Some San Francisco students will have a jump-start on their "what I did on my summer vacation" essays when they return to school this fall.

The Conservatory’s Summer@SFCM program wraps with a harp recital at the top of August, bringing an end to another season of lessons, intensives, and performances across six of SFCM’s departments. Between immersive intensives for bass clarinet, Technology and Applied Composition (TAC), harp, guitar, voice, and composition, students new and returning were able to polish their skills, perform, and make new friends.

Woodwinds Chair Jerome Simas (middle) at SFCM's bass clarinet summer intensive.

The second year of the Bass Clarinet Intensive, with "once in a lifetime bass clarinet professors" (James, 20) and "ideas and approaches that are genuinely game-changing" (Cheyenne, 18), provided a much-needed space for, as 23-year-old Emma said, "the best type of person (bass clarinet players)." Besides, where else would you see AC/DC’s "Thunderstruck" arranged for bass clarinets?

Students in Summer@SFCM's Bass Clarinet Intensive.

"You won’t get any better facilities or resources as a student, 16-year-old Albert said of the TAC Immersive. Erika, 17, added that students are "guaranteed to learn something—how to use a DAW (digital audio workstation) or notation software, how to communicate with other musicians during the session recording," and perhaps most importantly: "how to manage burnout after  6 hours in the lab."

Shawne Workman teaches in a TAC lab.

"This is likely to be the most you’ll ever improve in a week," 15-year-old guitarist Meezahn said of the Guitar Workshop. "David Tanenbaum, Mark Teicholz, and Meng Su were all fantastic teachers," said 17-year-old Pierre, echoed by Campbell, 15, who returned to the Workshop for a second year, and also studies in Pre-College. "Meng, Marc, and David are three of the most incredible teachers and players in the world, and, at least for me, being around them and playing with them makes me a much better guitarist."

Returning student Siena, 15, had direct advice for anyone considering Summer@SFCM’s Vocal Academy: "Definitely join!" Sixteen-year-old Aaron, also enrolled in Pre-College, said, "The faculty will challenge you to sing better, not just by working on vocal technique, but by taking advantage of great and reliable sources, such as the library. I was particularly surprised that even the pianists were so experienced and skilled not just in piano, but also vocal coaching. The faculty all challenged me more than my previous voice teachers."

Students in Summer@SFCM's Guitar Workshop.

Twelve-year-old Vivienne, enrolled in the Harp Immersive, remembers "tons of learning moments" in the program, while Shiva, 14, enrolled in Online Intro to Composition, said, "I entered this class with close to no knowledge of music composition and now feel that I can write a decent piece in a week."  

Summer@SFCM's Guitar Workshop ensemble performance.

SFCM faculty participating in Summer@SFCM included Woodwind Chair Jerome Simas, Shawne Workman, Doug McCausland, Lennie Moore, and Daria Novo, Jennifer Ellis, Guitar Chair David Tanenbaum, Mark Teicholz, and Meng Su, Executive Chair and Professor of Voice Richard Cox, Lester Lynch, Susanne Mentzer, Matthew Worth, Catherine Cook, Rhoslyn Jones, César Ulloa, Opera & Musical Theatre Chair Heather Matthews, and Mauricio Rodriguez. With its mix of residential summer programs, day camps, and online courses, Summer@SFCM offers multiple options for aspiring young musicians to see what studying at SFCM might be like. Applications for the 2026 open December 1.

Learn more about Summer@SFCM and SFCM's Pre-College.