SFCM Viewbook

Reimagining Conservatory Training

SAN FRANCISCO CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music provides an education as unique as you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Your Guide to the Conservatory of the Future

12.

Curriculum

05.

SFCM by the Numbers

14.

Areas of Study

06.

Your Voice Matters

18.

Ensembles

08.

The Center of the Arts in San Francisco

20.

You’re in Good Company

10.

Your New Home for Music

22.

Connect with Us

04.

Reimagining the Conservatory Model:

Opus 3 Artists · Pentatone · Askonas Holt 11.

“

Everything a young or professional musician needs is right there: from the spectacular concert halls to the recording studio, classrooms, ensemble and rehearsal spaces. Every space seems to vibrate with possibility and the permission to create.

”

J a ke Heg gie Faculty, Compo sit io n O pus 3 Ar t ist

Your Guide to the Conservatory of the Future Join a community of over 450 artists from 34 countries shaping the future.

SFCM By the Numbers

265 days of sunny skies (More than 70% of the year)

500+

performances each year at SFCM

115+

on-campus work opportunities

100+

Steinway and Yamaha pianos for students

3:1: student-faculty ratio

40+

f aculty performing with SF Symphony, Opera, Ballet, and Jazz ensembles

24/7

practice rooms in the Bowes Center

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Bachelor of Music concentrations: arts leadership, historical performance, technology, and teaching

100% Creatives shine in San Francisco. The city we call home has a long history of welcoming innovators and groundbreakers who bring their big ideas and expand them into game-changing art, technology, and businesses.

Our curriculum and collaborations at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music share that DNA. Since being founded in 1917 by two pioneering women, we’ve built upon a legacy of ingenuity by connecting with local music organizations and tech hubs. The San Francisco Symphony, Ballet, Opera, and SFJAZZ are steps away from campus and employ many of our faculty and alumni. Our Silicon Valley neighbors—Sony, Dolby, Meyer Sound, and Apple—are also partners and collaborators.

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San Francisco Conservatory of Music

At SFCM, we are lifelong leaders and learners. As a professional school, we are committed to providing an extraordinary education that prepares our graduates to pursue fully engaged lives as citizens of the world. Our core mission is to transform our students: artistically, intellectually, professionally, and individually.

Our partnerships with artist-management companies Opus 3 and Askonas Holt and the GRAMMY-winning record label, Pentatone, your music education will be incomparable. At SFCM, we educate the whole person, nurturing students who are world-class musicians on a technical level, with a powerful vision and the tools to manifest that vision in the world.

To learn more about our audition process and scholarship opportunities, please visit our website www.sfcm.edu.

of students receive SFCM scholarships

60%

2

or more professional development credits required for all majors

average percentage of tuition covered by SFCM scholarships

With a Walk Score of 100 out of 100, the Bowes Center is considered a “walker's paradise.” Occupants and residents can run daily errands without any need for a vehicle.

Our badge-access-only buildings are staffed by 24-hour security officers.

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Your Voice Matters

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Golden Gate Bridge

A Diverse Musical Community

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SFCM is committed to raising all voices. We champion the experiences of people who identify across spectrums of gender, sexual orientation, and race, and integrate these experiences into our curriculum and performances.

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We really try to cater our educational practices towards each individual student.

I am here to help shape their careers.

”

Jaso n H ai n sw or th Associate Dean of Community Development Executive Director, Roots, Jazz, and American Music, and Special Advisor to the President

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San Francisco Conservatory of Music

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Presidio

Chinatown

Ferry Building

Arts District B Japantown

SFCM's Emerging Black Composers Project is an effort to commission Black artists while providing them with mentorship and the opportunity to perform new works at major orchestras like the San Francisco Symphony. Since its inception in 2020, it has led to the creation of 11 new musical works.

Join a community where every voice is heard.

Fisherman’s Wharf

Palace of Fine Arts

From our Black Student Union and Pride Network to our eclectic student-led Moonlight Society, and our Basketball and Running clubs, our student groups provide safe spaces for musicians of all kinds.

