San Francisco Symphony Opening Night Gala 2012 (PHOTOS)

The San Francisco Symphony celebrated its 101st year at a star-studded gala last week with a crowd that featured Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Mayor Ed Lee, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and author Amy Tan, among others.

The city's elite donned gowns and tails at the Davies Symphony Hall for a red-carpet entrance and champagne reception. Once inside, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas worked the room with his signature high-energy but soft-spoken style, leading the audience through booming opening and closing numbers rich with crowd participation.

And once the room was warm, the symphony swept its way through a celebratory program that included a dazzling performance by legendary American violinist Joshua Bell, the guest of the evening.

Guests then filtered out the doors for a late-night gala. In the street, circus performers and street food added to the carnival theme, and under the tent, attendees danced the night away to a 12-piece band.

Check out photos from the event in our slideshow below: