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The Mission of the Museum of Performance + Design is to keep the unfolding history of the performing arts in the San Francisco Bay Area alive.

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MP+D is All Over Sound...

 The Museum of Performance + Design is inviting the public to explore sound in performance with All Over Sound, a series featuring the work of visiting artists Latifa Medjdoud, Haco, and warrencrow+warren-crow in collaboration with local artists and in dialogue with the site and the collection of the Museum of Performance + Design.

 On May 23, 9:00PM and May 25, 8:00PM visual artist Latifa Medjdoub and sound artist Haco collaborate on Eurythmy#1 and Eurythmy #2, two social performance-concerts at Studio Grand Oakland (5/23) and Museum of Performance + Design (5/25) inspired by nature’s energy and rhythmical order that is inviting an active public to reflect on the multiple levels of interconnectedness between individuals and networks. At the performances, the public will use sculptural modular elements and collaborate on the construction of a vast ephemeral flexible architecture in relation to live environmental sound designed by Japanese artist Haco. Through this unparalleled artistic experience, participants will gradually be transported within the material space of an expansive soft fiber-sculpture and the immaterial space of open ended environmental sound.

 The fiber sculptures involved in Eurythmy #1 and Eurythmy #2 will be in part conceived through the Strings Series Workshop, in San Francisco and Portland. In San Francisco, the workshop will take place on May 20, 2:00 - 5:00PM  at Museum of Performance + Design. Combining mundane objects with sophisticated textile art techniques, the workshop will stimulate creative social interactions while exploring notions of space, time, and movement. Eurythmy#1, Eurythmy #2, and Strings Series Workshop is presented by the Museum of Performance and Design in partnership with Latifa Medjdoub and Haco, with the lead support of the Fleishhacker Foundation and Grants for the Arts; the Glean Artist Residency, a program by Recology, Metro and Crakedpots from both Portland and San Francisco: and supported by APICC, Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (Threading Resilience).

 On June 15, 5:30 - 9:00PM, Museum of Performance + Design will join Third Thursday in Yerba Buena with Launching iDMC, a FREE outreach party celebrating the unveiling of MP+D's digital music collection online. The launch is the culmination of a year-long processing and digitization project entitled Preserving San Francisco's 20th c. Musical Landscape. MP+D will open its doors to the community at large with a program of live music, talks, and DJ featuring a remix of sound files from the MP+D collection. 

 Preserving San Francisco's 20th c. Musical Landscape aimed at preserving and making accessible for broad public access 234 linear feet of materials from five major 20th c. musical archives in our collection. The materials will officially be available for research at the Museum of Performance + Design after June 15. In addition, select documents and recordings will be accessible through our Digital Music Collection platform. The project features the legacy American composer Conrad Susa, Standard Hour Program Manager Adrian Michaelis, San Francisco Chronicle music critic Robert Commanday, San Francisco Examiner jazz critic Phil Elwood, and the press and biographical files from record label Fantasy Records. 

 This year, the Museum of Performance + Design also collaborated with warren-crow+warren-crow to develop a sonic experience for public engagement based on our collection and our site. At once a performance and an audio tour, the self-guided experience will take the audience into, out of, and through the museum space while listening to an especially designed track on a personal playback device with headphones. The release of the tour at our Archive Live 2017 will coincide with the FREE Yerba Buena Art Walk on Saturday June 17, 2017, 2:00PM – 6:00PM.  The sonic tour will be subsequently available at MP+D on an on-going basis, with a $5 suggested donation per headset.

 As artists-in-residence at MP+D, warren-crow+warren-crow approached the collection of the Museum of Performance + Design with an ear for the sonic traces of theater and dance, paying special attention to the audio tracks of performance documentation, oral histories taken from performance practitioners, and textual descriptions of the sound of live performance. The audio piece will use binaural recording techniques and sound positioning to produce a believable sonic space at times similar to, at times different from, the real space in which the listener is situated. Always attuned to the musicality of the voice and the difficulty of describing sound and acoustic experience, warren-crow+warren-crow are inviting audiences to think through the relationship between the archive and the senses, the live and the prerecorded, the private and the public, and speech and noise.

 Preceding Archive Live 2017, the public panel discussion The Sonic Worlds of Performance on June 14, 6:00PM will bring together warren-crow+warren-crow with members of the Bay Area’s performance community. The particular make-up of the panel including warren-crown+warren-crow will create a path for a wide array of discussion topics. Of particular interest is considering the particular ways that sound engages spectators differently than the visual aspects of performance; the recent increase in the use of sound in dramatic performance; the difficulties around archiving the sounds of live performance; the challenges of writing about sound, and the relationship between the compositional and choreographic processes.

 See Events for more information on our All over Sound series.

