History

The San Francisco Bach Choir has been an important part of the Bay Area’s cultural life for nearly eight decades. One of the oldest continually-performing community choirs in the western United States, SFBC has played a major role in establishing choral music as a serious art form in Northern California, and has introduced many singers and listeners to the works of J.S. Bach. During the tenure of founding director Waldemar Jacobsen (1937-1979), SFBC was one of the few choruses in the Bay Area offering musicians the opportunity to perform great choral works in their entirety. Upon Mr. Jacobsen’s death in 1979, Richard Kamprath served as SFBC’s second Artistic Director until 1981.

Organist and Lutheran liturgist David P. Babbitt assumed leadership of the choir 1981. Mr. Babbitt gradually expanded the choir’s programming focus to specialize not only in the music of J.S. Bach, but in the rich choral and polychoral heritage of composers of the late 16th and early 17th centuries whose music deeply influenced Bach’s creative genius. Mr. Babbitt often used multiple choirs arranged in antiphonal formation throughout the performance space, including works for as many as 40 different voice parts. He also began the choir’s historically informed performance practice and added a baroque style orchestra to the choir’s concert presentations. During his tenure Mr. Babbitt composed and arranged many works especially for SFBC. He held his position with the choir for 24 years until his death in 2006.

Harpsichordist and conductor Corey Jamason served as Artistic Director of from 2007-2014, bringing his professional experience as a soloist and chamber music collaborator and as Historical Performance Director at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Mr. Jamason continued the choir’s traditional focus on baroque sacred music with a deeply informed approach to the style of that period. His interest in community outreach moved the choir to develop several new programs, including free tickets for youth, senior discounts, educational programs in schools, and the Senior Community Choirs Project.

In July 2011, Managing Director Sharon Gustavson retired after 25 years in that role. The SFBC Board of Directors created the Sharon Gustavson Concertmaster Chair in honor of Ms. Gustavson’s many years of dedicated and inspired service to the Choir. Martha Westland was appointed Managing Director of SFBC in July 2011.

Magen Solomon assumed leadership as Artistic Director in June 2014. Dr. Solomon came to SFBC with over 35 years of experience leading major choral arts organizations, having directed professional and volunteer choirs of all sizes, and with a distinguished record of graduate and undergraduate teaching, among many other musical accomplishments. The choir is inspired by her expertise, energy, and profound personal devotion to the music of J. S. Bach.

During the choir’s 75th Anniversary Season, we began to reconnect with past members and have now established an alumni page. We are hoping that as we continue to connect with alumni that they will help us add more detail to the choir’s earlier history.