| San Francisco Ballet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Name | San Francisco Ballet |
| Previous names | San Francisco Opera Ballet |
| Year founded | 1933; 93 years ago (1933) |
| Founders | Willam Christensen,Harold Christensen,Lew Christensen |
| Principal venue | War Memorial Opera House San Francisco |
| Website | www |
| Artistic staff | |
| Artistic Director | Tamara Rojo |
| Principal Conductor | Martin West |
| Other | |
| Official school | San Francisco Ballet School http://school.sfballet.org |
San Francisco Ballet is the oldestballet company in the United States, founded in 1933 as theSan Francisco Opera Ballet under the leadership of ballet masterAdolph Bolm. The company is currently based in theWar Memorial Opera House, San Francisco.Tamara Rojo has been its director since December 2022.
It is among the world's leading dance companies, presenting more than 100 performances annually, with arepertoire that spans bothclassical andcontemporary ballet. Along withAmerican Ballet Theatre and theNew York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet has been described as part of the "triumvirate of great classical companies defining the American style on the world stage today."[1]
Willam Christensen,Harold Christensen, andLew Christensen made up the famed trio of brothers considered by many to have done more than anyone else to establish ballet in the United States. Born into an artistic and musical family, the three brothers studiedfolk dance and ballet from early ages and went on to tour the famous vaudevilleOrpheum Circuit during the 1920s and 1930s, exposing many Americans to ballet for the first time with their act "The Christ Brothers".[2]
As vaudeville faded from American popular culture, Harold and Lew joinedGeorge Balanchine's new company,American Ballet, in 1935. In 1932, Willam formed a ballet school in Portland, Oregon; in 1937, he was engaged as principal male soloist by San Francisco Opera Ballet.[3] He became the company's ballet master and choreographer in 1938. With his brother Harold, he purchased the company from the Opera in 1942, renaming it San Francisco Ballet.[4] In 1951, Willam retired as director of SF Ballet and moved to Utah, where he started teaching ballet in the country's first university ballet department at theUniversity of Utah. With a group of his students, he founded the Utah Civic Ballet (now known asBallet West) in 1963; the company remained under Christensen's directorship until 1978.[5]
Under Balanchine's tutelage at American Ballet, Lew Christensen became the first American-borndanseur noble.[4] TheUnited States Army drafted Christensen to fight inWorld War II. After the war ended, he joined Balanchine's andLincoln Kirstein'sBallet Society (soon to becomeNew York City Ballet), eventually becomingballet master; he served in the role from 1946 until 1950.[6] In 1951, he joined his brother Willam as co-director of San Francisco Ballet. When Willam moved to Salt Lake City later that year, Lew took over as full director of SF Ballet; he held the position until 1976, whenMichael Smuin joined him as co-director. Lew Christensen remained SF Ballet co-director until 1984, the year of his death.[3]
After leaving the vaudeville circuit in 1935, Harold Christensen danced with American Ballet, San Francisco Opera Ballet, Kirstein'sBallet Caravan, and San Francisco Ballet until his retirement from the stage in 1946.[7] In 1940, his brother Willam invited him to become director of theSan Francisco Ballet School, and in 1942 he and Willam purchased the SF Ballet. Harold continued to serve as the school's director until his retirement in 1975.
Emmy Award winning choreographer and dancerJames Starbuck was a principal dancer with the San Francisco Opera Ballet from 1935 to 1938; and left the company to become the first American man to dance with theBallet Russe de Monte-Carlo.[8]
In 1938, the company's first major production wasCoppélia, choreographed by Willam Christensen.[9] In 1940, it stagedSwan Lake, the first time that the ballet was produced in its entirety by an American company. On Christmas Eve 1944, the company stagedNutcracker—the first complete production ofTchaikovsky's most popular piece ever danced in the United States.