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The string series public performance and workshops

With materials gleaned from the waste stream, artist Latifa Medjdoub will work with the public in a workshop setting to conceive elaborate and intricate fiber sculptures stimulating creative social interactions and combining mundane objects with sophisticated textile art techniques while exploring notions of space, time, and movement.

This  experience with the public will culminate on May 23rd with a performance called Eurythmy at Studio Grand Oakland. Eurythmy is a social performance inspired by nature’s energy and rhythmical order. It invites an active public to reflect on the multiple levels of interconnectedness of individuals and networks.

On May 23, the public performance will consist of the collaborative construction of an ephemeral flexible architecture using fiber sculptures* in relation to an environmental sound system designed by Japanese artist Haco. It will be an unparalleled artistic cross-training opportunity to transport participants within an expansive soft fiber-sculpture while creatively responding to network topology, speaking for interrelationship and unity and celebrating diversity.

See details for the public workshop and performance below. Participants are welcome to take part in either the public workshop on May 20 or the public performance on May 23 or both.

 In addition,

 MP+D is partnering with Latifa and inviting select communities to take part in a site-responsive, educational workshops between May 19 - 25, 2017. These workshops invite sensory and social interactions using handcrafted fiber sculptures and encourage reflections on the action of sharing and combining efforts in the act of creation.

In these workshops, participants will first use a set of handcrafted strings and open up to a social practice to reflect on the quality of energy that links everythingtogether and experiment with movements and perspectives in time and space.

Participants will then work with a set of recycled items ranging from fiber, paper, plastic or metal to form a string or rope like open ended segment. They will study systems of formal imbrication, intertwined sequences, modulating rhythmic organizations of selected items while demonstrating a correlation between structure and sustainability.

In our age of social media networking, this innovative artistic approach pushes mental and physical boundaries, questioning our presence and responsibility to each other, challenging individual and shared perception and communication, and allowing an immersive space of self as well as a transformative collective experience to foster the idea that art makes us look at the world in fresh, new and restorative ways.

Public workshop + performance:

 Public workshop:

Saturday, May 20th

From 2pm to 5pm

Museum of Performance + Design

893B Folsom Street

San Francisco, CA 94107

 Public performance Eurythmy:

Tuesday, May 23

Doors 9PM  | Show 9:30PM

Studio Grand Oakland

3234 Grand Avenue

Oakland, CA 94610

$15-25 Suggested donation

 Community workshops (by appointment only)

 May 19th to 25th

Morning and afternoon sessions are open from 10-12 am and 1-3pm

The workshops are adaptable to fit any ages and condition.

Sliding scale: $10-20

Schools and low income communities are invited on a donation base with a suggested scale of $5-8 per person per hour

 Latifa Medjdoub is a visual artist and social art practitioner whose work is conceived through its synthesis of sculpture, painting, photography, installation and performance art often using textile art as a central mode of communication. She was born in France from Algerian descent and lives and works in Portland, Oregon. 

Since 2013, she has developed social art projects which successfully transcend cultural divides such as the Roots, placing the public in an active self-reflective and meditative mode of dialogue in order to engage awareness. Her extensive experience in the diverse fields of performance and design among outstanding international artists allowed her to study the social behavior in the expression of acting and to conceive elaborate and intricate artistic tools stimulating creative social interactions, communication and social transformation. Latifa Medjdoub’s recent work focuses on the question of identity and social construction, a study she calls ID#, captivating a psychological portrait of modern societies in the fast-paced stream of information. 

Latifa Medjdoub has developed and adapted original and collaborative workshops, public practice and installations with diverse communities whether educational, non-profit or corporate. She has been a visiting artist and lecturer at universities and high schools and institutions. Her work has been shown internationally in Museums, galleries and events. Medjdoub’s work can be found in private collections internationally.

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

On August 20, 1911, plans for the establishment of a permanent symphony orchestra in San Francisco were announced by the Musical Association of San Francisco. The following week, Henry Hadley was announced as the conductor of the new San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. To read a bit about the Symphony’s inaugural concert, click here.

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

On August 3, 1953, New York City Ballet made its first appearance in San Francisco and its first appearance on the west coast. The company featured Maria Tallchief, Tanaquil Le Clercq, Hugh Lang, Nora Kaye, Jacques D’Amboise and former San Francisco Ballet leading ballerina Janet Reed.

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

On July 13, 1973, choral conductor Dr. Hans Leschke passed away at the age of 90. For 40 years, Dr. Leschke was the conductor of the San Francisco Municipal Chorus, which was established by the Board of Supervisors after two successful Spring Festivals in 1924 and 1925. The San Francisco Municipal Chorus was the first major symphony chorus on the west coast and performed virtually all of the choral works for the San Francisco Symphony for 20 years.

