San Francisco Boys Chorus

The San Francisco Boys Chorus (SFBC) is a choir for boys consisting of 230 members based in San Francisco with additional campuses in Oakland, San Mateo, and San Rafael.[1] It is known officially as "San Francisco's Singing Ambassadors to the World".[2]

San Francisco Boys Chorus
Background information
OriginSan Francisco, California, USA
GenresChoral, classical, opera
Occupation(s)Choir
Instruments230 voices
Years active1948-present
Associated actsSan Francisco Opera
San Francisco Symphony
Websitewww.sfbc.org
Members
  • Eric Choate (artistic director)
  • Ian Robertson (artistic​ director emeritus)
  • Ildi Salgado (intermediate​ chorus director)
  • Jennifer Cooper (director of​ music education,​ preparatory chorus director,​ apprentice chorus director)
  • Michael Rielly (junior chorus​ director)
  • Todd Jolly (bellringers​ director)
Past membersFounders
Madi Bacon
Gaetano Merola

The group was founded in 1948 by Madi Bacon and Gaetano Merola to provide singers for the San Francisco Opera. It has been directed by Ian Robertson since 1996,[1] prior to which it was directed by Laura Kakis Serper from 1993. Past directors also include Edwin Flath, William Ballard and Louis Magor with support from training group directors Juell Gainey (Juelle Hinman) Judy Breneman (Dodge), Sarah Keene, Donald Osborne...

Public appearances
Official San Francisco Boys Chorus logo

On January 20, 2009, forty-three boys from the SFBC performed at the presidential inauguration ceremony for United States President Barack Obama at the U.S. Capitol, along with members of the San Francisco Girls Chorus (a separate organization). They sang for 20 minutes in front of an audience of millions.

Boys from the SFBC have regularly performed in productions of the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Symphony.

Among others, the group has performed for Colin Powell, Tipper Gore, Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Mikhail Gorbachev.[1] In 1997 the group performed at the wedding of Andre Agassi and Brooke Shields in Monterey, California.[3]

Notable alumni

Alumni of the group include author Daniel Handler, better known under his pen name Lemony Snicket, actor Joshua Jackson, singer Christopheren Nomura, violinist Donald Weilerstein, cellist Paul Tobias, the late conductor Calvin Simmons, conductors Peter Rubardt, Alan Yamamoto, Joe Illick and Phillip Kelsey, and a cappella director/singer Deke Sharon.

Discography

References
  1. "San Francisco Boys Chorus". Archived from the original on 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2007-08-11.
  2. Cheryl North (2004-06-28). "Boys learn teamwork and musicianship in choruses". The Oakland Tribune. Retrieved 2007-08-11.
  3. KSBW (1997-04-20). "AP Television News Library: KSBW report archive". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-08-11.
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