Musical Traditions

“Request a table with sightlines to the street to watch fellow opera-goers heading to shows, or arrive early for happy hour deals.”

“Order family-style to sample multiple dishes, and time your reservation 90 minutes before curtain to enjoy without rushing.”

“Pop in 30 minutes before a Davies Hall concert for a quick cortado and the chance to spot visiting soloists and orchestra members.”

“Rush standing room tickets are available day-of at the box office. The best acoustic seats are in the dress circle center. Stage door access is on the Grove Street side of the building.”

“The Wattis Room hosts intimate chamber concerts and pre-concert talks. The Box Office is on the Grove Street entrance side. SFS open rehearsals are occasional — check the calendar.”

“The ACT conservatory training program is one of the best MFA programs in the country — if you're considering graduate training, this institution is worth understanding. Tickets for previews are substantially reduced.”

“Take BART Richmond line to Downtown Berkeley station — the theaters are two blocks east. The Roda Theatre's thrust stage is excellent. Preview tickets are significantly reduced.”

“The Curran's subscription model and Carole Shorenstein Hays's producing instincts have made this one of the few commercial theaters willing to take genuine artistic risk. Watch their programming for pre-Broadway opportunities.”

“The Joe Henderson Lab is an intimate second space for emerging and experimental jazz programming. The building's position at the corner of Franklin and Fell puts it one block from Davies Symphony Hall — the Hayes Valley arts concentration is complete.”

“Fort Mason Center's arts campus surrounds the Magic Theatre — the Cowell Theater (437 seats) and BATS Improv are in the same complex. The waterfront setting is extraordinary. Parking is available at the Fort Mason lot.”

“Walk the entire campus at dusk when City Hall's gold-leaf dome and the Opera House portico are lit simultaneously. The Civic Center plaza is at its most impressive during opera and symphony season when the audiences fill the streets.”

“The neighborhood runs from Franklin Street west to Octavia and the Octavia Blvd Park. Ritual Coffee, Zuni Café, Absinthe Brasserie, and dozens of smaller establishments make this the pre-show and post-rehearsal corridor for the classical music and opera community.”

“Walk Fillmore Street from Geary north to Jackson to understand both what was lost and what persists. The Fillmore Auditorium's poster collection inside the venue (visible on concert nights) documents the full arc from jazz to rock. The Japan Center complex nearby reflects the neighborhood's subsequent Japanese American history.”

“Buy something at City Lights — Ferlinghetti's Pocket Poets series, which published Howl, is still in print and available here. The alley beside the store (Jack Kerouac Alley) connects to Vesuvio Café across the lane. The Caffe Trieste one block away still hosts Saturday afternoon operatic performances.”

“Arrive in late afternoon when musicians often congregate on the grass for informal jam sessions or solo practice; bring a score to study surrounded by nature.”

“The programming is deliberately experimental and cross-disciplinary — the venue that commissions work at the intersection of performance, visual art, and technology. The adjacent Yerba Buena Gardens include the Children's Creativity Museum and Zeum.”