In what’s become an annual tradition at SF Classical Voice, we once again asked you, the readers, to sound off about the best performers and performances of the past season. As always, the Audience Choice Awards were completely reader-driven — you nominated the finalists, and you voted for the winners. This year’s response in the San Francisco Bay Area was very heartening. With thousands of votes submitted, you proved there is an engaged and passionate audience that is just as interested in smaller groups and emerging talent as in big stars.
Plenty of categories came down to just a few votes, and the winners and nominees definitely reflect the diversity of programming and voices that the Bay Area has always sustained. We hope that the results of this year’s poll encourage even more risk-taking in upcoming seasons, as the Bay Area continues to show why a vibrant arts scene is indispensable to a great community.
Favorite Opera Singer: Sherezade Panthaki
Known in the Bay Area for her performances with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, soprano Sherezade Panthaki took top place in this category. A Baroque performance specialist, Panthaki teaches in the vocal music department at Mount Holyoke College. She previously taught at Yale University, where she received her Artist Diploma. Baritone Eugene Brancoveanu and tenor Nicholas Phan nearly tied for second place in this category.
Favorite Chamber Ensemble: Voices of Music
Voices of Music stood out as a winner in this category — as it has in many SFCV Audience Choice Awards in past years. Co-directed by Hanneke van Proosdij and David Tayler, the chamber orchestra is known for its strong online presence, notably Voices of Music’s frequently updated YouTube channel. Many fans showed up to support other groups, including Left Coast Chamber Ensemble and Quinteto Latino.
Favorite Choral Ensemble: Chanticleer
Three-time Grammy Award-winning Chanticleer performs a wide range of repertoire, from classical music to popular tunes. The Library of Congress selected the San Francisco-based all-male ensemble’s 2002 album Our American Journey this past April to be inducted into the National Recording Registry alongside the original cast album of Hamilton and Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, among others. Last season, in addition to their beloved Chanticleer Christmas tour, Bay Area audiences heard “Chanticleer and the Fox,” the group’s take on a children’s story, decked out with Renaissance madrigals. Philharmonia Baroque Chorale came in a very close second in this category, receiving only 20 fewer votes.
Favorite Dance Soloist: Julia Bengtsson
New York-based Swedish dancer Julia Bengtsson joined the San Francisco Early Music Society, Nash Baroque Ensemble, and Dance Through Time for their production of Emperor of the Moon in three cities across the Bay Area earlier this summer, which no doubt put her on the radar of fans of those local organizations. Emperor of the Moon was also nominated this year for Favorite Dance Performance, and Nash Baroque Ensemble for Favorite Early Music/Baroque Ensemble. The remainder of the votes in this category were split between Alonzo King LINES Ballet dancer Adji Cissoko and drag performer Rex Wheeler.
Favorite Early Music/Baroque Ensemble: Voices of Music
Voices of Music takes this category in a repeat win, though Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra came only 50 votes shy of dethroning them. Both groups highlight the Bay Area’s dedication to keeping the tradition of early music performance alive, and many artists, including VoM’s co-directors, play in both bands. The ensemble specializes in thoroughly researched, impeccable performances of repertoire from the 16th to early 18th centuries, such as last season’s “Seicento” program, which was also nominated for an award.
Favorite New Music Ensemble: Left Coast Chamber Ensemble
This Bay Area ensemble emerged as a clear winner among fans of contemporary chamber music. Now in its 33rd season, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble (LCCE) performs a wide variety of repertoire, including commissions and works by emerging composers. Last season, Artistic Director Matilda Hofman led the group in its first-ever festival, “Winter Wandering,” which featured three world premieres in five days, besides works by Schubert, Luigi Nono, and others. Voters also rewarded the group for interesting collaborations with chamber choir Volti, tenor Kyle Stegall, artist Adrian Arias, and the Berkeley Art and Interreligious Pilgrimage Project.
Favorite Orchestra: San Francisco Symphony
It would have been hard to shake SF Symphony from the top spot in this category in any case, but with former Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen's electrifying final month of concerts still fresh in memory, not to mention Michael Tilson Thomas's retirement concert, this result was easy to predict. However, fans of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and the Oakland Symphony made their voices heard, voting in numbers to bring their orchestras in second and third, respectively.
Favorite Community Orchestra: Oakland Civic Orchestra
This new category allows music lovers to pay tribute to the bands that consistently punch above their weight. It was a close contest, with Oakland Civic Orchestra besting the Nova Vista Symphony and the San Francisco Civic Symphony by 50 votes. OCO has been led by Music Director Martha Stoddard since 1997, and this past season played a balanced set of concerts, with music by women figuring prominently, including a symphony by English pastoralist Ruth Gipps. The group also played a new work by composer-in-residence Nikolaus Umar Durr. OCO supports an ongoing documentary project about its history and musicians.
