San Francisco Symphony Chorus | |
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Also known as | the SFS Chorus |
Origin | San Francisco, California, United States |
Genres | Choral, classical, opera |
Occupation(s) | Chorus |
Instrument(s) | 152 voices |
Years active | 1972-present |
Labels | SFS Media |
Members | Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen Chorus Director Jenny Wong |
Past members | Founder Seiji Ozawa |
Website | www.sfsymphony.org |
The San Francisco Symphony Chorus is the resident Chorus of the San Francisco Symphony (SFS).
Established in 1972 at the request of then-music director Seiji Ozawa, the chorus first performed in the 1973-74 Symphony season. The SFS Chorus today has 152 members and gives a minimum of 26 performances each season at Davies Symphony Hall. They have performed with some of the world's greatest conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Kurt Masur, Neville Marriner, Roger Norrington, and many others.
During its first decade, Louis Magor served as the SFS Chorus director. Magor was succeeded in 1982 by the director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Margaret Hillis. In 1983, Hillis was succeeded by Vance George who served as Chorus Director for twenty-three years until his retirement in 2006. [1] The current director is Ragnar Bohlin, who came to the SFS Chorus from Stockholm, Sweden where he was awarded with the prestigious Johannes Norrby medallion in 2006, for expanding the horizon of the Swedish choral community. [2]
Emmy Award, Outstanding Classical Music-Dance Program
Grammy Award for Best Classical Album
Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance
Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Classical
The San Francisco Symphony, founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley neighborhood. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus (1972) are part of the organization. Michael Tilson Thomas became the orchestra's music director in 1995, and concluded his tenure in 2020 when Esa-Pekka Salonen took over the position.
The 20th Annual Grammy Awards were held February 23, 1978, and were broadcast live on American television. They were hosted by John Denver and recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1977.
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