The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) today announces the appointment of Bonnie Hampton to its chamber music and cello faculty. Hampton previously served as a member of SFCM’s cello faculty from 1973 to 2003. She has taught at the Conservatory since the early 1950s, with an original assignment teaching students on Saturdays at SFCM’s first location on Sacramento Street.

“We are honored to welcome Bonnie back to SFCM,” says SFCM President David H. Stull. “She is among the great artists and teachers of our time, and her return to the legendary chamber program she launched so many years ago is a joyful moment for our community and a tremendous opportunity for our students. We are thrilled to have her with us!”

“It is completely natural for me to be returning to the Conservatory,” says Hampton. “No matter where my travels have taken me, this has always been my musical home. My optimism for the chamber music program is very high and any contribution I can make to it is very much my pleasure.”

Bonnie Hampton is known the world over as one of the foremost performers and pedagogues of chamber music. She studied early on with the Griller Quartet, in residence for several years at SFCM in the 1940s and ’50s. Upon her appointment as a full-time faculty member in the 1970s, chamber music as an academic discipline began to take a more prominent role in the curriculum. In 1985, Hampton spearheaded the development of the nation’s first master’s degree program in chamber music at SFCM. Her many students have gone on to place in international competitions and perform with the world’s greatest artists and ensembles.

Hampton was a member of the Hampton-Schwartz Duo from 1967 to 2002, and a member of the Francesco Trio from 1964 to 2002. In 2003, she began a decade-long tenure as a faculty member at The Juilliard School. Hampton has also taught at Mills College, Grinnell College, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Hampton was awarded an honorary doctorate from SFCM during the institution’s centennial year in May 2016, and is the recipient of Conservatory’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. She is also the recipient of the Indiana University’s Eva Janzer Award.