In 1942, San Francisco Opera Ballet split into two independent companies, ballet and opera. The ballet half was sold to Willam and Harold Christensen. Willam became artistic director, while Harold took on the job of director of the San Francisco Ballet School.[9] The San Francisco Ballet Guild was also formed as a support organization for San Francisco Ballet.[10]
The year 1951 marked a significant shift in administration of San Francisco Ballet. Lew Christensen—premier danseur at the time—partnered with his brother Willam Christensen as co-directors. Then in 1952, Lew Christensen took over as sole director. Under his guidance, San Francisco Ballet began to travel and establish itself as a significant American ballet company. Until 1956, San Francisco Ballet had remained on theWest Coast, but Christensen took the company to theJacob's Pillow Dance Festival inMassachusetts. In 1957, it was the first American ballet company to tour the Far East, performing in 11 Asian nations.[9] On New Year's Day 1965,ABC-TV televised a one-hour abridgement of the Lew Christensen-choreographed production ofNutcracker featuring San Francisco Ballet.
In 1972, San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House was named the official residence of San Francisco Ballet.
In 1973, Michael Smuin became co-artistic director of San Francisco Ballet with Lew Christensen; Smuin had danced with the Company from 1953 to 1961.[11] Under his direction, the national and international profile of SF Ballet was raised significantly by the broad success of productions such as 1977'sRomeo and Juliet, which aired on thePBS seriesGreat Performances: Dance in America in 1978.[12] This televised performance marked the first time that a West Coast ballet company, and a full-length ballet, was shown on the PBS TV series.[13] PBS televised three more of Smuin's SF Ballet productions, and his productions ofThe Tempest andA Song for Dead Warriors went on to winEmmy Awards. Smuin led the company until 1985.
Helgi Tomasson's 1985 arrival as artistic director marked the beginning of a new era for San Francisco Ballet. Under Tomasson's direction,[14] San Francisco Ballet has been recognized as one of the most innovative ballet companies in the world due to its early and frequent commissioning of new works by aspiring choreographers around the globe,[15] the breadth of its repertory—spanningclassical ballet,neoclassical ballet, andcontemporary ballet—and the diversity of its company members.[16] TheFinancial Times noted in 2012, "Tomasson ... helped shatter the distinction between the US top companies and so-called 'regional companies'".[17]
Over a span of more than 25 years, Tomasson has staged acclaimed full-length productions of classics includingSwan Lake (1988, 2009);The Sleeping Beauty (1990);Romeo and Juliet (1994);Giselle (1999);Don Quixote, co-staged with former principal dancer and current choreographer in residence Yuri Possokhov (2003); andNutcracker (2004). Tomasson'sNutcracker, set in San Francisco during the 1915Panama Pacific International Exposition, is notable for being the only uniquely San FranciscoNutcracker. It features sets (including "a backdrop of San Francisco's Victorian houses known as 'painted ladies'")[18] and costumes created by, respectively, Michael Yeargan and Martin Pakledinaz, both repeatTony Award-winning designers.[19] Upon its premiere,The New York Times called Tomasson'sNutcracker "striking, elegant and beautiful".[18]
Today, San Francisco Ballet presents approximately 100 performances each year. The company's diverse repertory includes works bySir Frederick Ashton,George Balanchine,David Bintley,August Bournonville,Val Caniparoli,Lew Christensen,Nacho Duato,Jorma Elo,William Forsythe,James Kudelka,Jirí Kylián,Serge Lifar,Lar Lubovitch,Wayne McGregor,Agnes de Mille,Sir Kenneth MacMillan,Hans van Manen,Peter Martins,Mark Morris,Rudolf Nureyev,Marius Petipa,Roland Petit, Yuri Possokhov,Alexei Ratmansky,Jerome Robbins,Liam Scarlett,Paul Taylor,Helgi Tomasson,Antony Tudor, andChristopher Wheeldon.
