Lena Goldstein (‘25) is a classically trained soprano, and also the founder and executive director of Park City Opera, an organization she built from the ground up, using her voice—and knowledge she gained from SFCM.

Lena Goldstein.

While studying for her master’s in voice, Goldstein took several professional development classes and worked in the Professional Development and Engagement Center (PDEC). PDEC places a strong emphasis on skills and experience outside the practice room with its core curriculum built to prepare students for their careers. 

“The professional development resources at SFCM were actually a big reason I ended up here,” Goldstein said. “I didn’t just want to study voice—I wanted to grow as a creative professional, and I could tell PDEC would support that.”

“I took a class called Intro to Festival Management, and through that experience, I had the opportunity to direct SFCM's Hot Air Music Festival,” Goldstein continued. “That experience really showed me how creative and entrepreneurial the classical music world can be.” 

Since its inception, Park City Opera, a 501(c)(3) organization with Goldstein as executive director, has produced nearly 30 concerts. “My co-founders and I have all benefited from PDEC, which provided some of our earliest seed funding and pitch opportunities for Park City Opera.” In addition to the academic year, Goldstein utilized the SFCM summer Startup Incubator as well as the Arts Leadership Institute to further grow her opera company.

This kind of entrepreneurial spirit is something SFCM’s PDEC program encourages. "When people are thinking about music school, they are often just thinking about practicing and hopping on stage or into the studio, but there is so much more to it," said Director of PDEC and faculty Kristen Klehr. "The musicians that are succeeding and navigating in successful careers, regardless of the genre, are the ones that understand our ecosystem.” 

Lena Goldstein performs at SFCM.

Creating a career in music requires more than just hitting all the right notes. From the start all SFCM freshmen must take Professional Fundamentals and Financial Literacy classes. They can build on these with courses in marketing, finance, teaching, and technology, as well as internships with local professional arts organizations, all designed to help students build the confidence they need to create the career of their dreams. 

“Some people may be worried that there are not enough jobs in the arts, but that is simply just not true,” Klehr said. According to research found in the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), an economic and social impact study of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry, “there are more than 2.6 million jobs in the arts, and over $151 billion in economic activity generated annually…” Klehr says, adding, “This industry is a viable business model. From your local community, to the  national and even global level, emerging musicians just need to know where to look, how to navigate it, and how to organize together so they can all succeed.”

Since 2022, SFCM has offered optional bachelor of music concentrations in leadership, teaching, and technology. These optional concentrations prepare the modern musician to do everything from managing music contacts, understanding entertainment law, running a recording session, and even planning a music festival.

SFCM’s 24 professional development classes are built around four pillars: Business, Mind and Body, Pedagogy and Community Engagement, and Technology. “These are concrete classes that are built around nurturing students to find ways to succeed, exploring what ‘success’ looks like for them, and translating practice room hours into real opportunities in the community,” Klehr added. 

As students near graduation, professional development courses become even more specialized: Business for the Media Composer, Expanding Your Digital Presence, Building Your Private Teaching Studio, and Foundations of Teaching Music all address different facets of how musicians navigate the non-performance aspects of their lives. 

Rose Crelli.

Performing musicians like Rose Crelli, a violinist who graduated in 2022, found PDEC courses vital to her thriving career in San Francisco, “Some non-musical skills that have been really critical in developing my career as a performer have been social media, learning how to market and promote myself, starting my own S-corp, and learning how to do the finances, contracting—all the admin side,” Crelli said. “Outside of performing it has been almost 60 percent of my job.”

Along with SFCM’s top-of-the-line music faculty, these unique skill sets will set musicians apart, allow them to know their worth, and enter the workforce with a clear path to success, wherever that may be.  

As for Goldstein, her Park City Opera will bring The Barber of Seville to Utah audiences in August for the first time in decades, something Goldstein is especially proud to have made happen. She encourages current and future students to try out new opportunities.

“You don’t need to come in with a business plan or a fully formed idea,” Goldstein said. “Just show up to a professional development course with curiosity and a willingness to try something new. PDEC is there to help you figure out how your unique interests and talents can turn into real projects, performances, or even careers. It’s one of the best parts of being at SFCM.”

Learn more about Professional Development at SFCM.