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.
La Peña Community Chorus
The chorus was founded based on the Nueva Canción (or "New Song Movement") of Chile. In addition they perform styles based in the folk and social justice movements of all Latin America.
Founded: 1978
Artistic Director: Lichi Fuentes
Where to hear them: La Peña Cultural Center
La Peña Cultural Center
La Peña is a vibrant community cultural center with a national reputation and a global vision that promotes peace, social justice and cultural understanding through the arts, education and social action. As a welcoming gathering place, La Peña provides opportunities for artists to share diverse cultural traditions, to create and perform their work, and to support and interface with diverse social movements. Annually, La Peña presents over 200 events with emerging and established artists; organizes an arts education program; produces new works by local artists, presents internationally and nationally renowned artists, and houses a Latin American café which complements the organization's mission.
Founded: 1974
Artistic Director: Paul B. Chin
Where to hear them: La Peña Cultural Center
La Riche & Co.
Oboe repertoire from the 18th century with harpsichord and cello accompaniment.
Artistic Director: Gonzalo X Ruiz
Lamplighters Music Theatre
Light opera and musical theater with a focus on Gilbert and Sullivan
Founded: 1952
Artistic Director: Barbara Heroux
Where to hear them: Various locations throughout the Bay Area
Laurel Ensemble
A mixed ensemble of piano, strings, and winds, it has the versatility to perform a wide range of music. Dedicated to innovative programming, thier repertoire includes forgotten gems, commssioned works, and classic masterpieces of the past four centuries.
Founded: 2005
Where to hear them: Various venues around the Bay Area and beyond
Le Petit Trianon Theatre
Le Petit Trianon is home for many of San Jose's performing arts & cultural groups and attracts more than 20,000 patrons annually.
Founded: Built in 1923, re-purposed as concert venue around 1984
Artistic Director: Mary Ehrari (Vice President)
Where to hear them: Le Petit Trianon Theatre
Left Coast Chamber Ensemble
This 12-member chamber group presents its own season of diverse works, and appears throughout the Bay Area as part of other local concert series. With a serious commitment to challenging and new works, Left Coast sponsors an annual composition competition and performs the winning work each spring.
Founded: 1992
Artistic Director: Anna Presler, violist and artistic director
Where to hear them: San Francisco, Mill Valley and other Bay Area locales
Les Stringfellow, Tenor & Deborah Colling, Soprano
Founded: February 2010
Artistic Director: Suzuki Studios
Where to hear them: South Bay Cities, Oakland's Temple Hill
Les Violettes
Founded: 1977
Artistic Director: Violet Grgich
Where to hear them: Grgich Hills Estate
Lesbian and Gay Chorus of San Francisco
Mainly operetta, Broadway and popular repertoire combined with comedic staging.
Founded: 1980
Artistic Director: Stephanie Laynne Smith
Where to hear them: Venues in San Francisco
Lickets
Founded: 2005
Artistic Director: Mitch Greer, Rachel Smith
Where to hear them: www.myspace.com/thelickets
Lieder Alive!
A biannual Master Workshop for advanced singers.
Founded: 2007
Artistic Director: Maxine Bernstein
Where to hear them: San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concert Hall
