San Francisco Ballet and Conservatory of Music create fellowship to support black musicians

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) and San Francisco Ballet have created a fellowship designed to support the careers of Black musicians by providing tuition, housing and funding for SFCM’s Professional Studies Certificate in Instrumental Performance. Successful candidates will also play with the SF Ballet Orchestra.

Applications are now open for the Denis de Coteau Fellowship and will close on 1 February at midnight (PST). The program will begin in Autumn 2022 with the acceptance of up to two fellows in string instruments following the assessment of applications by a committee from both SFCM and SF Ballet.

SFCM associate dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Jason Hainsworth, said: ‘This will be truly transformational for students, the Ballet, and the Conservatory in terms of building a diverse musical community.’

The fellowship is named after former SF Ballet music director and SFCM faculty member, Denis de Coteau, who became one of the first Black music directors of a major US orchestra with SF Ballet in 1974. 

The announcement follows SFCM and the San Francisco Symphony’s opening of applications for the second Emerging Black Composers Project. Both initiatives are part of SFCM’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Martin West, music director of the SF Ballet Orchestra said, ‘By welcoming the fellows into our orchestra we hope to give them extraordinary experiences that will help them be successful in their careers and begin building a pipeline to better diversify our profession.’

Fellows will live in SFCM’s new 12-story Bowes Centre which provides residences for students and visiting artists as well as performance spaces, practice rooms and a recording studio.

Each fellow will also receive individual instruction and focused training in preparation for their performance career as well as financial support for professional auditions. They will also participate in chamber concerts, leadership training, and activities with local schools.

You can find further information, including how to apply, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music website.