Course Descriptions

Adult Extension Division

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Once you access the registration web site, you may create an account, search for classes, add them to your shopping and register and pay. PLEASE NOTE: Our Spring semester classes have concluded and our Fall class schedule will be available in July. We are currently only accepting applications for the two summer classes listed below and private lessons for Fall 2013. To apply for private lessons, you must first register for the appropriate audition "class". Once you have registered for that class and have completed the informal audition, you will then be able to register for your lessons. Auditions for Fall will take place on June 1, 2013.

Summer Semester 2013 Course Listings

Summer Dalcroze Class begins June 8

Summer Piano Class begins June 19

SUMMER DALCROZE CLASS

Yoriko Richman
Saturday June 8 and Sunday June 9, 2013
2 classes 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Room 104
$320 tuition and $25 registration fee.

This course is designed for those who are interested in learning the basic fundamentals of music. This course is also geared towards those that aspire to be music educators and especially those that are interested in early childhood music education. Awakening the kinesthetic memory of the body helps strengthen all aspects of musicianship. In his esssay Jacques Dalcroze states that, "Eruthythmics is a method of musical education. It tries to develop simultaneously the sense of hearing, the feeling for tone and harmony, the instinct for rhythm, and the desire for order. By means of a series of exercises which develop muscular elasticity , and discipline the bodily movements in space, in duration, and in all shades of energy, the hearing-sense is strenthened to such a degree that it invades the entire organism and finally becomes converted into vocal and instrumental experssion." The course includes Dalcroze Solfege, Eurhythmics (movement), and improvisation.

Yoriko Richman, B.A., Musashino Academia Musicae, Tokyo; Dalcroze Teacher's License, Dalcroze School of Music, New York; Berklee College of Music, Boston; Postgraduate Diplome, Institut Jaques-Dalcroze, Geneva; former faculty, Mannes College of Music Preparatory Division and Showa Academia Musicae, Yokohama, Japan; collegiate faculty, San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

SUMMER PIANO CLASS

Jacqueline Chew
Wednesdays, June 19 - July 31, 2013
7 classes, 6:15 - 7:45 p.m.
Room C01
$245 tuition and $25 registration fee

Adult Extension Summer Class Piano is only open to students who have previously taken Class Piano I or Class Piano II in our Adult Extension division.

Jacqueline Chew, known for her performances of Olivier Messiaen's music, has released a double-CD entitled Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jesus. In preparation for this work, she coached with French pianist Roger Muraro as well as Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen, for whom the piece was written. MSR Classics recently released her Sweet Irrational Worship: The Niles-Merton Songs, recorded with baritone Chad Runyon. In addition to solo and chamber music concerts, Chew performed, toured and recorded as pianist in the Women's Philharmonic from 1990 to 2004. She received degrees from the State University of New York–Binghamton and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and studied privately with Leonard Shure in Boston. Chew also teaches at the University of California–Berkeley.

Spring Semester 2013 Course Listings

Performance Workshop for Singers - starts January 16
Dalcroze Eurhythmics - starts January 26
Cello Ensemble - Intermediate starts January 26, Advanced starts January 29
Music Appreciation - starts January 27
Class Piano I and II - starts January 30
Introduction to Italian Grammar - starts January 30
Viva Verdi - starts February 4
Chamber Music - starts February 5
Recreational Singing - starts February 25
Alexander Technique - starts April 3

PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP FOR SINGERS

Heidi Moss
Wednesdays, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Starting January 16
Room 319
10 classes, $440

This class will provide a safe environment for singers of all levels to enhance their performance skills. The class will meet weekly, and each participant will present selections of their choice. Students are encouraged to critique each other. We will then work on improving stage presence, such as introducing yourself and your repertoire, physical presentation and getting into character. An accompanist will be provided. This class will conclude with a public recital on March 30 2012, in the Recital Hall.

Course topics include:

Stage presence (introductions, bowing, etc.)
Body language and acting tools (how to get into character)
Musical interpretation and execution
Breaking down the formal barrier between performer and audience
Auditioning
Videotaped performance with viewing session and discussion

Prerequisites: Open to singers of all levels. Singers should be able to prepare repertoire for the class themselves.
Number of students: 10 maximum

Heidi Moss, noted for her "rich and radiant soprano" (Edward Ortiz, Sacramento Bee) has performed with area companies such as West Edge Opera, Ensemble Parallele, West Bay Opera, Pocket Opera, Oakland Symphony, and the San Francisco Lyric Opera. She has also garnered recognition in major vocal eompeittions including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (NY District First Place Winner and Regional Finalist), Liederkranz Awards, and the MacAllister Awards. Her affinity for contemporary music has solicited several premieres as well as fostering relationships with wonderful composers. In addition to an active musical life, Heidi continued her biological studies and spent many years working as a research scientist, most recently at the Rockefeller University. In 2007 she was stricken with a rare version of Bell's Palsy which left the right side of her face permanently paralyzed. She feels lucky to sing again, despite the neurologists's predicitions. Her disability has inspired her to learn more about vocal physiology and pedagogy, particularly how it relates to facial musculature, and is on a new scientific venture in pursuit of this understanding. In addition to her active performing schedule, she has a private voice studio, is a member of NATS. and gives vocal workshops throughout the area.

