The move represents the first time a non-profit has bought a for-profit artist agency
The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) will acquire Opus 3 Artists, forming an unprecedented strategic alliance that links the leading management company for professional musicians and ensembles with the students, faculty and community of one of the world’s finest conservatories.
The acquisition is the first of its kind and creates a new operating model committed to artistic excellence from the training of young musicians to the premier representation of professional artists around the world.
Opus 3 Artists – who represent the links of Daniil Trifonov and Emmanuel Ax – will continue to operate as an autonomous company, delivering global management services for over 250 distinguished artists. SFCM remains an independent conservatory serving almost 500 of the most talented students from around the world.
“SFCM and Opus 3 are dedicated to supporting the finest artists of our time and cultivating the emerging talent of tomorrow,” comments David H. Stull, President of SFCM.
David H. Stull, President of SFCM © Carlin Ma
“This ambitious model will support a mutual amplification of mission and provide a platform for limitless artistic collaboration and project development. By coming together, our two institutions will also create new pathways for diverse artists and leaders to enter the profession. I am deeply grateful to our anonymous angel investor who made this possible.”
The SFCM and Opus 3 Artists Alliance Programme
Bowes Center, San Francisco © Victor Xie
- Commissions, recordings, and innovative projects
Opus 3 artists will have opportunities to advance their own work through commissions from composers, undertake new recording projects, and test new ideas in collaboration with colleagues. The alliance will allow Opus 3 artists to visit San Francisco, reside in the Bowes Center, and experiment with new ideas.
- SFCM/Opus 3 Artist Apprentice Programme
Opus 3 Artists and SFCM will develop a global programme to identify the leading artists of tomorrow. These young apprentices will be fully funded and based in San Francisco at the new Bowes Center. They will be mentored and presented on occasion by Opus 3, and work closely with artists from within the profession toward the goal of a career in the performing arts sector.
- Arts Leaders Professional Degree Programme
Students interested in careers in arts management will have internship opportunities with Opus 3 Artists and work within a Professional Degree programme at SFCM. This will provide an unparalleled opportunity for emerging arts leaders.
- Enhanced global engagement
SFCM and Opus 3 Artists share the belief that every child, regardless of circumstance, must have the opportunity to engage with music and the performing arts. To that end, both institutions are committed to harnessing their collective resources to advance this goal through advocacy, collaboration, teaching, performance, and programming. Through the alliance, SFCM and Opus 3 will launch new ideas and models for supporting arts education, publish and distribute scientific evidence that informs the necessity of music for child development, and more.
- Ute and William K. Bowes, Jr. Center for Performing Arts
SFCM’s new Ute and William K. Bowes, Jr. Center for Performing Arts, a 12-story residence and education center within steps of San Francisco’s leading performing arts organizations, provides affordable, high quality housing for over 400 students and seven residential suites for visiting professional artists and guest faculty.
The SFCM and Opus 3 Artists communities will have access to these state-of-the art education and artistic facilities that include a recording studio, two recital halls, a restaurant with a live performance venue, and a street level recital space for free community performances.
Further details on these initiatives will be announced in the year ahead.