San Francisco Girls Chorus
San Francisco Girls Chorus is a regional center for music education and performance for girls and young women, ages 7–18, based in San Francisco. More than 300 singers from 160 schools in 48 San Francisco Bay Area cities and towns participate in this internationally recognized program. The Chorus has been described as "a model in the country for training girls' voices" by the California Arts Council.
SFGC was founded by Elizabeth Appling, who served as the organization's Artistic Director until her retirement in 1992. She was succeeded by Sharon J. Paul, who led the chorus until just after its 21st Anniversary in 2000. The chorus underwent an interim year under the leadership of Magen Solomon, after which the helm was passed on to Susan McMane. The current artistic director is Lisa Bielawa, who is well known for her broadcasts in Berlin at former Tempelhof Airport (Spring 2013), and at Crissy Field in San Francisco (Fall 2013). Bielawa currently resides in New York.
In 2011, The San Francisco Girls Chrorus collaborated with composer Tania Leon and award-winning poet and writer Carlos Pintado on “Rimas Tropicales”, based on Carlos Pintado’s poetry.
The Chorus School of SFGC comprises four training stages that are specifically designed to increase technical skills, stamina and discipline in accordance with the chorister's age and physical development. The Chorus School has been supervised since its inception by Elizabeth Avakian, who also directs Level IV.
The Level IV Ensemble is a smaller, select group of girls within Level IV. Girls who wish to join must audition during the Chorus' Summer Music camp. The Ensemble has occasional extra practices, as well as many extra performances. They are asked to perform when the venues are too small to accommodate the entire Level IV. Most of their performances are around Christmas and in the Spring. They sometimes memorize extra verses to songs the rest of the chorus learns.
At the end of the season, Level IV choristers must pass a theory-based qualifying exam before being considered for graduation from the Chorus School. Once graduated, choristers may either choose to audition for Chorissima, return to level IV, or leave the Chorus.
More detail about the curriculum can be found here: SFGC: Curriculum
Chorissima is the concert, recording, and touring ensemble of the San Francisco Girls Chorus, and is conducted by Artistic Director Valerie Sante-Agaite. The dedicated young artists of the ensemble, ages 11–18, present a season concert series in the San Francisco Bay Area, tour nationally and internationally, and appear regularly with renowned artistic partners, including the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Symphony. Chorissima has also performed with numerous esteemed Bay Area ensembles such as Chanticleer, Kronos Quartet, Berkeley Symphony, ODC/Dance, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and others.
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