Biography
The San Francisco Girls Chorus stands out for its integrated model that combines rigorous choral training with elite-level performances, drawing widespread notice across the United States. Hundreds of singers from 45 Bay Area cities participate, with some beginning at age four.
Elizabeth Appling established the ensemble in 1978 and led it until 1992. Later artistic directors include Sharon J. Paul, who held the post from 1992 to 2000, Susan McMane from 2001 to 2012, Lisa Bielawa from 2013 to 2018, and Valérie Saint-Agathe, who began in 2019. The group has pursued an expansive artistic mission from its earliest days, commissioning and presenting contemporary works alongside standard repertoire. Its Premier Ensemble has appeared at major national occasions, among them President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, the New York Philharmonic’s 2016 Biennial Festival of New Music at Lincoln Center, and a sold-out 2018 Kennedy Center program with the Philip Glass Ensemble that received national broadcast.
A distinctive educational pathway, the Chorus School, lets participants progress through graded stages according to their developing skills. The entry level, Prep Chorus, accepts girls ages 4–7 without audition and covers foundational musicianship. Singers then move into Training Chorus (ages 6–7) followed by ensembles at Levels I through IV, remaining at each stage for one to three years as required. At Level IV they become eligible for professional engagements, yet must pass vocal and theory examinations to complete the curriculum and join the Premier Ensemble.
Nine recordings have appeared, most issued on the chorus’s own label, earning five Grammy awards. In 2019 the singers joined the New York chamber orchestra The Knights for the album My Outstretched Hand, which includes music by Aaron Jay Kernis and former conductor Lisa Bielawa. The organization also runs its own summer camp and owns the Kanbar Performing Arts Center in downtown San Francisco, making the venue available to other performing-arts groups.
Elizabeth Appling established the ensemble in 1978 and led it until 1992. Later artistic directors include Sharon J. Paul, who held the post from 1992 to 2000, Susan McMane from 2001 to 2012, Lisa Bielawa from 2013 to 2018, and Valérie Saint-Agathe, who began in 2019. The group has pursued an expansive artistic mission from its earliest days, commissioning and presenting contemporary works alongside standard repertoire. Its Premier Ensemble has appeared at major national occasions, among them President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, the New York Philharmonic’s 2016 Biennial Festival of New Music at Lincoln Center, and a sold-out 2018 Kennedy Center program with the Philip Glass Ensemble that received national broadcast.
A distinctive educational pathway, the Chorus School, lets participants progress through graded stages according to their developing skills. The entry level, Prep Chorus, accepts girls ages 4–7 without audition and covers foundational musicianship. Singers then move into Training Chorus (ages 6–7) followed by ensembles at Levels I through IV, remaining at each stage for one to three years as required. At Level IV they become eligible for professional engagements, yet must pass vocal and theory examinations to complete the curriculum and join the Premier Ensemble.
Nine recordings have appeared, most issued on the chorus’s own label, earning five Grammy awards. In 2019 the singers joined the New York chamber orchestra The Knights for the album My Outstretched Hand, which includes music by Aaron Jay Kernis and former conductor Lisa Bielawa. The organization also runs its own summer camp and owns the Kanbar Performing Arts Center in downtown San Francisco, making the venue available to other performing-arts groups.
Albums
