San Francisco Conservatory Of Music Proceeds With Relocation To Civic Center; New World-Class Music School And Performance Hall Opens Fall 2006
SAN FRANCISCO, February 12, 2004 — The Board of Trustees of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) has unanimously approved proceeding with construction of the school's $80 million relocation project in San Francisco's Civic Center. The construction phase of the project is scheduled to begin on March 1, 2004 and conclude in Spring 2006, with the facility opening to students that fall.
The internationally acclaimed Conservatory broke ground on its new teaching, performance, rehearsal and practice facility in the heart of the City's Civic Center performing arts community in September 2003. Located at 50 Oak Street within easy walking distance of the San Francisco Symphony, Opera and Ballet, the new San Francisco Conservatory of Music is essentially doubling in size from its current 37,000-square-foot facility in the Sunset District. The new building will provide dramatic improvements in classroom, studio and practice spaces and feature several venues for public performances.
“Relocation to the Civic Center will bring significant benefits to students, faculty and the community,“ said SFCM President Colin Murdoch. “With nearly twice the square footage of the Ortega Street campus, the new facility will provide space to expand existing programs and provide the foundation for new innovative programs. The Conservatory will be able to reach out to the public with more on-campus classes and performances. The new location at the performing arts nexus of San Francisco will enable more artistic and educational collaborations and expand the opportunities for interaction between our students and world figures in music.“
With nearly seventy percent of the $80 million project cost committed, the Conservatory's move to Civic Center has been planned for more than three years. The project has been designed by the architectural firm Simon Martin-Vegue Winkelstein Moris, with acoustical engineering by Kirkegaard Associates. Originally built in 1914, the historic facade and ballroom of 50 Oak Street will be preserved, while non-historic parts of the eight-floor building and the adjacent structure at 70 Oak Street will be transformed into state-of-the-art educational and performance spaces.
About the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
The San Francisco Conservatory is one of the leading music schools in the world. Each year, the Conservatory serves more than 1,300 students through its Collegiate, Preparatory, and Adult Extension Divisions and its summer programs. Its students and faculty also present more than 1,620 public performances-most of them free-to more than 24,000 Bay Area residents and visitors annually. For more information, please visit the Conservatory's web site at www.sfcm.edu or call 415.759.3415.
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