HISTORY

In 1997, three longtime San Francisco Bay Area music patrons – Jane Roos Le Roux, Jane Galante and Barbara Barclay – recognized that while chamber music ensembles contribute significantly to the cultural life of the Bay Area, they generally lack the tools and staffing for audience development and, because most are not tax-exempt entities, they are rarely in the position to garner the contributed support that organizations in other disciplines receive. The founders saw a distinct need for a local service organization to support this art form in the Bay Area, and in 1998, launched the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music (SFFCM).

Since then, SFFCM has become a valuable organization serving all who cherish chamber music as an art form.

We serve ensembles through our Affiliate, Associate, and the Musical Grant Programs, and build new audiences by presenting the annual Chamber Music Day – Live+Free.  Chamber music education and training is offered through Chamber Music Encounters, a series a initiatives designed to partner SFFCM affiliated chamber musicians with students of various ages for exposure and hands on training through chamber music. 

From 2003-2007, SFFCM presented the Yehudi Menuhin Chamber Music Seminar & Festival, a program designed to educate players and listeners through intense training and a series of public concerts.  Presented in collaboration with San Francisco State University (SFSU) each year, the curriculum included coaching and master classes for pre-formed chamber music ensembles at three levels of skill and experience: pre-professional, college/high school and middle school. Led by Artistic Director Paul Yarbrough (violist with the Alexander String Quartet) and Education Director, Susan Bates (violist and faculty, San Francisco Conservatory of Music), the 2007 faculty presented an array of nationally known chamber musicians, including,  the Alexander String Quartet; pianist, Jeremy Menuhin, pianist/composer Emile Naoumoff; the Chicago-based Jupiter Trio; violist and lecturer from The Juilliard School, Toby Appel; renowned cellist Lynn Harrell; the Cypress String Quartet and the Daedalus Quartet among others.


Each year, the Seminar provided a total of 70 chamber musicians from 18 ensembles with the opportunity to work with a distinguished faculty in public master classes, private coaching, and public performance.  This curriculum strengthened their technical and musical mastery and provided exposure to highly acclaimed professional musicians, preparing these young musicians for careers in music as performers and educators.  Participating ensembles came from music directors of chamber music training programs in the East Bay, San Francisco, Marin, the Peninsula, as well as from outside California. Audiences for the public concerts held Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the multi-day event numbered over 1,000.