandeis
6:30-7:00pm "Breakfast Machine" from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure by Danny Elfman (orchestrated by Lennie Niehaus) (~3 minutes)
INSTRUMENTATION: 3 clarinets (B-flat), 2 bassoons, 1 alto sax, 4 horns (F), 4 trumpets (B-flat), 3 trombones, 2 tubas, 5 percussion (snare drum, field drum, bass drum, ratchet, cymbals), 1 harp, 3 keyboards, double basses
7:00-7:20pm: "Sabre Dance" from Gayane Suite by Aram Khachaturian (~3 minutes)
INSTRUMENTATION: 2 flutes, 1 piccolo, 2 oboes, 1 english horn, 2 clarinets (B-flat), 1 bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 1 alto saxophone, 4 horns (F), 3 trumpets (B-flat), 2 trombones, 1 bass trombone, 1 tuba, timpani, 2 percussion (snare drum, bass drum, crash cymbals, xylophone, wood blocks), 1 harp, strings
7:30-8:30pm: Symphony No. 5 movement 1 by Beethoven (~9')
INSTRUMENTATION: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B-flat), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (E-flat), 2 trumpets (C), timpani, strings
8:40-9:30pm: Finale from Symphony No. 5 by Dmitri Shostakovich (~11 minutes)
INSTRUMENTATION: 2 flutes, 1 piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B-flat), 1 bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 3 trumpets (B-flat), 3 trombones, 1 tuba, timpani, 2 percussion (snare drum, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, triangle, xylophone, gong), 1 piano, strings
Sheet music can be found here: https://bit.ly/AwesomeSheetMusic
MUSICIANS
*This venue and event is 18+ only*
Some sections (flutes & clarinets especially) will fill up quickly!
We have space for: 12 flutes, 6 oboes, 12 clarinets, 6 bassoons, 12 horns, 4 saxes, 11 trumpets, 9 trombones, 3 tubas, 10 percussion, 4 keyboards, 2 harps, 32 violins, 16 violas, 16 cellos, 8 basses
Waitlist Protocol
Our community of musicians is growing (which is AWESOME), but sometimes that means that some sections fill up quickly (especially flutes and clarinets). You can still sign-up via the form, but if you notice on the form that your instrument has a “waitlist” tag on it, don’t despair! We usually take players off the waitlist as some folks’ plans change. When that happens, you’ll be notified by your Section Ambassadors.
Please do not cancel day of. Our amazing Awesöme Ambassadors are juggling a lot on our session days and trying to fill your spot last minute is a challenge!