In addition, the Denis de Coteau Fellowship, originated in 2022, advances opportunities for musicians whose personal and professional experiences contribute to diversity in the arts. It's named in honor of Maestro de Coteau, longtime music director at the San Francisco Ballet and faculty member at the Conservatory.

A joint program between SFCM and the SF Ballet, the fellowship is available to violinists, violists, cellists, and/or double bassists in SFCM's Professional Studies Certificate program.

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Oracle Park

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UCSF Chase Medical Center Center

Golden Gate Park

Ocean Beach

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Outer Sunset

Explore San Francisco Take a look around at some of our favorite places to roam the city.

Chea Kang, Opera Studies · ’25 “My favorite place to unwind and go vintage shopping is the Haight-Ashbury district. It's very colorful and fuels my creativity.”

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Kristen Klehr · Assistant Dean for Professional Development and Engagement.

“I love heading to Patricia's Green sometimes in the early mornings on the weekends, getting a coffee, and sitting on the benches and watching the neighborhood wake up—also, to watch the dogs play! Sometimes there is a farmer's market there as well, which is fun to wander around too.”

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Madison Roesler, Voice · ’21

“Although I'm a local, my favorite place in San Francisco is still the viewing area at Pier 39 to watch the hundreds of California sea lions. Between all the barking, lounging, fighting, napping, and swimming going on, it is one of the most entertaining scenes to watch on a sunny Sunday afternoon!”

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Amelie-Anna Hinman Assistant Director · Roots, Jazz, and American Music

“The ferry building has its little shops and great gourmet artisan places, but cheaper is a ferry to Sausalito or Oakland and a wonderful way to get a new perspective on San Francisco.”

Mission District

Mateyko Jazwinski, RJAM · ’24 “Mount Sutro provides indescribable views of the city, and is home to several incredible hiking trails.”

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Lee Anne Frahn Director of Admissions My favorite place in San Francisco is Macondray Lane in Russian Hill—a peaceful, hidden alley with lush trees, whimsical greenery, and vibrant flowers.

It feels like a secret garden in the middle of the city. If you continue uphill to Ina Coolbrith Park, you might spot the (in)famous wild parrots and catch one of the best views in the city.

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Our neighborhood is the heart of arts and culture in the city.

Ann Getty Center for Education

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r Street

McAlliste

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T he Ute and William K. Bowes, Jr. Center for Performing Arts

Street Franklin

SFCM’s facility at 50 Oak Street has 60 teaching spaces, 29 practice rooms, a cafe, and 3 performance spaces designed to showcase more than 500 yearly performances.

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s Aven

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Civic Center

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The Center of the Arts in San Francisco

Bay Area Rapid Transit

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SFCM’s new 12-story music education and performance hub combines student housing, practice rooms, performance spaces, recording studios, and radio station Classical California KDFC.

SF Symphony

War Memorial Opera House

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SF Ballet One of the world’s leading dance companies is also a frequent SFCM collaborator. SFCM faculty members are part of the SF Ballet Orchestra and students from the SF Ballet School live alongside SFCM students in the Bowes Center. In 2022, the two organizations partnered to form the Denis de Coteau Fellowship to advance opportunities for musicians with diverse backgrounds.

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SFJAZZ Center

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Uccello Lounge

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Asian Art Museum

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Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

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Orpheum Theater

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

02 Bowes Center (SFCM)

SFJAZZ Center SFCM is a long-time partner, with extensive overlap between faculty and the SFJAZZ Collective members.

SFCM students frequently play side-by-side with SFJAZZ members on stage.

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Davies Symphony Hall

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SF Opera This internationally renowned company is known for commissioning numerous world premieres and training the next generation of opera stars. Numerous faculty and alumni are ingrained with this company through initiatives like the historic Merola Opera Program and Adler Fellowship Program.

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City Hall

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St

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ar ke t

The GRAMMY-winning orchestra is across the street from SFCM's Bowes Center and most principal players are on SFCM faculty. SFCM students have access to opportunities to play side-by-side with professionals at Davies Hall and even substitute with the Orchestra.

