Written by Behnam Vadi
San Francisco – On April 11, 2025, Sound Box, the San Francisco Symphony’s experimental performance series, delivered one of its most visually and sonically ambitious evenings yet. Curated by Grammy-nominated composer and percussionist Andy Akiho, Sculptures was a multisensory journey where music, visual art, and technology melted together inside a space that felt more like an immersive salon than a concert hall. Wow, what a performance from start to finish.
The venue buzzed, from the moments in the long lines to trying to get a good seat. It was a salon-like vibe, intimate yet electric. I immediately noticed that the room was surrounded by five projection screens, three above and one large screen behind the musicians, which were filled with colour. These visuals we’re not just décor but an essential part of the storytelling and musical journey: immersive, ever-shifting, and often surreal. From the moment the first note sounded, Akiho set the tone for a night where each of the 10 performances unfolded like a chapter in a living book of sound and image:
The Performances and highlights:
Part III of the so-called laws of nature. The evening opened with a tightly interwoven ensemble performance showcasing rhythmic complexity and percussive interplay. The piece unfolded with mathematical precision and an organic sense of momentum, engaging all the senses at once.
Clouded Yellow
This performance was a poetic work backed by delicate visuals of butterflies in flight. The music shimmered while the screen danced in gentle motion, a meditative experience that hinted at both beauty and fragility.
Petroglyph from Sculptures
This was one of my highlights, featuring 11 musicians and the master sensei conductor: pure majesty, music, and art combined. Hieroglyphic imagery recalled the colours and patterns of Peruvian art, grounding the piece in an ancient and ceremonial energy that was both uplifting and cultural. I felt catapulted to a different time. It was magical.
Spell
With just three musicians, this minimalist piece was anything but understated and another highlight. The visuals exploded with dynamic, surreal shapes and brilliant colors, creating a spellbinding interplay between form and sound – Some of the best visuals of the night!
Beyond the Order of Things
It was a tapestry of abstract visuals forming a moving collage. The artwork featured layered imagery and morphing female faces that drew the viewer in with emotional subtlety, while the score created a haunting sense of mystery.
CarTogRAPh from Seven Pillars
Performed by Jacob Nissly, this piece was an absolute showstopper. The screen displayed multiple angles of Nissly in action, bathed in neon pinks and greens. His performance was electrifying, displaying a level of technical mastery and expressive power that took the audience (and me) to another level of appreciation for what percussionists can do. In simple words, he killed it!
Nacht nach nacht nach nacht nach nacht
This piece offered a more introspective pace, meticulously telling a story that unfolded through the performance. While the xylophone rang out minimalist patterns, the visuals showed four individuals lighting candles, rotating in and out of focus. Meditative, intimate, and quietly powerful.
Cylinders from Sculptures
Ah, the maestro himself, Andy Akiho, took center stage, performing on what appeared to be ceramic cylinders, artworks by famed Japanese American sculptor Jun Kaneko – it was nothing short of breathtaking. The live visuals zoomed in on Andy’s hands and toes in slow motion, adding gravity and grace to every movement. It was sound as sculpture, literally, brought to life by the fantastic talents of our night curator.
With a Blue Dress On
This piece shifted the emotional register to another high. Backed by a golden wheat field and rural imagery, it felt grounded and reflective, perhaps the night’s most “human” moment. There was a subtle, country-esque charm, serene and unexpected.
Bronze II from Sculptures
What a dramatic and fitting finale. Andy Akiho and principal percussionist Jacob Nissly shared the stage once more, drumming in perfect unison against a sculptural headpiece. The performance was intense, raw, intensely collaborative, and powerful. It felt like watching two minds communicate through rhythm, completely in sync. On a stage as intimate and daring as SoundBox’s, chemistry was magnetic. Akiho and Nissly are a duo made for each other and for moments like this – nothing but profound respect for this masterclass performance.
Akiho’s Voice & Vision – Between pieces, Andy Akiho spoke directly to the audience, offering insights into his creative process and the stories behind the works. His reflections were thoughtful and humble, adding a personal layer to the evening and making the audience feel like co-conspirators in his creative world.
Final Thoughts: This wasn’t just a concert. It was an experience, a living gallery of sound and sight. Sculptures reminded us that music isn’t confined to instruments or scores. It can be carved, projected, lit, and brought to life through collaboration. Andy Akiho has crafted something original, unforgettable, and profoundly human and one that will be remembered. If this is the direction contemporary classical is heading, count us all the way in.
For more information on SF Symphony, go to: www.sfsymphony.org