In 2010, the Ballet's opening-night gala,Silver Celebration, honored Tomasson's 25 years as artistic director.[20]
The Gala Opening of San Francisco Ballet's 80th Season includedTarantella pas de deux,L'Arlesienne solo,Flower Festival at Genzano pas de deux,In the Passerine's Clutch,Raymonda’s Act II solo,Trio second movement,Don Quixote grand pas de deux,Onegin Act 1 pas de deux,Stars and Stripes pas de deux,After the Rain pas de deux, and excerpts fromSuite en Blanc.[21]
San Francisco Ballet's 2013 season includedTrio,Ghost andBorderlands[22] as well asSuite en blanc,In the night,Nijinsky,The Rite of Spring,Onegin,Raymonda Act III andCinderella.[23]
The 2014 season includedGiselle,A Midsummer Night's Dream,Tears,Borderlands,From Foreign Lands,Firebird,Ghosts,The Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadère,Cinderella,Shostakovich Trilogy,Caprice,Maelstrom,The Rite of Spring,Hummingbird,The Fifth Season,Suite en Blanc,Agon,Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, andGlass Pieces.[24]
The 2015 season includedSerenade, RAkU, Lambarena, Giselle,The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, Variations for Two Couples, Manifesto, The Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadère, Act II, Dances at a Gathering, Hummingbird, Don Quixote, Shostakovich Trilogy, Caprice, Swimmer, andRomeo & Juliet.[25][26]
The 2017 season included "Haffner Symphony," "Fragile Vessels," "In the Countenance of Kings," "Seven Sonatas," "Optimistic Tragedy," "Pas/Parts 2016," "Frankenstein," "Stravinsky Violin Concerto," "Prodigal Son," "Diamonds," "Fusion," "Salome," "Fearful Symmetries," "Swan Lake," "Trio," "Ghost in the Machine," "Within the Golden Hour," and "Cinderella."
In January 2021, Tomasson announced that he would retire from the company in 2022.[27] In 2022,Tamara Rojo succeeded Tomasson as artistic director.[28]
San Francisco Ballet performs repertory from January through May at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco.[29] In addition, the company performs in July at theStern Grove Festival in San Francisco,[30] tours nationally in the summer and fall, and presentsNutcracker in December at the War Memorial Opera House.[29]
In 1991, San Francisco Ballet performed in New York City for the first time in 26 years, returning in 1993, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2008, and 2013. Following the initial tour,The New York Times proclaimed, "Mr. Tomasson has accomplished the unprecedented: He has pulled a so-called regional company into the national ranks, and he has done so by honing the dancers into a classical style of astonishing verve and purity. San Francisco Ballet under Helgi Tomasson's leadership is one of the spectacular success stories of the arts in America."[16]
In May 1995, San Francisco Ballet hosted 12 ballet companies from around the world for UNited We Dance: An International Festival. The festival commemorated the 50th anniversary of the signing of theUnited Nations Charter, which took place at the San Francisco War Memorial andPerforming Arts Center.
In fall 2008, as part of the company's 75th anniversary celebration, San Francisco Ballet embarked on a critically acclaimed four-city American tour with engagements at Chicago'sHarris Theater for Music and Dance,New York City Center, Southern California'sSegerstrom Center for the Arts, and theJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The year culminated in a New Works Festival of world premieres by 10 of the dance world's most acclaimed choreographers—Julia Adam, Val Caniparoli, Jorma Elo,Margaret Jenkins, James Kudelka, Mark Morris, Yuri Possokhov, Paul Taylor,Stanton Welch, and Christopher Wheeldon. Other anniversary initiatives included a commemorative book,San Francisco Ballet at Seventy-Five, and the broadcast of Tomasson'sNutcracker in December 2008 on theGreat Performances: Dance in America series on PBS, produced in partnership withKQED Public Television in San Francisco.
San Francisco Ballet also performed in frequent overseas tours, including engagements at prestigious venues such as the famedOpéra de Paris-Palais Garnier in Paris (1994, 2001); London'sSadler's Wells Theatre (1999, 2004, 2012) andRoyal Opera House inCovent Garden (2002); Athens' Megaron Theatre (2002) andHerod Atticus Amphitheatre (2004); Copenhagen'sTivoli Gardens (1998, 2010); and theEdinburgh International Festival at theEdinburgh Playhouse (1997, 2003). In fall 2009, San Francisco Ballet made its first trip to the People's Republic of China, with performances in Shanghai and Beijing.