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S t

Oak Stree

Ann Getty Center (SFCM)

Hayes Valley 9

Your New Home For Music

Reimagining the Conservatory Model

Compose, practice, perform, and record

Cha Chi Ming Recital Hall

THE BOWES CENTER Meet the first “vertical campus.”

This new 12-story, $200 million+, award-winning building in the core of the SF arts district transforms the city’s cultural landscape through street-level and rooftop performance spaces and a cutting-edge recording studio. Ninety-five percent of concerts here are free and open to the public!

This one-of-a-kind building contains modern apartment-style residences, the Classical California KDFC radio broadcasting studio, and the Uccello Lounge, a full-service restaurant that offers performance opportunities for students. SFCM’s closed campus features around-the-clock security officers in our buildings and allows access only to students, faculty, staff, and guests with badge access.

THE ANN GETTY CENTER Barbro Osher Recital Hall

State-of-the-art studios and classrooms designed for the best audio and learning experience.

Our facilities at 50 Oak Street house acoustically mastered spaces (including practice rooms, teaching and recording studios, and concert halls) tailored to specific sound requirements. The building is also home to more than 100 Steinway and Yamaha pianos, a collection of Baroque instruments, and the historic Harris Guitar Collection. 50 Oak's Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall has recently undergone extensive renovations that utilize digital projections that add whole new worlds to onstage performances.

SEE FOR YOURSELF Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall

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San Francisco Conservatory of Music

From our beautiful concert halls to the cutting-edge tech of Studio G, explore our campus yourself!

Scan the QR code to get started.

A new model for advancing music and education— SFCM's global initiative with Askonas Holt, Opus 3 Artists, and Pentatone SFCM is redefining what it means to be a modern conservatory—starting by not limiting itself to being just a conservatory.

musicians to workshop ideas on campus while simultaneously giving students hands-on exposure to shaping new works with these artists.

In late 2020, SFCM began a series of acquisitions to reimagine how traditionally disparate elements of the music industry could connect. The Conservatory now leads an alliance consisting of artist management companies Askonas Holt and Opus 3 Artists and recording label Pentatone.

Recent collaborations include Opus 3 Artist the Academy of St Martin in the Fields holding a residency that culminated in a side-by-side performance with students and Joshua Bell at Davies Symphony Hall. Additional collaborations include Canadian Brass, Tamara Mumford, and Aaron Diehl.

Lara Downes and the SFCM Orchestra also recorded Edmar Colón’s Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined released in 2024 by Pentatone records.

Together, the partners share an enthusiasm for supporting the success of students and artists by encouraging professional

“

These growing partnerships with Askonas Holt, Opus 3, and Pentatone are dedicated to supporting the finest artists of our time and cultivating the emerging talent of tomorrow.

This is just the beginning.

”

Dav id H. Stull Pres ident

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Curriculum

TH I N K O U T S I D E TH E B OX : WI NTE R TE R M Every January, Winter Term allows students the chance to play in a way they haven’t before.

It’s a two-week long opportunity for students to immerse themselves in subjects beyond the standard curriculum. It’s a chance to learn about an interest they’ve never quite had time to explore or to give their career a head start by developing a business or technical skill. Experiment in a different genre, learn to DJ, or create your own concert, to name a few!

MORE THAN JUST TECHNIQUE Our curriculum expands the typical conservatory education by preparing students for opportunities in the modern economy.

Our faculty are not just world-class teachers, but working musicians and industry leaders, providing unrivaled mentorship, connections, and guidance.

Courses like our Finance for Musicians class are designed to set you up for success as part of our Professional Development and Engagement Center (PDEC) which readies the artist as a whole for the working world of music. Our Technology and Applied Composition program has one of the strongest job placement rates for music conservatory graduates anywhere.

Alumni work in positions such as music producers, sound designers, and recording artists, and are employed by companies like Sony, Spitfire Audio, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft.

SFCM promotes real-world experience, encouraging students to book gigs and perform at venues on and off-campus. Our deep connections to the SF Symphony, Ballet, Opera, and SFJAZZ also give you the chance for side-by-side performances and our tight-knit studios and small class sizes provide plenty of one-on-one instruction.

