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 [email protected].
Da Camera Society
Named after the 17th-century term for music played in a "chamber" (musica da camera), the Da Camera Society was founded at Mount Saint Mary's University in 1973 to restore chamber music to the intimate environments for which it was originally intended. In 1980, the Society inaugurated CHAMBER MUSIC IN HISTORIC SITES — a series of concerts matching world-class ensembles with historically and architecturally significant buildings.
Dance Brigade
Dance Brigade was founded in 1984 by Nina Fichter and Krissy Keefer, original members of Wallflower Order, to create and perform dance theater that addresses the complex problems of contemporary American women. For the past 20 years, the company has created, performed, presented and produced issue-oriented dance theater exploring socio-political issues such as violence against women, class injustice, war, racism, breast cancer, sexual abuse and homophobia. The company has created approximately 10 full-length concerts of contemporary dance theater pieces including Pandora's Box, Ballet of the Banshees, Cinderella, Queen of Sheba, CaveWomen, Spell and has won numerous awards. One year after September 11, the Dance Brigade produced Women Against War: A Vision for Peace before a capacity audience at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco's Civic Center, on the very stage where the original United Nations Charter was signed. This event toured to sold-out audiences in the spring of 2003. dancing woman During the eighties, the company annually presented "Furious Feet: the Dance Festival for Social Change." During the late eighties and early nineties, Dance Brigade performed the Revolutionary Nutcracker Sweetie before 40,000 ticket buyers, re-telling Tchaikovsky's classic ballet through a variety of modern dance forms, a jazz score and a multicultural cast. Unlike most modern dance, this concert-length work succeeded in attracting large audiences because it was accessible to the average person. Since 1987, the company's collaborators have included Ferron, Terry Sendgraff, Sara Shelton Mann, Mary Watkins, Kim Epifano, Amelia Rudolph and Project Bandaloop. At Dance Mission the Dance Brigade regularly presents an aerial dance festival: "SkyDancers: Women who Fly Through the Air." In 1998, under the artistic direction of Krissy Keefer, the company began operating the 140-seat Dance Mission Theater at 24th and Mission Streets, which has evolved into one of the region's leading contemporary dance spaces. At this venue Dance Brigade produces its original work, conducts a multicultural dance instruction program and rents space to other companies and choreographers for performances, classes and rehearsals. In 1998, under the artistic direction of Krissy Keefer, the company began operating the 140-seat Dance Mission Theater at 24th and Mission Streets, which has evolved into one of the region's leading contemporary dance spaces. At this venue Dance Brigade produces its original work, conducts a multicultural dance instruction program and rents space to other companies and choreographers for performances, classes and rehearsals.
Dance Mission Theater
Dance Mission Theater is an artist driven space dedicated to inclusiveness, fairness, and justice. We create, produce, present, and teach feminist and multicultural dance/theater, engaging a diverse group of Bay Area artists, audiences, and students. Dance Mission Theater is also home to Dance Brigade, a social-change dance company, and Grrrl Brigade, a youth leadership dance company.
Dance Palace Community & Cultural Center
Dance-a-vision Entertainment
Dancers Repertory Theater
Daniel Siegel Productions
Small venue concerts featuring big venue artists plus chef-prepared desserts.
Danville Community Band
The Band's 80-plus members, who give freely of their time, are dedicated volunteers from Danville and surrounding communities, and as far away as Vallejo, Marin, Davis and Stockton . They represent many diverse professions, students and retirees, and ages range from 13 to 80+. The Danville Community Band met for the first time on September 20, 2001 under the baton of founder and director Dr. Lawrence Anderson. In December 2008 Dr. Anderson passed the baton to Robert Calonico, director of bands at U.C. Berkeley, who joined DCB as associate director in 2007.
Danville Girls Chorus
DGC offers a complete program of choral music education through a variety of learning experiences and performance opportunities. Singers are taught the basics of vocal production and learn the fundamentals of musicianship and note-reading.