DALCROZE EURHYTHMICS

Yoriko Richman
Saturdays, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Starting January 26
Room 104
8 classes, $320

CELLO ENSEMBLE

Barbara Wirth

Intermediate and Advanced
Saturdays, every other week, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Starting January 26
Room 104
9 classes, $280

Advanced
Tuesdays, every other week, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Starting January 29
Room 104
9 classes, $280

Student ensembles will perform works recorded by notable groups including the Berlin Philharmonic Cellos, the Yale Cellos and the London Cello Sound. Students should have good intonation and rhythm and be comfortable with thumb position as well as bass, tenor and treble clefs.

Barbara Wirth received a B.M. from Northwestern University and an M.M. from Indiana University, studying with Janos Starker and Pierre Fournier. She has been a member of the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and has played with the San Francisco Symphony, Ballet and Theater orchestras. Wirth has taught cello for the Northwestern University Preparatory Department, Eastern Kentucky University, Louisville Academy of Music, Dominican College, San Francisco State University and the University of San Francisco, and she is currently a member of the Preparatory and Adult Extension Divisions faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

MUSIC APPRECIATION: An Overview of Western Musical History

Richard Roper
Sundays, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Starting January 27
Room 512
8 classes, $320

Join us on a journey which covers the major periods of Western music history. From Pythagoras to Philip Glass, this course takes you through the landmark achievements of our musical culture. See how the ancient Greeks have influenced Western musical thought in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Observe the emergence of opera and concert instrumental music during the baroque and classical eras. Empathize with the need for individual expression of the romantic artist. Appreciate the impact that world events have had on the history of music. This series of lectures will provide an overview of our Western musical heritage, inviting you to explore beyond the realm of your familiar musical territory.

Richard Roper Richard Roper holds degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Yale School of Music and the University of Maryland. He has been a faculty member at the University of Maine and currently teaches in the Preparatory and Adult Extension Divisions at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and at California State University-Stanislaus. As a Harriet Hale Woolley Scholar he spent a year studying trumpet in Paris, and he has also studied and performed at the Aspen Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, Tanglewood Institute and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. In addition to teaching, he stays busy performing with many Northern California ensembles.

CLASS PIANO I and II

Jacqueline Chew
Wednesdays, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Piano I
Wednesdays, 7:30-9:00 p.m. Piano II
Starting January 30
Room C01
13 classes, $455

These classes approach playing the piano through an understanding of music theory, with emphasis on sight-reading, transposition and rhythm Piano I begins with music notation (rhythm and intervals). In conjunction with playing simple classical pieces, students learn major scales, relative and parallel minor scales and chords (tonic, dominant and subdominant). Piano II explores these same subjects in greater depth while adding seventh chords, practice techniques, ensemble and analysis of students' repertoire.

INTRODUCTION TO ITALIAN GRAMMAR

Brian Neilson
Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Starting January 30
Room 323
15 classes, $450

This course will be a systematic examination of very vern tense in Italian, including the indicative, subjunctive, conditional, and imperative moods. We will learn the structure and meaning of every verb tense, and the way different tenses combine to fomr complex thought. The aim of this course is to bring the student to a much fuller and more precise expressive capacity in both spoken and written Italian. The process is to achieve this through structured oral dialogue in class. Taught in Italian.

Brian Neilson has taught at the Istituto Americano in Florence, the University of California and, for more than 20 years, in the Collegiate Division of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He received the George Sarlo Award for Excellence in Teaching at the Conservatory for the 2005-2006 academic year.

VIVA VERDI

Clifford (Kip) Cranna
Mondays, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Starting February 4
Room 323
4 classes, $180

Celebrate Verdi's 200th birthday in 2013 by getting more familiar with the genius of his music, and exploring the beauty of Italian opera. San Francisco Opera Director of Music Administartion Clifford "Kip" Cranna will guide you through Verdi's career, taking a close look at the important operas from each period in his life. Using video examples, the course will emphasize listening skills, while offering practical insights into production problems in performing and staging Verdi's operas. No previous opera study or experience necessary.