Bachelor of Music Concentrations · Leadership · Teaching · Technology · Historical Performance Concentrations are an opportunity to focus on an area of interest and build a larger skillset to take with you upon graduating. Once completed, your Concentration will be indicated on your transcript, so your efforts will be visible to future employers and graduate programs.

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Understanding the ecosystem is what sets modern musicians apart.

”

Kr i s ten Kl eh r Assistant Dean, Professional Development and Engagement Center Department Chair, Professional Development

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San Francisco Conservatory of Music

EDUCATING THE MODERN MUSICIAN SFCM offers a focused curriculum that prepares students for a life in music, however SFCM offers a holistic education. General studies in history, literature, languages, and other disciplines are essential to a fully transformative education. SFCM graduates are entrepreneurial, culturally informed, and well-rounded professionals.

SFCM has 24 classes built into its professional development curriculum. Classes like financial literacy and professional fundamentals are mandatory for undergraduates.

More advanced classes include business for the media composer, entertainment law, and music contracts. This unique course work sets performers up for success in the business of music.

QUESTIONS ABOUT ACADEMICS? At SFCM, morning classes are usually designated for musicianship and music theory, afternoon classes depend on instrument and area of study, while early evening classes can consist of large ensemble performances, studio classes, or professional development.

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“

I always remind my students that the music should come first. Decide what you want to say, then figure out how to say it. Technique and details should follow your musical ideal.

Je s s i c a Va l er i Fa cu l ty, H o r n

BRASS Department Chair: Adam Luftman Many of SFCM's brass faculty serve as principals in the San Francisco Symphony as well as players of the SF Opera and Ballet Orchestras.

The department offers multiple performance opportunities through orchestra, chamber music, and brass choir, while honing the

Our composition department provides students with faculty mentorship and frequent performance and workshop opportunities,

individual's skills. Recent brass alumni have been hired by the National Symphony Orchestra and the U.S. Army Field band. sfcm.edu/brass

With only one or two students in the program at a time, our conducting program guarantees students the high-level guidance and performance opportunities—in conjunction

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San Francisco Conservatory of Music

sfcm.edu/guitar

Department Chair: Corey Jamason Whether on keyboards, baroque violin, viola, cello, viola da gamba, harpsichord or voice, Historical Performance students learn from faculty with ties to leading early music

organizations like the American Bach Soloists and San Francisco Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale. sfcm.edu/historical-performance

PERCUSSION Department Chair: Jacob Nissly including readings of your work, a student-led new music festival, art song competition, and the large ensemble and chamber cycles. sfcm.edu/composition

CONDUCTING Department Chair: Edwin Outwater

Guitar Collection and numerous performance opportunities (especially in chamber music) within the Conservatory. The guitar program honors the historic tradition of classical guitar while cultivating innovation with guitar graduates succeeding on and off the performance stage.

HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE

COMPOSITION Department Chair: David Conte

Department Chair: David Tanenbaum SFCM’s guitar department has produced some of the top guitarists in the world, including winners of the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition.

Spearheaded by an all-star, international faculty with expertise ranging from early music to cutting-edge modern work, this program also offers access to the historic Harris

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Areas of Study

GUITAR

with the Conservatory orchestra and other ensembles—required to become successful and well-rounded conductors. sfcm.edu/conducting

The percussion program is composed of members of the San Francisco Symphony, two of them principal players, and a member of the GRAMMY-winning Silkroad Ensemble, founded

by Yo-Yo Ma. Whether you want to hold down

the rhythms of a symphony or redefine what a percussion instrument is, the small studio sizes and multiple performance opportunities of this department ensure you're in good hands. sfcm.edu/percussion

PIANO & COLLABORATIVE PIANO Department Chair: Yoshikazu Nagai Collaborative Piano Department Chair: Tim Bach Students of our wide-ranging piano and collaborative piano departments develop their style alongside celebrated faculty and visiting luminaries, including recent guest artists Yuja

Wang, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Daniil Trifonov.