Dr. and Mrs. Leschke (left)  with San Francisco Symphony conductor Pierre Monteux 

San Francisco Municipal Chorus at Temple Emanu - El

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

This week, San Francisco Ballet will be performing on tour at the Reykjavík Arts Festival, Iceland. The company has a long history of international touring, starting with the US State Department-sponsored tours from 1957 to 1959 when the dancers traveled to Far East Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East respectively. In many of the countries visited, it would be the first time an American dance company performed there.

Gerrie Bucher, Suki Schorer, Fiona Fuerstner, Tilly Abbe, and Sue Loyd in Singapore as part of the Far East Tour, 1957 (Photographer unknown). From the San Francisco Ballet Archives at the Museum of Performance + Design

Constance Coler, Sue Loyd, Louise Lawler, Bene Arnold (back row), Gerrie Bucher, Suki Schorer, Tilly Abbe, and Fiona Fuerstner (front row) in front the Sphinx, Giza, Egypt, while on the Middle East Tour, 1959. From the San Francisco Ballet Archives at the Museum of Performance + Design.

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

On May 5, 1914, Anglo-Indian dancer Roshanara made her first San Francisco appearance.  Performing at the Orpheum, Roshanara was billed as the “only Authentic Exponent of the Far East.” Born Olive Craddock (1894-1926) in Calcutta, Craddock learned to dance as a child in India. Around 1909, she moved to Europe and took the stage name Roshanara after a legendary Indian princess. Roshanara dance with Loie Fuller’s company and with Anna Pavlova’s company before settling in the U.S.

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

On April 20, 1980, The Who completed their three-concert, sold-out engagement at the Oakland Coliseum Arena (renamed Oracle Arena in 2006), as part of their Who Are You world tour. It was the band’s first Bay Area appearance in four years and the first appearance here with new members Kenny Jones and John Bundrick. In his review for the San Francisco Chronicle, Joel Selvin called The Who, “the greatest performing rock band in the history of the music.”

Review by Joel Selvin from the April 21, 1980 San Francisco Chronicle. From the collection of the Museum of Performance + Design

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

On April 7, 1910, Canadian-born, San Francisco-bred dancer Maud Allan (1883-1956) opened at the Garrick Theatre in San Francisco with her controversial dance of Salome. Allan studied music in Berlin before combining  her interest in music with her desire to revive Greek classical dance. Like Isadora Duncan, she danced barefoot, sometimes in ancient Greek costume, often to well-known classical music.

Picture postcard of Maud Allan as Salome by Foulsham & Banfield. From the collection of the Museum of Performance + Design

Hand-tinted picture postcard of Maud Allan as Salome. From the collection of the Museum of Performance + Design.

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

On March 23, 1937, Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) appeared as a guest conductor with the San Francisco Symphony at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. During the concert, Stravinsky conducted the San Francisco premiere of his Symphony of the Psalms. In 1937, Stravinsky also appeared on the Standard Hour radio broadcast with San Francisco Symphony conductor Pierre Monteux.

Igor Stravinsky and Pierre Monteux during Stravinsky’s 1937 appearance on the Standard Hour. Photograph by Phil Stroupe. From the Adrian Michaelis Papers, Museum of Performance + Design.

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

This week, San Francisco Ballet is performing Alexandra Danilova and George Balanchine’s Coppélia. This story ballet is significant in the company’s history as it was the very first full-length ballet performed by the company, featuring choreography by Willam Christensen. Performed by the then-San Francisco Opera Ballet, Christensen’s Coppélia was not only the first full-length ballet performed by the company, but was also the American premiere of the full work, as only one-act versions had been performed up until that point. Commissioned by San Francisco Opera founder and general director Gaetano Merola, Christensen’s Coppélia premiered on October 31, 1939. The production featured 55 dancers including Christensen as Franz, Janet Reed as Swanilda, and Earl Riggins as Dr. Coppélius.

Janet Reed and Willam Christensen in Christensen’s Coppélia (photograph by Romaine). From the San Francisco Ballet Archives at the Museum of Performance + Design.

Janet Reed and San Francisco Opera Ballet dancers in Willam Christensen’s Coppélia (photograph by Romaine). From the San Francisco Ballet Archives at the Museum of Performance + Design.

Original cast listing printed in the San Francisco Opera Association Seventeenth Annual Season Program for October 13-November 4, 1939. From the San Francisco Ballet Archives at the Museum of Performance + Design.

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

On February 24, 1937, contralto Marian Anderson (1897-1993) made her San Francisco debut, performing a solo concert at the War Memorial Opera House. Ten days later, Anderson appeared as a guest soloist with the San Francisco Symphony under the direction of Pierre Monteux.  

