San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Los Angeles Philharmonic Principal Timpanist and composer Joe Pereira is joining SFCM’s Percussion Department for the Fall 2026 semester!

Pereira brings an impressive set of credentials on both sides of the country, having previously played in the New York Philharmonic from 1997 to 2008. As a teacher, his must-have for potential students is a sense of curiosity. Because everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, Pereira doesn't use a predetermined program, though he emphasizes that a well-developed ear is a necessity for navigating the timpani's variable pitches.

He is excited to join SFCM Percussion fellows Haruka Fujii and Chair Jacob Nissly to build up the department together. "If you're curious about the music and you're honest with yourself and you work really hard, you'll be successful," Pereira says. "I almost guarantee that to my students now."

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/44whOt7

Joshua Elmore, Principal Bassoon of the SF Symphony, is joining SFCM's Woodwinds faculty for the Fall 2026 semester!

As the symphony's first Black principal musician since the 1970s, Elmore brings an incredible journey to SFCM. He approaches the instrument like a singer, pouring himself into the music, and is passionate about serving as a model for the next generation of diverse musicians.

His number one piece of advice for students? "Get out of your head and into the music. Persevere, because rejection is not a 'no,' it's just a redirection into something else."

Read his full interview: https://bit.ly/4uH2bKa

The Nina Simone Piano Competition arrives at SFCM this week!

Established in 2021 by SFCM piano faculty Awadagin Pratt, the competition honors Simone's prodigious musical gifts by showcasing unheralded talent and underrepresented composers.

With no age limit, the competition captures exceptional pianists who may have lacked opportunities for advancement. Entrants are required to play at least one composition by an African-American composer, bringing works by Florence Price, George Walker, Betty Jackson King, and Joel Thompson to the stage.

Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear so many underrepresented composers in one place and get a preview of the potential piano stars of tomorrow! Join us at SFCM for the opening rounds on June 18 and the semifinals on June 19.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4vRtDpz

Not bad for someone who's only been able to vote for seven months!

SFCM Pre-College alumna Starla Breshears has won the grand prize at the 41st annual Irving M. Klein International String Competition, taking home two additional prizes for best solo Bach performance and best sonata performance.

Breshears, 18, won the grand prize, which includes $5,000 cash as well as a raft of performance contracts. The Klein win builds on a landmark year for Breshears, who studied at SFCM from 2015-2025. In March, she joined the San Francisco Symphony's cello section, becoming the youngest musician in the venerable ensemble.

"Starla's artistry and dedication was evident from her early start at the Conservatory," Pre-College Executive Director Keelin Davis said, while Breshears' private teacher Jean-Michel Fonteneau called her "one of the most gifted young cellists I have encountered in my five decades of teaching."

Read more: https://bit.ly/4enQqC7

There is no better place for a musical startup than SFCM. Held as part of the Arts Leadership Institute, SFCM's Musical Startups Incubator Pitch event gave students a daylong opportunity to show off original business ideas to Bay Area investors and mentors, including "Guitar Hero" co-creator Charles Huang.

A trio of ambitious student projects stood out this year:

🎮 PracticePro: An app by Irene Giovannetti ('26) that "gamifies" musicians' practice sessions.

🧘 Resonant States: A sound bath series by Zoe Lee ('26) that combines yoga, mindfulness meditation, and music.

🎵 Return Interval: A production company by current students Ben Kitchen and Luca Robadey behind Dunes, an immersive multimedia experience utilizing spatial audio and reactive lighting projections.

"We're working really hard on figuring out a way to make it scalable so that anything from a string quartet to a symphony can play it or it can be 'put on' in say, The Sphere in Las Vegas," Kitchen says. "That's the ultimate goal."

Read more: https://bit.ly/4uxnspI