Director Emeritus, Preparatory and Adult Extension Divisions

John McCarthy has performed with the San Francisco Symphony in Davies Symphony Hall and at the Ojai Music Festival with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. He and his wife Annamarie have appeared extensively as a piano duo with performances at Stanford University, the Bracebridge Concerts at Yosemite Park, and at CAMI (Columbia Artists Management Hall) in New York City. Contact with young musicians is close to his heart. In addition to his many decades of teaching at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, McCarthy served as director of the Preparatory and Extension Divisions for sixteen years. Upon his retirement from administration in 2011, he was bestowed the title "Director Emeritus". An award winning teacher of long experience, John McCarthy is recognized as one of today's leading pedagogues. In 2006, he was one of three teachers of classical music to receive a Distinguished Teacher Award from the Department of Education and the White House Committee on Presidential Scholars in the Arts at a special ceremony in Washington DC. This honor was received by him again in 2013, acknowledging "his substantial contributions to the development of our nation's young people." His students have appeared as concerto soloists with the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Baroque, and Royal Scottish National Symphony. They have received numerous awards, including a Davidson Fellowship, and three students have been named Presidential Scholars in the Arts. McCarthy studied with Katya Andy, Bernhard Abramowitsch, Martin Canin, Robert Helps, Thomas La Ratta, and Milton and Peggy Salkind.

Accepting advanced students.