First-hand advice from an arts-management company SVP? All in another day of classes at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Opus 3 Artists SVP Matthew Oberstein.

Opus 3 Artists Senior Vice President Matthew Oberstein visited the popular Musical Startups class within the Professional Development Program (PDV) at SFCM in March to give career advice, expand on the trends sees in the industry, and offer guidance on how today's modern musicians can build a career in an ever-evolving industry.

Kristen Klehr (Credit: Shaina House)

"It's always great to visit with SFCM students who understand the importance of not only being great performers and artists, but also the business of their art forms," Oberstein says. "I really enjoyed hearing about some of the innovative projects that the students are working on in Dean Klehr's class. We discussed the importance of marrying art and commerce as they develop their projects."

Musical Startups is taught by Dean Kristen Klehr, PDV Chair. "SFCM is providing students with unparalleled exposure to the ecosystem of our music industry today,” Klehr said. "A career in music is filled with a variety of paths, and learning how the system works is just as important as honing your musicianship skills.”

Opus 3 Artists is part of SFCM's one-of–kind alliance of leading arts organizations aside Askonas Holt, and PENTATONE Records. Together, their work creates opportunities for students, artists, presenters, and audiences to develop and experience new ideas. In addition to bringing artists to SFCM like violinist Simone Porter, and opera star and director Pat Racette for residencies, alliance partners also provide an inside look at how today's music industry operates.

Recently, Voice students worked directly Opus 3 Vocal Department SVP Nathan Wentworth alongside artist manager Trevor Newman. Meanwhile, SFCM and Opus 3 continue to grow their internship program, giving another student on-the-ground experience with everything from tour routing to artist publicity.

"Young artists today need to think about how they develop their brands, build a connection with their audiences, and tell a story offstage that is so compelling that it draws fans to see them onstage," Oberstein says, "all while practicing and growing as talented musicians—no easy feat! I hope some of the topics we discussed will stay with them as they progress."

Learn more about SFCM's Professional Development program or its alliance of industry partners.