Episode 17: San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center

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SF War Memorial & Performing Arts Center Facilities Louise Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco Opera House, Green Room, Herbst Theater, Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall

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“If you want to enjoy San Francisco Performances or the ballet or opera, or symphony that you could do that from anywhere in the world. I think that would be a really, great outgrowth of this”

In this episode, our featured voice is John Caldon, the Managing Director San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center. The San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center opened in 1932 with the production of Tosca by the San Francisco Opera. The "War Memorial" name commemorates all the people who served in the First World War. It is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. It covers 7.5 acres in San Francisco's Civic Center Historic District and totals 7,500 seats among its multiple performance venues.

John Caldon

John Caldon is Managing Director of the San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center (War Memorial). His career with the City and County of San Francisco spans more than a decade, including former positions as Director of City Hall Events, and as Communications and Events Manager for the War Memorial. Prior to joining the City, John worked as a stage manager, production manager, and producer for regional theaters throughout California and at sea for Royal Caribbean International. He volunteers with nonprofit performing arts organizations in San Francisco, including Bindlestiff Studio, Brava Theatre Center, and the EXIT Theatre. He is a graduate of San Francisco State University’s Creative Writing program.

Photo Credit:Joel Puliatti

The San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center

Comprised of the War Memorial Opera House, Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, Herbst Theatre, The Green Room, The Wilsey Center (Atrium Theater, Education Studio), and Harold L. Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall, the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center (SFWMPAC) is a landmark cultural institution owned and operated by the City and County of San Francisco.

These uniquely beautiful performing arts venues with a combined capacity of almost 7000 seats make SFWMPAC a primary destination for world class entertainment in the Bay Area.

Home to the San Francisco Ballet and San Francisco Opera, the War Memorial Opera House hosts San Francisco's most dynamic classical performance.

The music of the San Francisco Symphony displays the unparalleled acoustics of Davies Symphony Hall, which also hosts numerous outside concerts and lectures.

The Herbst Theatre has more than 200 shows presented on its stage each year by many of the Bay Area's premier cultural organizations, including San Francisco Performances and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and The Green Room is host to more than 200 functions and 40,000 guests annually.

A cornerstone of San Francisco's historic Civic Center, our stately venues are available for rent and host a wide variety of performances and concerts, professional filming and photography, and receptions, dinners and celebrations.

Visit our Calendar of Events to learn more about upcoming shows, then buy a ticket and plan your visit.

Find out more about all the venues by taking the virtual tour

Donation / Volunteer

The San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center is a department of the the City and County of San Francisco and doesn't take donations. Please reach out to performing arts organizations that utilize the SFWPAC's facilities to produce their creative work.

Here are organizations that you can support to continue to operate and provide performances during the pandemic.San Francisco Performances, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Opera, and the San Francisco Symphony

Virtual Tour

To find out more about The San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center through this virtual tour:

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“Arts and culture really drive San Francisco. A lot of folks think of San Francisco as being a tech city, which we are. But the number one industry in San Francisco is tourism. And there would be no tourism in San Francisco if it weren’t for arts and culture.”

— John Caldon, Managing Director San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center

Our Sponsorship

We are fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which allows us to offer you tax deductions for your contributions. Please consider making a donation to help us provide future shows just like this one. If you want to send us a check, please make checks payable to Intersection for the Arts and write [Voices of the Community] in the memo line of your check. This ensures that you’ll receive an acknowledgement letter for tax purposes, and your donation will be available for our project.