Made up of fewer than 60 students, this department prides itself on individualized attention for each pianist, as well as extraordinary instruments including New York and Hamburg Steinway Ds in every concert hall. sfcm.edu/keyboard

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ROOTS, JAZZ, AND AMERICAN MUSIC

VOICE

Department Chair: Jason Hainsworth

Department Chairs: Catherine Cook and Richard Cox

Roots, Jazz, and American Music is a first-ofits-kind program that links a world-class music conservatory to an award-winning jazz concert venue in SFJAZZ. Building on the legacy of alumni like Julian Lage and George Duke, this this program offers an all-star faculty, visits and

classes from world-class touring artists, and real-world opportunities at some of the Bay Area’s leading jazz venues. You’ll understand the roots of your music, freeing you to take it somewhere new. sfcm.edu/roots-jazz-and-american-music

STRINGS Department Chair: Simon James Home to the world’s best young string players, our strings program provides a variety of solo, ensemble, and orchestra

performance opportunities, in addition to backstage access to the San Francisco Symphony, Ballet, and Opera. sfcm.edu/strings

STRING & PIANO CHAMBER MUSIC Department Chair: Dimitri Murrath This program is open to graduate students both in pre-formed chamber groups and as individuals. The highly selective program provides students with time to focus on their chamber music skills, through playing with internationally acclaimed guest artists and SFCM faculty in the Chamber Music Tuesdays concert series, and highly focused rehearsals,

coaching and masterclasses for their chamber music ensembles.

The first program of its kind in the nation, it offers an immersive educational experience that combines intensive individual instrumental training with the study of chamber music at the highest artistic level. sfcm.edu/string-and-piano-chamber

TECHNOLOGY & APPLIED COMPOSITION The TAC program gives students a direct path into the worlds of audio engineering, film and video game scoring, live performance, emerging media, sound design, and other rewarding musical avenues. Students are mentored by active professionals working not only as composers but also as sound artists, recording engineers, and performers. Our state-ofthe-art recording and mixing studios feature

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San Francisco Conservatory of Music

cutting-edge production tools and spatial audio systems, and our graduates are composing music for AAA video games and Netflix series, working for companies like Meta and Sony, or are active composer-performers redefining the intersection of technology and music.

Opera & Musical Theatre Chair: Heather Mathews Our celebrated faculty will hone your technique and expand your artistry through private voice lessons, studio classes, and professional development courses to help you grow into a business-savvy, well-rounded artist. Our deep ties to SF Opera include its Adler Fellowship and Merola programs, some of the best young artist initiatives in the country. Students also participate in multiple fully staged opera

productions a year from Giulio Cesare to Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. Far more than just your voice, the curriculum also centers on acting and diction skills–and even stage combat–to prepare you for a complete career on stage. SFCM has also recently expanded its Voice curriculum, which while continuing to embrace opera, will also include instruction in musical theater and multi-genre performance with microphone, all designed to multiply opportunities for young singers. sfcm.edu/voice

WOODWINDS Department Chair: Jerome Simas SFCM's Woodwinds department offers students one-on-one time with San Francisco Symphony principal musicans. Performance opportunities, from Woodwind Ensemble to chamber group collaborations, abound, and SFCM maintains its

own reedmaking lab for students.

Recent graduates have landed jobs with lauded orchestras like "The President's Own" Marine Corps Band, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco Symphony. sfcm.edu/woodwinds

“

The school is at the front of the line in preparing students to succeed as 21st-century musicians, the facilities are beyond compare, and I very much look forward to continuing my teaching career here.

”

Awadag in Pr att F acu lty, Pian o

sfcm.edu/tac

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Ensembles Perform with your peers at the highest level.

Get to know a handful of the ensembles available at SFCM. Baroque Ensemble Ensembles big and small perform timeless music from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Jazz Ensemble

Percussion Ensemble

Delve into every configuration of jazz group from small combos on up with close supervision from RJAM faculty in Jazz Seminar, Big Band, and Latin Jazz Ensemble.

Perform in two annual concerts that draw from foundational composers like Edgard Varèse and contemporary icons such as Steve Reich.

