The Young Women’s Choral Projects of San Francisco (YWCP) is a non-profit arts organization established to transform the lives of young women through excellence in choral music. YWCP began in 2012 and has many “projects” that connect young women to music. In our first season, we established an auditioned, advanced young women's chorus, Young Women’s Chorus of San Francisco (YWC), comprised of talented singers in grades 7 through 12 from across the S.F. Bay Area. This season the YWC sings 7 concerts in the Bay Area and tours to Italy. In 2013 we are offering a new ensemble, Allegro Chorus, for younger singers in grades 4-10. Allegro Chorus is a place to improve vocal skills and musicianship, and meet other girls who love to sing.
The mission of the Young Women’s Choral Projects of San Francisco is to transform the lives of young women through exceptional artistry in choral performance, and to bring the expressive power of their music to the community, the nation, and the world. Through the Young Women's Choral Projects of San Francisco, a diverse group of choristers will strengthen their voices as singers, artists, and young women in a nurturing environment that empowers them to artistic and personal excellence.
Our choruses sing a wide variety of music, from the western classical tradition to jazz, world music and popular songs. The advanced YWC sings challenging and adventurous music for women’s voices. We perform collaborative programs with other prestigious Bay Area ensembles across many genres, including jazz, classical, and contemporary music, and present multi-disciplinary programs with dance and theatre groups. YWC sings 6-8 local and regional performances each year, and tours every year either nationally or internationally. Members of Allegro Chorus will receive vocal and musical training, including music theory, ear training, sight-reading, vocal technique, and choral performance skills in many styles of music. The chorus will learn to sing music in 3 – 4 parts and perform at least 3 times a year.
Dr. Susan McMane is Artistic Director of YWCP and conductor of its premiere chorus, YWC. Susan has a worldwide reputation for artistic excellence in choral music. Her imagination and passion challenge our young women singers to their full potential in inspiring presentations that take choral performance to a new level. For more information about Susan, read her bio.
Allegro Chorus will be directed by a choral music educator with Kodály training and excellent vocal technique. Dr. McMane will supervise this conductor and direct Allegro Chorus in some programs with YWC.
Allegro Chorus rehearses on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons from 4-6pm. YWC rehearses on Sunday afternoons from 3-6 PM and Wednesday evening from 6:30-9 PM. This schedule will allow our young women to be involved in another activity after school. Once a month, the Sunday afternoon rehearsal begins at 1:30 p.m. to accommodate extra time for sectionals.
There will be a dress rehearsal before each concert at the selected venue. Voice lessons are held in classes every other week (15 total for the year) in groups of three or four singers. Singers are assigned geographically to the teacher nearest the chorister’s home. In addition, there is a weekend day camp held in San Francisco all day Saturday and Sunday afternoon in August, and an overnight weekend retreat in January. Other occasional bookings will be taken for the chorus if it is deemed important for the artistic growth of the singers and the prestige of the organization.
Our rehearsals are held at First Unitarian Universalist Church and Center, 1187 Franklin Street (@Geary) in San Francisco. YWCP rehearsal space was chosen for easy access to public transportation. Many of our singers come from the East Bay via BART and MUNI and others come into San Francisco in carpools.
YWC sings a concert season of 6-7 concerts in the SF Bay Area, including popular venues in the East Bay, South Bay and San Francisco.
Membership in YWCP choruses requires an audition. A student’s acceptance and chorus assignment are based on her age, vocal ability, and musical experience. Check out our auditions page for more complete information on the audition process and to sign up for an audition.
Tuition for Allegro Chorus for the 2013-2014 season is $1975. This includes 4 hours of choral instruction and music theory per week from September to May.
Tuition for the Young Women’s Chorus of San Francisco is $2700. This includes 5½ hours of instruction per week and hour-long voice lessons every other week in a class of three-four singers.
Scholarships Available: YWCP is committed to helping all qualified young women be a part of this program. A generous financial assistance program is available. Scholarship application forms will be sent with acceptance letters. Tuition may be paid monthly, four times a year, or twice a year.
Tour, retreat, and costume costs are not included in the tuition.
The Young Women’s Chorus of SF has approximately 40 singers. The Allegro Chorus will have a minimum of 23 choristers.