8 Great Jazz and Classical Concerts in the Bay Area This Fall

Be sure to check out our full 2025 Fall Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more in the Bay Area.

This fall, everything you know is wrong. Rock venues are selling out concerts by quasi-classical relaxing piano guys. Jazz clubs are home to Bay Area rappers. Folk venues are booking jazz artists. Classical concert halls are hosting rock bands. It’s anarchy!

The upshot of all this havoc: there’s a wealth of great jazz and classical performances in the Bay Area this fall. Here’s a small sampling.

Ron Carter Quartet

Sept. 18–20, 2025
SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco

If you think you’ve never heard Ron Carter, believe me: you’ve heard Ron Carter. The most-recorded bassist of all time has played on more than 2,200 albums. Still best-known for his years with Miles Davis, the bassist’s current group boasts drummer Payton Crossley, saxophonist Jimmy Green and the excellent pianist Renee Rosnes.

Donald Runnicles conducts Mahler 1

Sept. 26–28, 2025
Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco

The San Francisco Symphony’s upcoming season of tried-and-true classics has a bright spot in this appearance by well-loved conductor Donald Runnicles, who for 17 years occupied the podium across the street from Davies at the Opera House. In San Francisco, Mahler is its own hue of tried-and-true, but expect Runnicles to pull surprising textures out of the composer’s first symphony, paired here with Berg’s Seven Early Songs.

Saul Williams with Carlos Niño & Friends

Sept. 30–Oct. 1, 2025
Yoshi’s, Oakland

The trend of rap artists performing at the venerable jazz club Yoshi’s started five or six years ago, with rappers like Scarface and DJ Quik, and has recently included Bay Area rappers Richie Rich, Mac Mall and, upcoming, B-Legit (Sept. 14). Semi-adjacent to all this is Saul Williams, the gifted poet, rapper and actor (seen in this year’s Sinners), who performs at the club with Latin percussionist Carlos Niño and his combo.

Mike Clark Quintet

Oct. 4 and 5, 2025/em>
SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco

As if a performance by this legendary drummer from Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters band weren’t enough, check his cohort of heavyweights for these shows, which includes pianist Patrice Rushen, saxophonist Craig Handy and trumpeter Eddie Henderson. The fact that it’s in SFJAZZ’s tiny side room, the Joe Henderson Lab, seals these as shows for the history books.

Ledisi sings Dinah Washington

Oct. 6, 2025
Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco

Is there a more invigorating jazz singer that crossed over into pop than Dinah Washington? While “What a Difference a Day Makes” paid her bills, Washington recorded dozens of extended sides with jazz greats; her seven-minute “Bye Bye Blues” is a guaranteed depression cure. At Davies, the Bay Area’s own Ledisi pays special tribute to Washington and her natural exuberance.

Jeffrey Kahane and Gabriel Kahane

Oct. 10, 2025
Herbst Theatre, San Francisco

This father-and-son duo should be familiar to the Bay Area — Jeffrey Kahane conducted the Santa Rosa Symphony for 10 seasons, and Gabriel, now a musician of national renown, was raised here. The two have not often appeared onstage together, however. On this night at Herbst, they team up to perform Heirloom, a concerto written by Gabriel for his father, along with other works for two pianos.

Brandee Younger Trio

Oct. 23, 2025
The Freight, Berkeley

The folk-and-fancy-fiddle featurin’ Freight & Salvage has slowly stepped into the 21st century with a new name (“The Freight”) and an expansion into the occasional rap show (Talib Kweli, recently, and KRS-One on Oct. 24). Jazz is in the mix too, with trumpeter Keyon Harrold (Sept. 25) and the most prominent torchbearer of the music of Alice Coltrane, Brandee Younger, who can virtually stop time whenever she wants.

‘The Monkey King’

Nov. 14–30, 2025
War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco

While the house is sure to be packed in September for San Francisco Opera’s revival of the modern classic Dead Man Walking (which premiered here 25 years ago), this world premiere has its own frenzied anticipation. Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s work, based on the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West, is augmented with colorful costumes, choreography, Buddhist sutras and advanced puppetry.

Briefly Noted

Caelean Cardello Trio
Sept. 18–20; Black Cat, San Francisco

Laufey
Sept. 29 (Oakland Arena, Oakland) and Sept. 30 (Chase Center, San Francisco)

Paul Cornish
Oct. 3 (The Break Room, San Jose) and Oct. 4 (Piedmont Piano Co., Oakland)

Berlioz / Rachmaninoff / Clyne with Symphony San Jose
Oct. 4 and 5; California Theatre, San Jose

Makaya McCraven
Oct. 21; Great American Music Hall, San Francisco

Rodrigo / de Falla / Assad with the Santa Rosa Symphony
Nov. 8–10; Green Music Center, Rohnert Park

Verdi’s Requiem with the Oakland Symphony
Nov. 14; Paramount Theatre, Oakland

Montgomery / Mozart / Beethoven with the California Symphony
Nov. 15 and 16; Lesher Center, Walnut Creek