2023 was another exciting year for SFCM, its students, and faculty, bringing a host of exciting events, competition wins, and collaborations to the Conservatory. From visiting artists, new lauded faculty members and a first-time recording project with SFCM students and the Conservatory's record label Pentatone, here is a look back on ten highlights of another SFCM banner year. 

January:  SFCM Helps Prog-Rock Legend Jon Anderson Realize New Marc Chagall Musical

Jon Anderson works with SFCM students.

Prog-rock legend Jon Anderson, most famous for his role fronting Yes, tapped Opera and Musical Theatre Chair Heather Mathews—and SFCM students—to help workshop his upcoming musical about the life of painter Marc Chagall.  "I wanted to give students the experience of working on a new musical with a living composer in a very expedited fashion," Mathews said of the unique Winter Term project. "They had the music, they had the book, but they only had five days, and singing over tracks like these is different from singing with an orchestra, so that was new for them as well." 

March: SFCM Hosts Academy of St Martin in the Fields for Residency

Students play alongside musicians from Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

During a three-day residency in March, the Academy held masterclasses and performed in a side-by-side concert with students. The Academy, who are Opus 3 Artists, the management company acquired by SFCM in 2020, is known to push boundaries of player-directed performance to new heights, which provided a unique experience for students. “As the Academy plays without a conductor, [the music] requires sensitive chamber music skills. Everyone has to take responsibility, so it was impressive to see how quickly the students assimilated what was required,” said Martin Burgess, the Principal Second Violin of ASMF. “I hope students picked up in the rehearsals how important the team effort is and how sharing ideas and being open to different interpretations can enhance the final result,” he added. 

March: Yuja Wang at SFCM

The acclaimed pianist worked one-on-one with students, led a masterclass, and notched a number of brand-new collaborations during her two-part residency at SFCM, the first of its kind at a U.S. conservatory.  “The San Francisco Conservatory of Music is an incredible place for students to learn and grow, and to inspire each other. I had a great time working with them and they certainly inspired me,” Yuja said of her time at SFCM. During her masterclass, Yuja worked side-by-side with numerous student musicians in SFCM’s lauded piano program, including Maryann Gou. “She really is the embodiment of the modern woman in classical music today,” Gou said.

May: SFCM’s Film, Game, Media Scoring Program Celebrates Major Milestone

SFCM's TAC program works on a production.

SFCM's Technology and Applied Composition program celebrated its 100th graduate. The TAC program offers students a direct path to careers in film, television and media scoring, sound design, and audio engineering and music production.  First introduced in 2014, the TAC program today has one of the highest employment rates of any program at SFCM, with more than 90% of alumni employed full time in related fields. TAC graduates have composed music for Superbowl commercials, popular video games, and are employed by companies like Dropbox, Spitfire Audio, and Electronic Arts. 

June: Xavier Muzik Announced as Winner of Third Annual Emerging Black Composers Project Prize, Now Known as Michael Morgan Prize

Composer Xavier Muzik.

Muzik will receive a $15,000 commission and mentorship, and his piece will premiere with the San Francisco Symphony during the 2024-2025 season.  In addition to announcing Muzik as the newest winner, it was also announced that the EBCP award will be called the Michael Morgan Prize. Morgan was music director of the Oakland Symphony and the first chair and co-founder of the EBCP before he died in 2021. Morgan was dedicated to music education and a believer in the power of music to change communities for the better.

August: Cellist Richard Aaron Appointed to SFCM Faculty

Richard Aaron.

It was announced that award-winning and critically acclaimed cellist and educator Richard Aaron will join SFCM faculty in the Fall 2024 semester.  “It is a great honor to be invited to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. There is a wonderful pedagogical cello tradition in San Francisco which I am very excited to be joining,” Aaron said. Aaron is described as a “sought-after professor of cello whose methods of teaching have garnered global acclaim.”

September: SFCM Announces First Internship Program with Opus 3 Artists

SFCM students Joshua Choi and Yuki Yokota.

Two SFCM students began an on-the-ground experience in a first-of-its-kind internship with Opus 3 Artists, the leading artist-management company acquired by SFCM in 2020. The internships, lasting for the duration of the semester, are designed to be a unique opportunity for students to gain real-world experience in the music industry and hone skills under the mentorship of top industry professionals. Both students will also get the opportunity to attend the annual Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) conference in January in New York City, the world's premier gathering of the performing arts presenting, booking, and touring industry.

October: SFCM Violinist, Stradivarius in Tow, Wins Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition

SFCM student Daniel Dastoor.

Daniel Dastoor's Rilian Trio performed Schubert’s Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat major, D 898, taking the winning spot at this world-renowned competition. "We couldn't be more proud of Daniel and that one of SFCM's chamber music majors was able to demonstrate the core values and skills taught in our unique program on the international stage and received critical recognition for it at such a prestigious competition," Associate Chair of Strings & Piano Chamber Music Julio Elizalde said. "Chamber music majors like Daniel represent SFCM's rich history of teaching chamber music at the very highest level and we look forward to his upcoming performances with distinguished visiting artists this year." 

October: SFCM and SF Ballet Announce First Two Recipients of Denis de Coteau Fellowship

SFCM students Frederic Renaud (L) and Adrian Jackson (R).

SFCM and the SF Ballet selected the first two students for the new Denis de Coteau Fellowship for the 2023-2024 school year. The fellows are Adrian Jackson, viola, studying with Dimitri Murrath and Jonathan Vinocour, and Frederic Renaud, cello, studying with Jennifer Culp. 

Both musicians will receive tuition, housing, and a stipend for SFCM’s one-year Professional Studies Certificate in Instrumental Performance. The two students will also have the opportunity to play rehearsals and shows with the SF Ballet Orchestra, as well as other training and support.

October: SFCM's Orchestra and Pentatone Help Lara Downes Reimagine a 'Rhapsody'

The SFCM Orchestra records with Lara Downes.

SFCM hosted a modern reimagining of the 100-year-old Rhapsody in Blue with pianist Lara Downes, all recorded with the SFCM Orchestra for a release on SFCM's record label, PENTATONE, in 2024.  SFCM Music Director Outwater performed Rhapsody many times and was keen to preserve some of the historical accuracies—such as how the performers would have swung and articulated their notes at the time—but he still loves the raw power of the piece. "If you hear the original with Gershwin, I mean, it's nothing short of punk rock. It's extremely aggressive and has kind of ugly and beautiful sounds combined," Outwater said. 

For students—many of whom are involved in a recording project of this magnitude for the first time—Outwater has stressed that it's a valuable piece of training with some big names attached. "The engineer on this, Adam Abeshouse, is a Grammy winner; my last project won a Grammy, Lara is a prolific recording artist. It's a high standard of what recording is, so when the students go out and record themselves, they know the standards they'll be held to and how to work to them."