In 2012, San Francisco Ballet embarked on the longest tour in the company's history, with engagements in London and Washington, DC, as well as first-time visits to Hamburg, Germany; Moscow; and Sun Valley, Idaho.
In 1978, San Francisco Ballet's Michael Smuin-directed production ofRomeo and Juliet became the first production by a West Coast ballet company, and the first full-length ballet, to be aired by the PBSGreat Performances: Dance in America television series.[13] Under the direction of Smuin, the ballet's 1981 production ofThe Tempest became the first ballet to be broadcast live (on PBS) from the War Memorial Opera House. Three years later, the 1984 PBS broadcast of the Ballet's performance ofA Song for Dead Warriors earned Smuin an Emmy.[11]
The fruitful relationship between PBS and SF Ballet continues to this day, with regular broadcasts of the Ballet's 2007 production ofNutcracker, choreographed by Helgi Tomasson. I Also in 2007, the Company had its first theatrical release withNutcracker, shown in limited theaters in Canada, Australia, and the U.S. In 2011, theatrical distributor IndieNetFilms arranged for additional screenings throughout the U.S. and Canada.
In December 2011, the U.S. premiere ofJohn Neumeier'sThe Little Mermaid, performed by San Francisco Ballet, was broadcast nationally on PBS'sGreat Performances: Dance in America, and also internationally. DVDs of theNutcracker andThe Little Mermaid performances were released in 2008 and 2011, respectively. CD recordings of the complete score ofNutcracker and Shinji Eshima'sRAkU were released in 2010 and 2012, respectively.
The company has garnered numerous accolades and awards. In 2005, San Francisco Ballet won its firstLaurence Olivier Award, in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Dance, for its 2004 fall season at Sadler's Wells Theatre. Of the engagement, London'sThe Sunday Times proclaimed, "Helgi Tomasson's outstanding artistic direction ... has transformed a regional American troupe into one of the world's top ballet companies."[1] In 2006, in a readers' poll conducted byDance Europe magazine, San Francisco Ballet was the first non-European company to be voted "Company of the Year". In 2008, San Francisco Ballet received the Jerome Robbins Award for excellence in dance.[citation needed]
In 2012, Helgi Tomasson was named recipient of the Dance/USA Honor, acknowledging individuals' contributions to dance in America and the role they play in the national dance community. Most recently, San Francisco Ballet was nominated in the category of Outstanding Company by the 2014National Dance Awards, based in the U.K.[citation needed]
| Name | Nationality | Training | Joined SFB | Promoted to Principal | Other Companies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dores André |  Spain | Antonio Almenara Estudio de Danza de Maria Avila | 2004 | 2015, Returned as Principal in 2024 | Ballett Zürich |
| Max Cauthorn |  United States | San Francisco Ballet School | 2013 | 2020, Returned as Principal in 2024 | Ballett Zürich |
| Frances Chung |  Canada | Goh Ballet Academy | 2001 | 2009 | |
| Sasha De Sola | United States | Kirov Academy of Ballet | 2007 | 2017 | |
| Nikisha Fogo |  Sweden | Royal Swedish Ballet School The Royal Ballet School | 2020 | N/A, Joined as Principal | Vienna State Ballet |
| Esteban Hernandez |  Mexico | The Rock School for Dance Education | 2013 | 2018 | |
| Harrison James |  New Zealand | New Zealand School of Dance San Francisco Ballet School Trainee Program | 2024 | N/A, Joined as Principal | National Ballet of Canada |
| Jasmine Jimison | United States | Bay Area Dance School Menlo Park Academy of Dance San Francisco Ballet School | 2018 | 2024 | |
| Misa Kuranaga |  Japan | Jinushi Kaoru Ballet School School of American Ballet | 2001 | 2019 | Boston Ballet |
