Tomoko and the San Francisco Notables

As a new California resident and student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Tomoko enjoyed attending San Francisco Symphony concerts. Not only did the symphony play in acoustic halls but they also held summer outdoor concerts in San Francisco’s Stern Grove.

In 1965 Tomoko made a more direct connection with the San Francisco Symphony when she auditioned for the symphony’s foundation. She was chosen as a winner by Maestro Josef Krips. That April she performed with two other winners, both violinist, at the San Francisco Symphony Association Foundation Members’ Concert at the Masonic Auditorium.

Here is some background on these famous names and places.

The San Francisco Symphony is world renowned for its music performance. Its  1911 beginnings rose from the ashes of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The city leaders wanted a symphony to rekindle the areas cultural life. The symphony also provides the most extensive educational program of any orchestra in the U.S.: giving concerts to  children since 1919, providing tickets and supplies to schools, offering online music education resources, teaching grade schoolers music, coaching teen and adult musicians, and giving young musicians pre-professional training in their Youth Orchestra.

Austrian Josef Krips was popular in Europe and the U.S. because of his stellar performing and recording career. He was a conductor for several orchestras and opera companies, first in Europe; he escaped the Nazis but returned to perform after World War II. He led the Vienna Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Metropolitan Opera, as well as the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

Stern Grove, situated in the Sunset district of San Francisco, is a 33-acre recreational site. The park, which was donated to the city in 1931, was named after philanthropist Sigmund Stern, who was a nephew of Levi Strauss (of blue jeans fame). The Grove is now most known for its 80-year old music festival. In the summer, musicians perform weekly in the open amphitheater to crowds of up to twenty thousand.

San Franciso’s Masonic Auditorium’s predecessor dates back to 1861.  That first Masonic building was destroyed in the San Francisco 1906 earthquake, and another building was completed in 1931.The current auditorium opened in 1958 as a meeting venue for Masons, and holds concerts the rest of the year.

These notables all reflect triumph through culture, sometimes overcoming great odds, a motif dear to Tomoko’s heart.

The Golden Spring of 1965

Spring 1965 was a golden season for Tomoko in her musical life.

In February she was featured on KTVU television channel, playing one of her winning pieces from the San Francisco Symphony Foundation Audition program. She was chosen by Maestro Josef Krips for her impeccible performance.

In the same month she made her Peninsula debut at Foothill College in Appreciation. She was sponsored by Japanese Searking Society of America.

In March she performed with the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra in Roosevelt High School's auditorium. She won the 1965 Young Artists Award, along with baritone David Tenbrook and violinist Kodjian). These awards were made possible by the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra and the Junior League of Fresno.

In April Tomoko performed with two violinists, Kathleen Lenski and Linda Ashworth in San Francisco's Auditorium. Their concert was one of the musical series sponsored by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and its Association Foundation for its members.

Then in June Tomoko played at her own graduation, followed by her graduation recital two weeks later.

This season was indeed propitious, and foretold Tomoko's energy and dedication to the piano. Her spirit has not faded over the years.

Driving Down Memory Lane

Tomoko likes to drive, and as she drives to the Conservatory, it is like driving through her own local history.

She starts from her woodsy neighborhood in Terra Linda, a comfortable suburb in Marin County. The weekends are her busy teaching days, which is a benefit since the weekday traffic going towards The City can be daunting. 

Driving south on Highway 101, Tomoko quickly enters the city limits of San Rafael, the largest town in the county. Were she to go right se would eventually pass near the Branson School, where her daughter graduated, and then onto San Anselmo up Butterfield Road to San Domenico School, nestled in a hilly cul-de-sac. Thereshe taught piano for over ten years.

The next towns south are Corte Mader, Greenbrae and Larkspur. Just to the right of the freeway is Gold’s Gym, which used to be a skating rink – where Tomoko took her daughter for her first skating lessons.

Then Tomoko crosses the Golden Gate Bridge. Were she to turn right, she would head to the Richmond District where she lived when she first came to the States. Were she to continue straight onto 19^th Avenue, she would arrive at the old site of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She started her studies there in 1962, and began teaching for the Conservatory three years later. Tomoko recalls the Mission-style building, and can almost hear the blend of instruments wafting through the halls.

Instead, Tomoko turns left, and drives down Van Ness to San Francisco’s cultural center with its museums, main library, and concert venues. The Conservatory moved to that part of town, partly because it had outgrown its old facility but also to be closer to the musical heart of the city. The Conservatory is now close to the San Francisco Symphony. Tomoko remembers when she entered the symphony’s music competition at a student, getting to the building by bus in the rain. Despite the physical discomfort, she won the piano performance award, and was invited to perform with the symphony.

Tomoko drives to the parking lot across the street from the Conservatory, and thinks about continuing to drive. To the east is the way to Berkeley, where her daughter trained for the Olympics. To the south is the South Bay peninsula, where she has performed in several locations.  And, of course, SFO is off the freeway: the portal where Tomoko arrived from Japan, and from where she has traveled, particularly to Europe.

Each day’s drive is a little memory, which brings a smile to Tomoko’s face.

Playing by Heart

Tomoko’s students all start out as amateurs, and some become professional musicians. However, Tomoko has deep respect for amateur musicians.

Musicians who make their living through performance have an added burden that amateur musicians do not. Tomoko says, “In rehearsals professional musicians might be thinking about how they are going to make enough money.”  She continues, “Professionals sometimes get tired and frustrated.”

On the other hand, “When I see an amateur orchestra, I see smiles because the performance do not have to worry about depending on money to play,” Tomoko points out. “They tend to be well bred. They have the talent and discipline, but not that added stress.”

Tomoko notes that the San Francisco Symphony does not hire a professional chorus; the members are all volunteers. “Their singing comes from the heart.” Tomoko goes on to say, “They love what they do, which leads to power.” She concludes, “The result is a rich sound and feeling.”

For this reason, Tomoko enjoys performing with amateurs, and is supportive of all her students because she knows that each one of them can enjoy a life of music, even if they never get paid for it.