The San Francisco Symphony will bring The Ring to Davies Symphony Hall on Tuesday, October 20, with Hans Zimmer’s unsettling score performed live as Gore Verbinski’s horror film plays on the big screen.
The performance, scheduled for 7.30pm, forms part of the orchestra’s film series and arrives shortly before Halloween. Jason Seber will make his San Francisco Symphony debut as guest conductor.
Zimmer’s music, built around a restrained, string-led sound, will be performed in real time alongside the film. The arrangement demands precise coordination between the orchestra, the projected picture and the conductor’s cues.
Seber said live film concerts can help introduce new and more diverse audiences to Davies Symphony Hall, by combining the familiarity of cinema with the scale and immediacy of a full symphony orchestra.
The San Francisco Symphony’s 2026-27 season includes a wider programme of films with live orchestral accompaniment, including Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hook, Avatar and La La Land.
The Ring features music by Zimmer, whose minimalist score relies heavily on strings to heighten the film’s atmosphere. The orchestra’s performance will allow the soundtrack to be heard as a live concert work while retaining its close connection to the on-screen thriller.