| Wona Park |  South Korea | Sunhwa Arts School San Francisco Ballet School | 2017 | 2020 | |
| Aaron Robison |  United Kingdom | Institut del Teatre | 2016, 2018 | N/A, Joined as Principal | English National Ballet Birmingham Royal Ballet Corella Ballet Houston Ballet |
| Jennifer Stahl | United States | Maria Lazar's Classical Ballet Academy | 2006 | 2017 | |
| Joseph Walsh | Walnut Hill School of the Arts Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy | 2014 | 2014 | Houston Ballet | |
| Wei Wang |  China | Beijing Dance Academy,San Francisco Ballet School | 2013 | 2018 | |
| WanTing Zhao | Beijing Dance Academy The Rock School for Dance Education San Francisco Ballet School | 2011 | 2019 |
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| Name | Nationality | Training | Joined SFB | Promoted to Soloist | Other Companies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamryn Baldwin | United States | Hawaii State Ballet Metropolitan Ballet Academy San Francisco Ballet School | 2015 | 2024 | |
| Katherine Barkman | Private Training with Nadia Pavlenko | 2022 | N/A, Joined as Soloist | Manila Ballet The Washington Ballet | |
| Fernando Carratalá Coloma | Spain | Escuela Arantxa Arana Escuela Sofia Sancho | 2024 | N/A, Joined as Soloist | Victor Ullate Ballet |
| Cavan Conley | United States | The Harid Conservatory Nutmeg Conservatory | 2018 | 2019 | Tulsa Ballet Tulsa Ballet II |
| Diego Cruz | Spain | Emilia Bailo Dance School Escuela Municipal de Danza Estudio de Danza de Maria de Avila San Francisco Ballet School | 2006 | 2020 | |
| Daniel Deivison-Oliveira |  Brazil | Cia Brasileira de Ballet Ballet da Cidade de Niteroi Escola de Danças Maria Olenewa Petite Danse School San Francisco Ballet School | 2005 | 2011 | Cia Brasileira de Ballet Ballet de Cidade de Niteroi |
| Isabella DeVivo | United States | School of American Ballet San Francisco Ballet School | 2013 | 2017 | |
| Ellen Rose Hummel | North Carolina Dance Theatre San Francisco Ballet School | 2012 | 2020 | ||
| Norika Matsuyama | Japan | Yuki Miho Ballet Palos Verdes Ballet Lauridsen Ballet Centre San Francisco Ballet School | 2014 | 2021 | |
| Steven Morse | United States | Maple Conservatory of Dance Laurisden Dance Centre Long Beach Ballet Arts Center San Francisco Ballet School | 2009 | 2017 | |
| Sasha Mukhamedov | United Kingdom | Elmhurst School for Dance The Royal Ballet School Arts Educational School | 2019 | N/A, Joined as Soloist | Dutch National Ballet |
| Elizabeth Powell | United States | Boston Ballet School San Francisco Ballet School | 2012 | 2018 | |
| Joshua Jack Price |  Australia | Amanda Bollinger Dance Academy The Dance CentreSan Francisco Ballet School Trainee Program | 2018 | 2024 | |
| Victor Prigent |  France | Paris Opera Ballet School Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris Joffrey Academy Ballet Trainee Program | 2024 | N/A, Joined as Soloist | English National Ballet |
| Julia Rowe | United States | Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet San Francisco Ballet School | 2013 | 2016 | Oregon Ballet Theatre |
| Myles Thatcher | Margo Clifford Ging The Harid Conservatory Edward Ellison Professional Training Program San Francisco Ballet School | 2010 | 2020 | ||
| Lonnie Weeks | Faubourg School of Ballet Ruth Page Center for the Arts Texas Ballet Theater School | 2010 | 2018 | Texas Ballet Theater | |
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San Francisco Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet's official school, is America's oldest ballet school. The program includes classes in technique,pointe work,pas de deux, men's technique, contemporary dance, floorbarre/conditioning, and character dance. Male and female students are placed in divisions according to age, experience, and ability. More than 50 percent of current San Francisco Ballet dancers received some training at San Francisco Ballet School.[31]