Favorite Conductor: Hanneke van Proosdij
Usually seated at her harpsichord or with recorders in hand, Voices of Music Co-Artistic Director Hanneke van Proosdij has learned to do a lot with a glance and a nod of her head. Last season, she led concerts of 17th-century music, Baroque concertos, and instrumental works by Joseph Haydn, Luigi Boccherini, and Joseph Bologne. She takes first place in the conductor category, with Oakland Civic Orchestra's Martha Stoddard in second and American Bach's Jeffrey Thomas in third.
Favorite Instrumental Soloist: Hanneke van Proosdij
Amid an embarrassment of Bay Area riches, SFCV readers mostly stayed local with their votes. As a recorder player and harpsichordist, your winner, Hanneke van Proosdij of Voices of Music, has a large presence in the area. She plays with local groups, including Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and American Bach, teaches recorder at UC Berkeley, and can be heard on a number of recordings and, of course, in Voices of Music's hugely popular series of YouTube videos. Violinist and vocalist Gail Hernández Rosa made a strong second-place showing.
Favorite Jazz Soloist: Mads Tolling
Violinist extraordinaire Mads Tolling wins the laurels this year, repeating his fan-fueled victory in 2022–2023. This past season, in addition to releasing a new CD in March (Masters of Jazz Violin), Tolling reunited with his old mates, the Turtle Island Quartet and Terence Blanchard, at SFJAZZ. He continued to tour his takes on 1960s jazz with The Mads Men, played gigs at most of the Bay Area’s clubs, and kept up his teaching schedule. Menlo Park-native pianist Taylor Eigsti nabbed second place.
Favorite Opera Performance: San Francisco Opera, La Bohème
Puccini's portrait of bohemian Paris is a perennial favorite on opera stages, and when you cast it with appealing young singers with great voices, as San Francisco Opera did this past June, you’ve got a winner. The summer’s biggest hit easily outpaced its competition. Music Director Eun Sun Kim and the artistic planning department did extra duty, double-casting the opera to perfection. Pocket Opera was the surprise runner-up here with its production of another durable hit, Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, with a less expensive but excellent cast.
Favorite Chamber Performance: Valley of the Moon Music Festival, Siegfried Idyll
Richard Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll was an intimate summer highlight at Valley of the Moon Music Festival. Pianist Eric Zivian joined violinists Jennifer Frautschi and Liana Bérubé in Alfred Pringsheim’s arrangement of Wagner’s birthday gift for his wife Cosima. Adapted for strings and piano, the piece was a perfect fit for the festival’s 11th-season theme, “Liaisons.” Voices of Music’s “L’Amorosa Ero,” which toured SF and Berkeley with soprano Danielle Reutter-Harrah, came in a close second.
Favorite Choral Performance: San Francisco Symphony, Salonen Conducts Mahler 2
For his final performances as Music Director at San Francisco Symphony, Esa-Pekka Salonen brought together the orchestra and the beloved Symphony Chorus (directed by Jenny Wong) for Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony. As Lisa Hirsch wrote in SFCV, the chorus “sang gloriously, with precision and passion,” and the triumphant conclusion to the work was undoubtedly a fitting way to honor Salonen’s departure. Soprano Heidi Stober and mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke delivered radiant solos, joining a collective, celebratory send-off from all Bay Area music lovers. The runner-up in this category was American Bach Soloists’ Messiah at Grace Cathedral.
Favorite Dance Performance: The San Francisco Early Music Society + Nash Baroque + Dance Through Time, Emperor of the Moon
Emperor of the Moon, a 300-year-old sci-fi comedy with Baroque music and dance, was a surprise hit this season. Staged in June by The SF Early Music Society with Nash Baroque and Dance Through Time, the performance whisked audiences to London’s early 18th-century stage. Nash Baroque’s period band and soprano Bethany Hill led the action across three Bay Area venues, bringing commedia dell’arte moon voyages to life with puppetry, vintage choreography, and songs by Purcell and Eccles. Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s revival of Scheherazade at YBCA came in a close second, behind by just three votes.
Favorite Early Music/Baroque Performance: Voices of Music, “Virtuoso Concertos”
Voices of Music’s “Virtuoso Concertos” program in December provided a festive, Baroque celebration for the holidays. The Bay Area orchestra’s star players — including violinist Isabelle Seula Lee, cellist William Skeen, and director Hanneke van Proosdij — dazzled audiences across performances in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Palo Alto. Performances featured Arcangelo Corelli’s beloved Christmas Concerto alongside high-energy works by Antonio Vivaldi and Georg Philipp Telemann. Valley of the Moon’s Fellowship Quartet came in a close second with their performance of Haydn’s String Quartet in G, Op. 33 No. 5 on gut strings.
