The San Francisco Conservatory of Music will grant Garrick Ohlsson, long regarded as one of the world's leading exponents of the music of Frédéric Chopin, the honorary degree of Doctor of Music at this year's commencement ceremony on May 20, 2016. The first American to win first prize in the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition (1970), Ohlsson also won first prize at the Busoni Competition in Italy (1966), the Montreal Piano Competition in Canada (1968) and the Avery Fisher Prize (1994). Ohlsson will help send off the class of 2016 in commencement exercises held at 10:30 a.m. on May 20 in the Conservatory's Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall.

The Conservatory grants Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees to a graduating class of 164.  This international class of promising graduates represents 11 countries and 16 states, and they will be joined family members from around the world and across the nation.

President David H. Stull says the Conservatory is privileged to honor Ohlsson as a role model for this year's graduates. "His work as an artist is clearly extraordinary, but more important is his impact on musicians and the art of music itself. We are pleased that Garrick will continue his relationship with SFCM as he works with pianists at SFCM in the next academic year. He also hosts an intensive symposium during SFCM's Winter Term in January 2017. Garrick is a remarkable individual and we are proud to honor him as a friend."