San Francisco Conservatory of Music acquires Askonas Holt

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) has announced that it is acquiring arts management company Askonas Holt. The company will join artist management company Opus 3 Artists and classical music label Pentatone under the leadership of SFCM.

Askonas Holt chief executive, Donagh Collins, will hold the role of chief executive for both Askonas Holt and Opus 3 Artists and become part of SFCM’s Business and Corporate Alliances Committee. Robert Berretta remains managing director at Opus 3 Artists, alongside chief operating officer Ben Maimin, while Sean Hickey continues his role as managing director of Pentatone.

Collins said: ‘Under the umbrella of SFCM, with their impressive resources and expertise, we [Askonas Holt] have clear ambitions which will benefit artists and staff as we develop more touring, presenting, and producing initiatives. It gives us increased excitement about our future.’

SFCM acquired Opus 3 Artists in October 2020 and Pentatone in May 2022,expanding its reach to New York, Berlin and the Netherlands. The acquisition of Askonas Holt will further expand SFCM’s reach and expertise. SFCM president David Stull will be chairman of the alliance, directing a leadership team tasked with supporting the collaboration while each partner organisation continues to operate autonomously.

Stull said: ‘The concept of growing this alliance emerged from the leadership at Opus 3 and blossomed into a shared vision through many conversations with our brilliant colleagues at Askonas Holt… It will create limitless opportunities for students, provide a creative playground for the world’s finest artists to advance their ideas, expand our capacity to capture and record important work, and allow us all to imagine and create our future together.’