Class 1 - February 4 - the early years (1830-40s) Oberto, Nabucco, Macbeth
Class 2 - February 11 - the middle years (1850s) Simon Boccanegra, La Traviata, Rigoletto
Class 3 - February 18 - mature works (1860s) La Forza del Destino, Aida, Don Carlos
Class 4 - February 25 - final masterpieces Otello, Falstaff

CHAMBER MUSIC

Corey McVicar and Andrew Luchansky
Tuesdays, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Starting February 5 - AUDITIONS ON January 12
Multiple classrooms
10 classes, $500

This class is geared toward those with some instrumental proficiency who are eager to play the great chamber works with likeminded musicians. Students will receive weekly coaching and rehearsal with our faculty culminating in a April 20 recital in the Osher Salonl. Enrollment also includes admission to SFCM Chamber Music Masters concerts February 7 and March 21 as well as priority seating (as space allows) for the CMM master classes on February 5 with Donald Weilerstein and March 19 with Kim Kashkashian. AUDITION IS REQUIRED. Auditions take place on Saturday, January 12, with applications due one week prior. Students must be reasonably proficient on their instrument with some prior chamber music experience desirable. Every effort will be made to place applicants in groups based on demonstrated level and avaiability of compatible players but placement is not guaranteed. Pre-formed groups are encouraged to apply!

Corey McVicar, described as a "truly poetic and exhilarating" pianist by the Sydney Morning Herald, has performed worldwide. He has appeared extensively througout his native Australia, including notable performances at the Sydney Opera House and Sydn ey Parliament House; he has also given concerto performances with the Sydney and Queensland Symphony Orchestras. Other performances include solo recitals, concerto and chamber music engagements in Singapore at Victoria Hall; the American University and Goethe Institute in Bagkok, Thailand; in Saint Germain En-Laye, France; the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Strathmore Hall in Washington DC and Carnegie Weill Recital Hall in New York City. Recording artist for VDA Classics. Prize winner in the International Liszt Competition in Italy and the Frinna Awerbuch International piano compeittion in New York. Former faculty at the Peabody Conservatory of Music and Preparatory of the Johns Hopkins University and former adjunct piano faculty at Columbia University.

Andrew Luchansky, M.M., State University of New York at Stony Brook; B.M., New England Conservatory of Music; studied with Laurence Lesser, Timothy Eddy, and chamber music with members of the Guarneri and Juilliard Quartets and Beaux Arts Trio; master classes with Gregor Piatagorsky, Bernard Greenhouse and Anner Bylsma; performances with The Classical Band, Musica Sacra, Brooklyn Philharmonic and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and as soloist at the Festival International de Musica in Deia Spain, Italy and Denmark; former faculty, Florida State University, currently director of string studies at the CSU Sacramento School of Music.

RECREATIONAL SINGING

Helen Dilworth
Mondays, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Starting February 25
Room 201
4 classes, $130

"Since singing is so good a thing, I'd like all people to learn to sing." That's ancient and current wisdom from composer William Byrd. Singing is fun, healthy and educational. In this basic and primarily community singing class, special attention will be available for skill building in pitch, rhythm and expression, as well as breath control, range extension and projection.

Dr. Helen Dilworth is a distinguished teacher, administrator and soprano accomplished in a broad range of musical styles. She delights in helping singers to develop their voices and performance skills. Winner of the San Francisco Opera's Merola, Metropolitan Saunderson and Graz Mastersinger awards, "Dr. Diva" has taught at San Francisco State University, Jazz Camp, Gospel Workshops, professional conferences and community colleges. She has toured in America, China, Japan and Puerto Rico. Her students perform pop, classical, opera, Broadway, folk, religious and many other types of music. She is on the voice faculty of the Preparatory and Adult Extension Divisions.

ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE

Robert Britton

Wednesdays, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Starting April 3
Room 512
5 classes, $225

To make music, our whole body is involved in movement. The Alexander Technique is used to coordinate our bodies in action so that we can move in the most efficient manner possible. Unconscious detrimental habits of movement can lead to excess muscle tensions, which can lead to pain and injury as well as dampening the free flow of communication with the audience, as well as the pleasure of making music. In this class we will explore the subtleties of how the head, torso, breath, and limbs relate to each other to enable us to perform at our full potential of power, subtlety, and expression. One of the Conservatory's most popular classes at the collegiate level, the Alexander Technique has been used by Conservatory students for the last 25 years to correct painful movements and allow them to progress significantly in their art.

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