Bay Area Music Groups
The Bay Area is home to literally hundreds of classical music organizations, from community choruses to world-renowned orchestras, opera companies and chamber ensembles. This listing provides all the vital statistics for Bay Area music groups, as well as a summary of what they do best. Search by type of organization or alphabetically. Note to classical music groups: If your organization is not listed here or there is an error in your listing, please email Eric@sfcv.org.
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
The two week summer festival is devoted to the presentation of contemporary orchestral music
Founded: 1963
Artistic Director: Marin Alsop
Where to hear them: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and Mission San Juan Bautista
Cadenza (Formerly Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra)
Founded: 2006
Artistic Director: Maya Barsacq
Where to hear them: Santa Cruz
Cal Performances
As the artistic producing wing of UC Berkeley, Cal Performances presents a wide range of performers and repertoire, both renowned and unfamiliar, in all genres of music
Founded: 1906
Artistic Director: Robert Cole (retiring 2009)
Where to hear them: Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley campus
Cal State University East Bay (Hayward) Dept. of Music
The Cal State Music Dept offers BA and MA programs in Music, with specialized programs in Voice, Instrument, Jazz Studies, and Composition
Artistic Director: Rafael Hernandez
Where to hear them: Music recital halls and the University Theater on the CSUEB campus
California Bach Society
California Bach Society, a thirty-voice chamber chorus specializing in historically informed performances, has established a reputation for its interpretations of Renaissance and Baroque choral music.
Founded: 1972
Artistic Director: Paul Flight
Where to hear them: Churches in Palo Alto, San Francisco and Berkeley
California Chamber Players
A chamber group inspired by the works of composer and philosopher Iosif Andriasov.
Founded: 2003, San Francisco
Artistic Director: Victor Romasevich
Where to hear them: Chancellor Series (UCSF), Chamber Music Sundaes (Berkeley), Hillside Club (Berkeley), Greater Bay Area, New York
California Concerto Weekend
Founded: 2011
Artistic Director: Joseph Ordaz
Where to hear them: West Valley College
California Film Institute
Founded: 1991
Artistic Director: Mark Fishkin
Where to hear them: Smith Rafael Film Center
California Summer Music
This one week program is offered by the Sonoma State University. Young musicians and composers are given intense training that culminates in 3 performances in the University music center.
Where to hear them: The Green Music Center
California Symphony
This professional orchestra performs the full range of classical repertoire, with a particular emphasis on American composers, with at least one represented on every concert program.
Founded: 1986
Artistic Director: Barry Jekowsky, Music Director and Founder
Where to hear them: Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek
California Youth Symphony
CYS offers nine programs, covering all symphonic instruments, for young musicians ages 8 to 18.
Founded: 1952
Artistic Director: Leo Eylar
Where to hear them: Flint Center, Spangenberg Theatre, Foothill College and the San Mateo Performing Arts Center
Calvary ConcertConnect
Founded: 2009
Artistic Director: Alden Gilchrist
Where to hear them: Calvary Presbyterian Church, 2515 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
