San Francisco Conservatory of Music alumni are a highly distinguished group. More than 30 Conservatory alumni currently perform with the San Francisco Symphony, Opera and Ballet orchestras and Philharmonia Baroque, while others perform with the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Boston Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic and the Tokyo Symphony. Conservatory alumni sing regularly with opera companies from around the world, including the San Francisco Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Frankfurt Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper and the Opéra National de Paris. And of course, many others forge their own paths locally, nationally and internationally as performers, composers, educators, conductors and administrators.

A few highlights of our alumni achievements:

During Jennifer Culp’s seven-year tenure as cellist of the world-renowned Kronos Quartet, the group was named Musical America’s 2003 “Musicians of the Year” and received a Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Chamber Music Performance of Berg’s Lyric Suite. She is now on faculty at the Conservatory.

Violinist Krista Bennion Feeney is concertmaster of Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, co-concertmaster of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and a former music director and concertmaster of the New Century Chamber Orchestra.

James Gandre is the provost and executive vice president of Roosevelt University, and has also served as dean of the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

Elza van den Heever, fast becoming one of the most sought-after sopranos of her generation, was recently appointed a resident artist by Frankfurt Opera Intendant Bernd Loebe. Having made a triumphant debut at Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux as Elettra in Mozart’s Idomeneo, she is currently slated for debut appearances with opera companies such as Munich’s Bayerische Staatsoper, Opéra National de Paris, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Metropolitan Opera.

Pianist Jeffrey Kahane, winner of the Arthur Rubenstein Competition, the Chopin Competition and the Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award, is music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and recently concluded a highly successful tenure as artistic director and conductor of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.

Composer Aaron Jay Kernis, whose commission was featured in the Inaugural Concert of the new Conservatory building, won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his String Quartet No. 2 (musica instrumentalis).

Violinists Yehudi Menuhin and Isaac Stern, two of our era’s greatest virtuosos, both studied at the Conservatory.

Tenor Daniel Montenegro was recently accepted to the Merola Opera Program of the San Francisco Opera. He sings regularly with the Los Angeles Opera as well as opera companies in San Francisco, Portland and Arizona. As a featured member of “The American Tenors,” he appeared nationwide on a PBS television special, followed by concert performances throughout the United States and Europe.

Catherine Naglestad, soprano, has sung the title roles of Rodelinda and Norma at San Francisco Opera. In an international 2006 survey of critics, Opernwelt magazine named her “Singer of the Year” for her penetratingly intense role portrayals as Alceste and Norma.

Cellist Hai-Ye Ni was the youngest person in history to win the Naumburg International Cello Competition. She is currently principal cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, having previously served as associate principal cello with the New York Philharmonic.

Baritone Keith Olsen is a principal singer with Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy and has appeared with London’s Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opera Bastille Paris, Staatsoper Wien, Staatsoper Berlin and Arena di Verona.

Bass Chester Patton is widely renowned for his theatrical performances and has sung with many of the world’s finest opera companies and festivals, including the Salzburg Festival, Opera de Paris, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and many others across the globe, as well as San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Tulsa, Nashville, Carolina, Cleveland, Portland and other American opera companies.

The Peabody Trio, winner of the Naumburg International Chamber Music Competition, includes pianist Seth Knopp and violinist Violaine Melançon, alumni of the Conservatory’s graduate chamber music program.

Gyan Riley is an internationally acclaimed guitarist and composer, having performed as a soloist and in ensemble with artists such as Zakir Hussain, Michael Manring, Dawn Upshaw, the San Francisco Symphony, the Falla Guitar Trio, the World Guitar Ensemble and his father, the composer/pianist/vocalist Terry Riley.

Joel Rosenbaum is an Emmy Award-winning composer who writes for both television and film. He received an Oscar nomination in 1986 for Best Original Soundtrack, along with Quincy Jones, for his work on The Color Purple.

Robin Sutherland occupies the Jean & Bill Lane Chair as principal pianist with the San Francisco Symphony.

David Tanenbaum, chair of the Conservatory’s Guitar Department, is one of today’s most sought-after guitarists, appearing in recitals throughout the world.

For more alumni information visit the Alumni Network.