Bay Philharmonic Competitors

Founded in 1911, the San Francisco Symphony is one of the most adventurous and innovative arts institutions in the United States. Celebrated for its artistic excellence, creative performance concepts, award-winning recordings, and standard-setting education programs, the Symphony continues to shape the future of orchestral music, making a lasting impact on the cultural fabric of San Francisco and the world.

American Conservatory Theater is an essential gathering place that brings artists and communities together to inspire and provoke. Under the leadership of Tony Award-winning Artistic Director Pam MacKinnon and Executive Director Jennifer Bielstein, A.C.T.’s mission is to engage the spirit of the San Francisco Bay Area, activate stories that resonate, promote a diversity of voices and points of view, and empower theater makers and audiences to celebrate liveness. A.C.T. values inclusion, transformational learning, participation and rigorous fun. A.C.T. is a Tony Award-winning nonprofit theater serving almost 200,000 people in the San Francisco Bay Area annually through theater, training, education and community programs. A.C.T. operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theaters and Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. A.C.T. is a constituent of Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the nonprofit professional theater. A.C.T. is a member of the League of Resident Theaters, Theatre Bay Area, Union Square Association, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau.

California Symphony is distinguished by its position as "a model for regional orchestras" (Mercury News), its contribution to the classical music tradition through its innovative approach to concerts, its commitment to lifelong education for both the children and adults in its community, and its impact on the American classical music canon through the talent being fostered via California Symphony’s nationally recognized Young American Composer Residency.