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San Francisco Bay Area

Classical nights out

A guide, checked Oct 2

Classical nights out in the Bay Area

A concert is a good way to spend time with someone: you have something to talk about before and after, and nobody has to fill the silence in between. Here are ways to go that don’t cost much, don’t take all night, or are a little out of the ordinary.

Go for free

Low stakes, nothing to book, and easy to leave at the interval. These happen week after week:

Noontime Concerts

Old St. Mary's Cathedral, Chinatown

A free 45-minute classical concert every Tuesday at 12:30 pm, with professional soloists and chamber groups; donations are welcome. The fall dates had not been posted yet when we checked.

Details on their site

Choral Evensong at Grace Cathedral

Grace Cathedral, Nob Hill

The cathedral choir sings a free evensong service of about 45 minutes every Thursday at 5:30 pm, with some Sundays at 4 pm.

Details on their site

UC Berkeley Noon Concerts

Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley campus

Free weekly concerts during the semester, usually on Wednesdays, from 12:15 to 1 pm. Music students, faculty, ensembles and guests perform.

Details on their site

Stanford Noon Concert Series

Campbell Recital Hall, Braun Music Center, Stanford

Free lunchtime recitals by students from Stanford's instrumental and vocal studios, usually starting at 12:30 pm on weekdays during the quarter. Weekday campus parking needs a permit.

Details on their site

San Francisco Conservatory of Music concerts

SF Conservatory of Music, Civic Center

The conservatory puts on hundreds of concerts a year, and most are free. That includes faculty recitals and orchestra, baroque and new-music ensemble concerts. Many need a free seat reservation online, and most are also livestreamed.

Details on their site

Coming up, free or casual

Fri

Oct

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Carlisle Floyd Voice Department Recital

7:30 PM · Barbro Osher Recital Hall, SF Conservatory of Music, Civic Center, San Francisco

4:00 PM · Grace Cathedral, Nob Hill, San Francisco

Concert hall · Free

Wed

Oct

Stanford Department of Music

Noon Concert: Violin Students of Robin Sharp

12:30 PM · Campbell Recital Hall, Braun Music Center, Stanford

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

String Showcase

7:30 PM · Barbro Osher Recital Hall, SF Conservatory of Music, Civic Center, San Francisco

Student recital

Everything free and casual

A big night on a small budget

San Francisco Opera’s standing room and rush tickets, the Symphony’s student rush and Cal Performances’ rush seats all make a big night cheap.

San Francisco Opera standing room

Standing room tickets cost $10, cash only, and go on sale on the day of each performance, two per person. 150 go on sale at 10 am and 50 more two hours before curtain.

Details on their site

San Francisco Opera rush and Opera for the Bay

Rush tickets for some performances go on sale from 11 am the day before, at $35 (balcony) to $65 (orchestra). Separately, Bay Area residents who haven't bought a mainstage ticket in three seasons can buy two $10 seats per season through Opera for the Bay.

Details on their site

San Francisco Symphony Student Rush

Full-time college students who register with a school email and ID can buy $25 rush tickets to some Davies Symphony Hall concerts. Eligible concerts are announced by email.

Details on their site

Cal Performances rush and student discounts

For some events, rush tickets go on sale at the box office one hour before the show, cash only: $15 for UC Berkeley students, $20 for seniors and UC staff, and $25 for everyone else. UC Berkeley students also get 50% off single tickets, and other students get $5 off.

Details on their site

Make it more than a concert

Sing it yourselves. December brings Messiah sing-alongs where the audience sings the choruses; no audition, and a score if you have one. Every Messiah in the Bay Area.

Lunch-hour concerts. Forty-five minutes of Bach on a weekday, and you can walk to lunch after.

A student recital, then dinner nearby. Conservatory recitals are short, free and full of people who will be famous later.

If you both play, play. Book a practice room and read through a duo. It’s the fastest way to find out whether you play well together. Practice rooms with pianos · Play together.