New Music Ensemble Chorus Students develop an instinct for phrasing by connecting notes with the human breath, performing in multiple languages, and encountering a diverse range of periods and style.

Perform a variety of works written in the 20th and 21st centuries in concert with leading contemporary composers and premiere works by fellow students.

Opera and Musical Theatre Guitar Ensemble Explore new and traditional music in an ensemble that has a legacy of world premieres and commissions through a department with a world-class faculty and visiting artists.

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San Francisco Conservatory of Music

A program that produces five fully staged productions each season, along with curated opera scene showcases. Among these productions is an opera dedicated specifically to undergraduate voice students, and another dedicated to musical theatre.

Additional opportunities include a semi-staged historical performance/Baroque opera.

SFCM Orchestra Experience a complete overview of classical repertoire and perform multiple concerts a year that prominently feature student soloists.

String and Piano Chamber Music This highly selective and intentionally small department is the nation’s first such program at the graduate level.

Recent ensemble concert highlights include Opera and Musical Theatre’s 2025 presentation of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, which dazzled audiences. “The talent on display was stunning, the production, the singing, the acting, the orchestra, the conducting, and pacing, every part,” said composer Jake Heggie. “It could easily be on Broadway.” This production also featured the evolving digital opera hall. These ongoing upgrades include dramatic technical upgrades and a full digital proscenium creating a multimedia immersive experience.

Woodwind and Brass Chamber Music With individual coaching by industry leaders, this ensemble explores wide-ranging music literature in multiple performances each year.

VIEW ALL PERFORMANCES AT SFCM.EDU/PERFORMANCES

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You’re in Good Company

“Of course my teacher, Rhoslyn Jones taught me how to sing, but also how to advocate for myself, how to believe in myself, how to encourage, protect, and share the artistic flame inside me.”

Here’s what some of your future peers and mentors are saying about SFCM, music, and life.

Ho pe Ne ls o n · A D ’ 24 O p era Stud i es

“Your school really is a jewel in the palace that is San Francisco.”

“Be as creative with your career as you are with your music.”

M i randa P l ay f ai r, Vi ol i ni st Acad e m y of St M ar ti n i n th e Fi e l ds Opu s 3 Ar ti s t

Ma s o n Ba te s Facul ty, Com p os i ti on

“I came to the Conservatory because it's always looking to the future.”

“Take time to look around and be thankful for what music and SFCM has done for you, the places it has taken you, and the people you have met because of it. This isn't like a regular college, we're much more tight-knit, and teachers get to know you.”

C a ro l i n e Fei to s a · BM ’2 5 Te c h nolog y a nd A p p lie d Com p os it ion

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San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Edwin Outw ater S FCM’s Music Direc to r Facult y, Co nduc t ing

“When I showed up I really fell in love with the city and it assured me that I made the right choice and the community here is really friendly and supportive. ” J ulia n So mme r, MM ’ 25 Cel l o

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VISIT SFCM, YOUR NEW HOME

CONNECT WITH US

TRANSFORM — INTELLECTUALLY, ARTISTICALLY, PROFESSIONALLY, AND INDIVIDUALLY

ADMISSIONS apply@sfcm.edu

@SFConservMusic

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music is committed to creating a challenging and nurturing environment where you can carve a path for a rewarding and exciting profession. Connect with us— on campus or online—as we work together to define what it means to be a 21st-century musician.

50 Oak Street San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 503-6271

@SanFranciscoConservatoryOfMusic

Questions about admissions, attending a performance, or giving to SFCM? Ask our chatbot at sfcm.edu/admissions

@sfconservmusic @sfconservmusic

@SFConservMusic @sfconservmusic @san-francisco-conservatory-of-music

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San Francisco Conservatory of Music

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UNCOVER WHAT'S INSIDE “

I now look at the total picture, and I see SFCM pursuing an ambitious strategy that encompasses the entire music ecosystem. No other conservatory in the world has anything close to their presence in technology, recording, music distribution, career development, concert bookings, and even music journalism.

”

Ted G i oi a American Ja z z C ri t i c

sfcm.edu