One of the greatest singers of the 20th century, Anderson was the first black singer to perform at the White House and break the Metropolitan Opera’s color barrier. In 1939, she became an important figure highlighting the racial prejudice faced by African-Americans when the Daughters of the American Revolution barred her from performing at their Constitution Hall. Subsequently, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR, and Secretary of the Interior, Harold Ickes arranged for her historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial. The concert drew 75,000 people, including members of Congress and the Supreme Court.

Publicity photo of Marian Anderson. From the collection of the Museum of Performance + Design.

Photograph from 1937 of Marian Anderson with San Francisco Symphony Conductor Pierre Monteux. From the collection of the Museum of Performance + Design.

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Throwback Thursday @mpdsf

San Francisco Ballet’s 2016 season is officially underway, and opening tomorrow is Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake. Tomasson’s first version of Swan Lake, inspired by the Marius Petipa/Lev Ivanov choreography, premiered shortly after he assumed leadership of SFB in 1988. The current version, featuring new sets and costumes, premiered in 2009. Prior to that, the last SFB Artistic Director to choreograph a full-length Swan Lake was Willam Christensen in 1940. This was one of the earliest full-length ballets created for San Francisco Ballet (then still known as San Francisco Opera Ballet) and was also the first time a full-length version of the ballet was performed in North America. The original cast included Lew Christensen as Prince Siegfried with the role of Odette played by Jacqueline Martin and the role of Odile played by Janet Reed, as Christensen felt no one dancer in his company could do justice to both roles. Featured below are some images from the original production.

Copy of original flyer featuring Janet Reed for the premiere of Willam Christensen’s Swan Lake. From the San Francisco Ballet Archives at the Museum of Performance + Design.

Scene from Willam Christensen’s Swan Lake featuring Jacqueline Martin as Odette and Lew Christensen as Prince Siegfried (photograph by Morton). From the San Francisco Ballet Archives at the Museum of Performance + Design.

Lew Christensen as Prince Siegfried and Jacqueline Martin as Odette (photograph by Ludé). From the San Francisco Ballet Archives at the Museum of Performance + Design.

Lew Christensen as Prince Siegfried and Janet Reed as Odile (photograph by Ludé). From the San Francisco Ballet Archives at the Museum of Performance + Design.

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

On February 12, 1851, the visiting Pellegrini Opera Troupe staged California’s first full opera, a version of Bellini’s La Sonnamubla at the French-run Adelphi Theater in San Francisco. With its many Italian, French, and German Gold Rush-era settlers, San Francisco was one of the few U.S . cities during that time with a populace familiar and enthusiastically receptive to grand opera.

Signora Pellegrini of the Pellegrini Opera Troupe. From the collection of the Museum of Performance + Design.

Signor Pellegrini of the Pellegrini Opera Troupe. From the collection of the Museum of Performance + Design

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

On January 27, 1934, violinist Naoum Blinder (1889-1965) appeared as a Guest Artist with the San Francisco Symphony.  Born in the Ukraine, Blinder studied at the Imperial Conservatory in Odessa and with Adolph Brodsky at the Royal Academy in London. After the Russian Revolution, Blinder toured Europe and Asia as a soloist and was appointed concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony in 1932 by the Symphony’s conductor Issay Dobrowen. Blinder served as the Symphony’s concertmaster until his retirement in 1957. In addition to his work with the Symphony, Blinder founded the San Francisco String Quartet and was a successful teacher, his most prominent student being Isaac Stern.

Portrait of Naoum Blinder by Dr. Alexander Arkatov. From the Enid Thompson Collection / Museum of Performance + Design

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

On January 21, 1904, Lillie Langtry (1853-1929) opened in the play The Degenerates at the Columbia Theatre in San Francisco. Born on the Island of Jersey, “The Jersey Lily,” as she was popularly called, married into London society and became one of the first Englishwomen from that society to embark on a career in the theater. Her great beauty, glamour and scandalous affair with Edward, Prince of Wales made her a renowned personality. An accomplished actress, she was also an astute manager, making several profitable tours of the United States.

Photograph of Lillie Langtry. From the collection of the Museum of Performance + Design.

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ThrowbackThursday @mpdsf

On January 14, 1889, Imre Kiralfy’s new production of The Black Crook opened at the Grand Opera House in San Francisco.  The Black Crook, often considered the first American musical, legitimized the exposed-leg chorus line when it opened at Niblo’s Garden in New York in 1866 and ran for 475 performances, making it the most successful Broadway production up to that time. The year after its New York opening, the show played San Francisco and was regularly revived in the city over the next forty years. One season The Black Crook, The Black Rook, and The Black Hook with a Crook ran simultaneously.

Photograph of the Demon from The Black Crook by J. P. Haseltine. From the collection of the Museum of Performance + Design.