San Francisco Conservatory of Music


The San Francisco Conservatory of Music is a private music school in San Francisco, California. About 400 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled at the school which also includes a Pre-College Division for young musicians.

History

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music was founded in 1917 by Ada Clement and Lillian Hodghead as the Ada Clement Piano School. Its first location was the home of Lillian's parents, at 3435 Sacramento Street. The school opened with three pianos, four studios, two blackboards and 40 students.
The Ada Clement Piano School quickly expanded. Several years after its founding, the name changed to the Ada Clement Music School, and then in 1923 to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In 1956 the Conservatory moved from Sacramento Street to 1201 Ortega Street, the home of a former infant shelter. It resided there for fifty years, before moving to its current location at 50 Oak Street in 2006.

Leaders

San Francisco Conservatory of Music offers music education in addition to community enrichment programs and performances. In 2018, celebrating its 100th anniversary it announced a donation of $46.4 million from the William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation. The funding was to be used to construct a 12-floor building containing two concert halls in the city's Civic Center area.

Notable faculty