Its level of training, performance, quality, range, and leadership in commissioning music for treble voices are lauded by musicians, critics, and audiences. San Francisco Symphony Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas says, “The San Francisco Girls Chorus is a treasure. Their training, musicality, and vibrant spirit are evident whenever they perform. I have enjoyed our long association and look forward to many years of collaboration.”
SFGC’s 30th Anniversary season, 2008-2009, culminated in a performance in President Barack Obama’s swearing-in ceremony, and a debut concert at Alice Tully Hall at New York’s Lincoln Center. Founded in 1978, the San Francisco Girls Chorus has become a regional center for choral music education and performance for girls and young women ages 5-18. 400 singers from all nine Bay Area counties participate in this internationally recognized program, deemed “a model in the country for training girls’ voices” by the California Arts Council. The organization consists of a professional level performance, recording and touring ensemble; the four-level Chorus School training program; and a Preparatory Chorus for 5-7 year olds. SFGC has won many honors, including the prestigious Margaret Hillis Award and three ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming in 1999, 2004 and 2011. The Girls Chorus is invited annually to perform with musical organizations including San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and others. The Chorus has been honored to sing at many national and international venues, including the World Choral Symposium in Kyoto, Japan in 2005. SFGC has been featured at the American Choral Directors Association Western Division Convention in Salt Lake City and represented North America in the prestigious World Vision Children’s Choir Festival in Seoul, Korea, and in the Gateway to Music Festival at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. The Chorus School offers a program of unparalleled excellence, designed to take young girls from their first introduction to the art of choral singing through a full course of choral/vocal instruction. This comprehensive music education includes the study and development of choral artistry, vocal technique, music theory, music history, and performing style. The discipline, teamwork, and concentration young girls learn in the Chorus School rehearsals and performances instill in them the values necessary for high achievement in music and in life. SFGC’s discography continues to grow with a 2-disc set Heaven and Earth. The music represents some of the greatest sacred and secular repertoire ever written for treble voices. Other recordings include: Voices of Hope and Peace, a recording with many exciting SFGC commissions; Christmas, featuring diverse holiday selections; Crossroads, a collection of world folk music; and Music from the Venetian Ospedali, a disc of Italian Baroque music of which The New Yorker described the Chorus as “tremendously accomplished.” The Chorus can also be heard on several San Francisco Symphony recordings, including five GRAMMY® Award-winners. The San Francisco Girls Chorus is represented by California Artists Management. For additional information, please contact the Chorus directly.