The school was founded in 1933 as part of the San Francisco Operatic and Ballet School whenGaetano Merola, the founder of theSan Francisco Opera, perceived a need for an institution where dancers could be trained to perform in opera productions.[32] The school was under the direction of ballet director Adolph Bolm from 1933 to 1938. Willam Christensen became director from 1938 to 1940, followed by his brother Harold Christensen from 1942 until 1975.[19] Richard L. Cammack directed the school from 1975 to 1985; he oversaw the move to its current state-of-the-art facilities on Franklin Street in 1983. In 1985, new SF Ballet artistic director Helgi Tomasson appointed Nancy Johnson as school head. Lola de Avila joined as associate director from 1993 to 1999, followed by Gloria Govrin beginning in 1999. In 2006, de Avila returned to serve as associate director until 2012, when Patrick Armand stepped into the role.[33]
Admission into the school is by audition only. Students may apply for financial aid and merit-based scholarships. Advanced students may be invited to join the SFBS Trainee Program, a one- to two-year pre-professional program established in 2004.[34]
Up to 150 students are chosen by audition to dance in the yearly SF Ballet production ofNutcracker. The most advanced students may also dance with SF Ballet in the repertory season.[35]
The school also runs a pre-ballet program for children ages 4–7; after completing the program, students of age who wish to continue study must audition in order to continue at the school.[36]
The faculty of the San Francisco Ballet School has long been known for its excellence and diversity of background.[citation needed] As of January 2017, it is led by the Artistic DirectorHelgi Tómasson and Director Patrick Armand. The illustrious faculty includes Patrick Armand, Cecelia Beam, Sandrine Cassini, Kristi DeCaminada, Karen Gabay, Jeffrey Lyons, Rubén Martín Cintas, Ilona McHugh, Pascal Molat (Trainee Program Assistant), Anne-Sophie Rodriguez, Jaime Diaz (Strengthening), Dexandro "D" Montalvo (Contemporary), Brian Fisher (Contemporary), Dana Genshaft (Contemporary dance and conditioning), Henry Berg (Conditioning), Leonid Shagalov (Character), Jamie Narushchen (Music), and Daniel Sullivan (Music). The guest faculty for 2017 includes Sofiane Sylve (Principal Guest).[37]
Founded in 1975 to serve as San Francisco Ballet's official permanent orchestra, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra (SFBO) holds the rare position of being one of three major orchestras in a single city. The orchestra debuted at the end of 1975 withNutcracker and has met with both audience and critical acclaim ever since[citation needed], becoming known by the 1990s as one of the world's finest ballet orchestras.
SFBO toured with the SF Ballet's touring company from 1978 until 1984. It has accompanied many prestigious international ballet companies that have toured to the San Francisco Bay Area, includingThe Royal Ballet, theRoyal Danish Ballet,Stuttgart Ballet,Hamburg Ballet, theBolshoi Ballet,Paul Taylor Dance Company,American Ballet Theatre, and theParis Opéra Ballet. In 1995, the orchestra took on the remarkable task of accompanying 13 international dance companies over the space of a single week in the UNited We Dance Festival.[citation needed]
The 49-member orchestra accompanies SF Ballet throughout its winter and spring repertory seasons. It also performs apart from the Company; it debuted solely as an orchestra in 1979 at theHerbst Theatre in San Francisco's War Memorial Veterans Building, playing a program that included works byHaydn,Ives, andVivaldi.
