 In 1979, he finished his first orchestral work, "Common Tones in Simple Time", which was premiered by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Orchestra under Adams' baton.In 1979, Adams became the New Music Adviser for the San Francisco Symphony and created the symphony's New and Unusual Music concerts.A commission from the symphony resulted in Adams' large, three-movement choral symphony "Harmonium" (1980–81) setting texts by John Donne and Emily Dickinson.