The City of San Francisco has elected a new mayor, and SFCM was there to set the beat.

Just steps away from the Bowes Center, a brass ensemble featuring SFCM students performed as Daniel Lurie was sworn in on January 8 as San Francisco’s 46th mayor.

“Music, arts, and culture are essential to our city’s identity and create valuable experiences and employment opportunities for San Franciscans,” the newly elected Mayor Daniel Lurie said. “I was honored to have SFCM students perform at my inauguration, and to have some of our city's finest musical talents represented.”

Hundreds attended the swearing in ceremony of SF's newest mayor.

“Performing on the stage where the newly elected mayor was about to speak in front of hundreds of people was so exciting!” said student Caleb Brosnac. “Being a student at SFCM provides me with a wide variety of performance opportunities throughout the Bay area,” he added. Broscac is a trumpet player and a student of David Burkhart.

SFCM faculty Adam Luftman also conducted the ensemble. “The students did a fantastic job during this very high-profile performance,” Luftman said. “They played and acted in an incredibly professional manner.” Students were also compensated for their work. 

The ensemble is conducted by SFCM's Adam Luftman.

While the majority of the 11-member ensemble was SFCM students, the group was rounded out by a few Bay area professional musicians. “I was excited to perform with talented brass musicians from ensembles like the SF Opera Orchestra,” Brosnac added. 

In the heart of San Francisco’s arts district, SFCM students often perform at city events and in the local community. In 2024 SFCM students performed an outdoor concert for the public in an effort to bring live classical music into the local community by Opus 3 Artists The Concert Truck, part of SFCM’s growing alliance of arts organizations. In addition, dozens of students were recently hired to create a “Video Game Orchestra” at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. 

Students can get the chance on hundreds of performance opportunities through its Hire SFCM and Conservatory Connect programs, as well as its Professional Development and Engagement Center (PDEC), and collaborations set up by SFCM. These opportunities give students first-hand performance experience as they continue their education in creating the future of music. 

Learn more about studying at SFCM.