Source:[38]
The SFBO is composed of 49 members and headed by Martin West, music director and conductor. Founding Concertmaster and solo violinist Roy Malan retired in December, 2014, after serving for 40 years.[39] After a rigorous search, Cordula Merks was appointed Concertmaster in 2016.[40] As of February 2024, the musicians and staff included:[41]
| Violin I | |
| Cordula Merks,Concertmaster | Heeguen Song,Associate Concertmaster |
| Beni Shinohara,Assistant Concertmaster | Mariya Borozino |
| Minsun Choi | Robin Hansen |
| Heidi Wilcox | Wendi Shih,(Regular Substitute) |
| Violin II | |
| Ani Bukujian,Principal | Craig Reiss,Associate Principal |
| Jeanelle Meyer,Assistant Principal | Laura Keller |
| Jeremy Preston | Karen Shinozaki Sor,(Regular Substitute) |
| Viola | |
| Yi Zhou,Principal | Anna Kruger,Associate Principal |
| Joy Fellows,Assistant Principal | Caroline Lee |
| Elizabeth Prior,(Regular Substitute) | |
| Cello | |
| Eric Sung,Principal | Jonah Kim,Associate Principal |
| Thalia Moore,Assistant Principal | Saul Richmond-Rakerd |
| Mariko Wyrick | Ruth Lane,(Regular Substitute) |
| Contrabass | |
| Jonathan Lancelle,Acting Principal | Shinji Eshima,Associate Principal |
| Mark Wallace,Assistant Principal (Regular Substitute) | Michael Minor,(Regular Substitute) |
| Flute | |
| Susan Kang,Principal | Julie McKenzie,2nd & Piccolo |
| Oboe | |
| Laura Griffiths,Principal | Marilyn Coyne,2nd & English Horn |
| Clarinet | |
| Sean Krissman,Principal | Eric Chi,2nd & Bass Clarinet |
| Bassoon | |
| Rufus Olivier,Principal | Dana Jackson,2nd & Contrabassoon (Season Substitute) |
| Horn | |
| Kevin Rivard,Principal | Brian McCarty,Associate Principal |
| Keith Green | Phillip Palmore |
| Caitlin Smith-Franklin,(Regular Substitute) | |
| Trumpet/Cornet | |
| Adam Luftman,Principal | Joseph Brown |
| Trombone | |
| Jeffrey Budin,Principal | Michael Cox |
| Bass Trombone | |
| Scott Thornton,Principal | |
| Tuba | |
| Peter Wahrhaftig,Principal | |
| Timpani | |
| Zubin Hathi,Principal | |
| Percussion | |
| David Rosenthal,Principal | |
| Harp | |
| Annabelle Taubl,Principal |
The orchestra was led by Denis de Coteau from 1975 until 1998, when de Coteau's battle with terminal cancer forced him to step down from the position.[42]Emil de Cou, who had been serving as conductor since 1995, then assumed the role of music director, leading the Orchestra until 2001, when he left to join Washington D.C.'sNational Symphony Orchestra. He was replaced by first associate conductor Jean-Louis LeRoux, who then left the interim position in 2003 and was succeeded byAndrew Mogrelia. In 2005, Mogrelia left in order to focus on his duties as music director atSan Francisco Conservatory of Music. That same year, Martin West, frequent guest conductor for the Orchestra, stepped into the position of music director.[43] In 2018 frequent guest conductorMing Luke was appointed Principal Guest Conductor.
The orchestra's repertoire includes hundreds of works spanning four centuries of musical history, many of which have been recorded and released to great critical acclaim, including works byBeethoven,Bizet, andDelibes. Four of the orchestra's recordings have been televised on PBS'sGreat Performances: Dance in America.
Recordings include:
San Francisco Ballet has a large network of volunteers who assist with the ongoing success of the Company and the San Francisco Ballet School.
More than 200 Ballet Resource and Volunteer Organization (BRAVO) volunteers donate over 10,000 volunteer hours every year, assisting with office duties, retail work, and the ballet's Center for Dance Education, as well as helping SF Ballet staff with receptions, fundraisers, the Spring Student Showcase, and other special events.[44]
The San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary is a group of 100 dedicated women who volunteer to raise over $1 million in net contributions annually. In addition to individual fundraising, the group produces three annual productions: the Opening Night Gala, Fashion Show, and Student Showcase, with proceeds benefiting the Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet School.[45]
San Francisco Ballet's Allegro Circle is a group of professional men and women who share a passion for dance and contribute their own personal, professional, and philanthropic resources toward developing a new and diverse generation of subscribers and patrons.[46]
San Francisco Ballet's ENCORE! group offers local young professionals access to a range of social and educational events with a behind-the-scenes perspective. Staffing these events presents its 200+ members with a wide range of volunteer opportunities.[47]
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