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Chamber Music Program expands its offerings

CMC’s Chamber Music Ensemble Program has been growing by leaps and bounds. Since the Fall Quarter, the program has blossomed from three students to 22. The program still offers standard classical music groups, but has opened up the formation of groups based on the musical interests of the applicants. This has resulted in folk and blues chamber ensembles, along with the classical groups the program is known for.

For Katrina Wreede, Chamber Music Program Coordinator, the goals of the program are to get CMC students playing music together, playing the music they are most interested in playing, matching them with compatible musicians, and finding inspiring chamber music coaches from the CMC Faculty who have expertise in the genre. Chamber group configurations right now are duos and trios to limit possibilities of COVID exposure. Groups are limited to older teens and adults, and require a short Zoom audition.

It’s not too late to join a group this quarter!

Learn more about the program at the link below, and then fill out the chamber music inquiry form to get started. Tuition for group classes is reduced by 50% with concurrent enrollment in private lessons. (Limit one group class reduction per private lesson enrollment).

Chamber Music at CMC

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Breaking ground on a new century

January 20, 2022

On Wednesday, February 16, CMC will hold a festive groundbreaking event for the long-awaited campus expansion project. This short ceremony will feature students and faculty from the Children’s Chorus, Mission District Young Musicians Program, Mission District Older Adult Choirs, and members of the SFUSD Mariachi Program performing “If I Had a Hammer” and “Las Mañanitas.” Participating faculty will include Martha Rodríguez-Salazar, Beth Wilmurt, Miguel Govea, Susan Peña, Sharon Wayne, and Tregar Otton. The event will take place in CMC’s courtyard at the Mission District Branch

As CMC celebrates its 100th birthday this year, its mission remains unchanged: music for all people, regardless of their financial means. This expansion into the neighboring building at 552 Capp Street will allow CMC to increase accessibility, provide more music spaces, and improve the quality of our facilities. Highlights of the expansion include, additional large classrooms for ensembles and group classes, another recital hall for performances, and ADA accessibility. This expansion will enhance the current tuition-free programs and enable the launch of new programs that address critical community needs. Construction is scheduled to begin January 30 and will take approximately 12 months to complete. Construction updates can be found here.

Breaking Ground on a New Century
Wednesday, February 16, 2022 from 2:00–2:45pm
Mission District Branch Courtyard
RSVP to attend.
Space is limited. Proof of vaccination and masks are required to attend.

RSVP to attend

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CMC’s Centennial Gala: Diverse Artists Join to Benefit Music Access and Honor Community Impact

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COMMUNITY MUSIC CENTER MARCH 2 CENTENNIAL GALA TO HONOR ROSELYNE CHROMAN SWIG, BETTY WONG, SHIRLEY WONG-FRENTZEL AND LA DOÑA

GUEST ARTISTS INCLUDE SEAN JONES, PENE PATI, AMINA EDRIS, ALEXANDER STRING QUARTET, FREDERICA VON STADE, JAKE HEGGIE, JOHN SANTOS, JASON VIEAUX AND PAULA WEST


PERFORMANCES, DINNER AND AUCTION BENEFIT COMMUNITY MUSIC CENTER’S DIVERSE PROGRAMS

San Francisco, January 13, 2022—San Francisco’s leading performers, arts leaders and educators will come together Wednesday, March 2, to celebrate the Community Music Center’s centennial and honor Roselyne Chroman Swig, Betty Wong, Shirley Wong-Frentzel and La Doña with the Gertrude Field Community Impact Awards. Gala Chair Sharon Seto, Centennial Chair Fred Levin and Honorary Chair Ellen Magnin Newman and committee members have planned an evening featuring dinner and performances by some of the Bay Area’s leading artists. An online auction of one-of-a-kind items and packages will be open to all February 25 through March 5. The Centennial Gala celebrates CMC’s historic legacy providing a century of music for everyone as it looks forward to the next century of arts access. All proceeds support CMC’s mission to make high-quality music education accessible to all people, regardless of financial means. The evening begins at 6 pm at The Julia Morgan Ballroom, 465 California Street in San Francisco. Tickets, beginning at $500 and sponsorships beginning at $2,500 may be purchased at https://CMC100.givesmart.com

“The Community Music Center is a treasure in our city, and is 100 years strong. I am thrilled to be chairing this event, which will help to provide music scholarships for thousands of local students with financial need,” says Gala Chair Sharon Seto. “The event we’re planning to celebrate this momentous occasion is going to be the hottest ticket in town. The honorees and entertainment are top-notch, so please join us—this will be an unforgettable night!”

Guest Artists Trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and activist Sean Jones; tenor Pene Pati and soprano Amina Edris; Alexander String Quartet, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade and composer-pianist Jake Heggie, percussionist John Santos, guitarist Jason Vieaux and jazz and cabaret singer Paula West. Renel Brooks-Moon will be Master of Ceremonies and Greg Quiroga will be auctioneer. Click here for more information about the gala guest artists.

Honorary Committee Marcia and George Argyris, JD Beltran, San Francisco Arts Commission; Jim Callahan, Piedmont Piano; Yanek and Mary Chiu; Janet Cluff, Ramón Cortines, Tom DeCaigny, Ruth A. Felt, Matt Haney, Dr. Elizabeth L. Hillman, President, Mills College; Dorka Keehn, San Francisco Arts Commission; Jean Kellogg, Merola Opera Program; Patricia Taylor Lee, Fred Levin, Linda Lucero, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival; Honorable Rafael Mandelman, Garrick Ohlsson and Bob Guter, Carlos Ortega, Helen Hilton Raiser, Hillary Ronen, Stephen Shapiro and Ellen Rosenthal, Melanie Smith, San Francisco Performances; Catherine Stefani, Shamann Walton and Diane B. Wilsey

Event Committee Sharon Seto, Chair; Kathy Aizawa, Katie Colendich, Nicole Cooper, Pamela Culp, Tim Eischens, Lauren Erickson, Joel Goodrich, Lin Hoffman, Esq., Brooke Joseph, Ludmila Kisseleva, Patricia Taylor Lee, Sharon Litsky, Ann Ludwig, Irena Matijas, Trisha Mount, Russell Martinelli, Amanda Sargisson, Yuan Yuan Tan, Diana Whitehead and Diana Wild Centennial Sponsors Platinum Sponsors: Dan Dodt, in memory of Linda Kay Blacketer; Gold Sponsors: Cathi Kwon; Fred Levin, The Shenson Foundation; Oak Hill Capital Corporation; Silver Sponsors: Barbara Kosnar and Thomas Goldman, Diane B. Wilsey; Bronze Sponsors: Katherine and Roy Bukstein, Yee-Wan and John Stevens

Event Sponsors Media Sponsor: The Nob Hill Gazette; Wine Sponsor: Miner Family Winery

For questions about sponsorship, contact Elenka Refsell at 415-647-6015 x178 or erefsell@sfcmc.org.

About Community Music Center Community Music Center (CMC) is celebrating 100 years of music for everyone! A nonprofit music school and performance space with branches in the Mission and Richmond Districts, CMC provides high-quality music to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, regardless of financial means. Last year, CMC awarded nearly $2.8M in tuition assistance, serving more than 2,800 students. The school offers online and in-person music lessons and classes on over 30 instruments, and a wide range of musical styles, including jazz, blues, Latin, pop, folk, rock, and western classical. CMC also presents free and low cost events, workshops, and master classes for its students and for the public. Learn more about the CMC Centennial celebrations at sfcmc100.org.

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