Favorite New Music Performance: Opera Parallèle, Harvey Milk Reimagined
In a city that knew Harvey Milk well, Opera Parallèle brought the iconic gay supervisor’s story back to the opera stage in San Francisco — and SFCV readers responded enthusiastically. Harvey Milk Reimagined, a newly streamlined two-hour version of Stewart Wallace and Michael Korie’s 1995 opera, ran at YBCA’s Blue Shield of California Theater during Pride Month. Baritone Michael Kelly led a committed ensemble through Milk’s arc from his New York beginnings to his San Francisco activism in a staging that brought this local history alive for new audiences.
Favorite Orchestra Performance: San Francisco Symphony, Salonen Conducts Mahler 2
It’s no surprise that Esa-Pekka Salonen’s closing performances as Music Director with the San Francisco Symphony made a lasting impression on SFCV readers. In addition to recognizing the event in the Choral Performance category, voters marked the season finale concert of Mahler’s Resurrection as this year’s orchestral highlight — albeit a bittersweet one. Salonen’s ability to electrify performers and audiences alike has nourished Bay Area concertgoers for the past five seasons. The runner-up in this category is Nova Vista Symphony’s performance of Beethoven’s Ninth with the San José Symphonic Choir.
Favorite Instrumental Recital: Gail Hernández Rosa
Violinist Gail Hernández Rosa wins Favorite Instrumental Recital for her performance of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, presented by Marin Baroque on Feb. 15. The recital was followed by a complimentary reception. Known for her confidence on violin and sparkling energy, Rosa grew up in Puerto Rico and first picked up the violin at age three. She earned her master’s degree from the Royal Academy of Music and founded Beneath a Tree, which was awarded Best Chamber Music Ensemble and Best Early Music Ensemble last year. Among other engagements, Rosa has performed with Valley of the Moon, American Bach Festival, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson’s recital presented by the San Francisco Symphony came in a close second in this category.
Favorite Vocal Recital: Sherezade Panthaki
The winner for Favorite Vocal Recital is soprano Sherezade Panthaki’s performance of “Seicento: Italian Music of the 17th Century.” Voices of Music’s season opener highlighted female composers and poets, including music by Isabella Leonarda, Francesca and Giulio Caccini, Alessandro Scarlatti, and Barbara Strozzi. The evening’s instrumentalists were Isabelle Seula Lee and Manami Mizumoto on baroque violins, William Skeen on baroque cello, Hanneke van Proosdij on recorder and harpsichord, and David Tayler on archlute and baroque guitar. Merola Opera Program’s “A Grand Night for Singing — An American Songfest” came in a close second in this category.
Favorite Large Venue: Davies Symphony Hall
After being edged out by War Memorial Opera House for the first time last year, Davies Symphony Hall is back on top as the Bay Area’s Favorite Large Venue. The modern yet warm hall is home to the San Francisco Symphony. The venue has sweeping views of San Francisco City Hall and War Memorial, and boasts one of the largest concert hall organs in North America.
Favorite Small Venue: First Congregational Church of Berkeley
First Congregational Church of Berkeley is the Bay Area’s Favorite Small Venue! In addition to prioritizing music during its worship services, the church serves as a major venue for classical music. First Congregational regularly hosts world-class performances by Cal Performances, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, New Century Chamber Orchestra, Chanticleer, and the American Bach Soloists. San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Barbro Osher Recital Hall came in second, and the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Theater at Legion of Honor came in third.
Favorite Club Venue: The Freight & Salvage
And the winner for Favorite Club Venue is… drum roll… The Freight & Salvage! As the winner of this category for four consecutive years, the historic Berkeley venue is an undeniable Bay Area favorite. Founded in 1968, The Freight is focused on showcasing a wide range of music from diverse traditions. As an organization, The Freight embraces freedom, justice, acceptance, collaboration, and innovation.
Favorite Festival: Valley of the Moon Music Festival
The results are in: Valley of the Moon Music Festival is the Bay Area’s Favorite Festival for the second consecutive year! The runner-up is the San Francisco Bach Festival. Founded a decade ago, Valley of the Moon welcomes audiences to Sonoma each summer to enjoy 17th- and 18th-century repertoire. This season, 32 artists and five apprentices performed repertoire that extended into the 20th century, including works by Aaron Copland, Quincy Jones, and Astor Piazzolla.
Favorite New Discovery: Valley of the Moon Music Festival’s Fellowship Quartet
Perhaps one of our most enticing categories, this year’s Favorite New Discovery is Valley of the Moon Music Festival’s Fellowship Quartet! Built to support burgeoning artists interested in historical performance practices, the Sonoma-based festival received many applications for its fellowship program. This year’s quartet was composed of cellist Clara Abel, violinist Juliette Greer, violist Rosemary Nelis, and violinist Soyoung Choi. Voting was very close in this category: Tartuffe by Kirke Mechem placed second, and Beneath a Tree — Baroque to Folk (the multi-genre ensemble created by SFCV’s Favorite Instrumental Recital winner Gail Hernández Rosa) placed third.