San Francisco Classical Voice Presented by Patty Gessner

If a concert happens and no one writes about it, did it really happen? Of course it did. But artists depend on press accounts of their work to build reputations and audience, and to get funding. As arts coverage slips off the pages of local newspapers, who documents the public work of artists? The Bay Area has a thriving classical music community; its home to more than 340 classical music organizations. San Francisco Classical Voice was created back in 1998 because founder Robert Commanday feared that cutbacks in newspaper coverage would hurt the local classical music scene.

The site offers comprehensive local coverage and has become the go-to resource for finding out about artists, organizations, venues and events. Its news section consistently breaks stories and has become essential reading for anyone who cares about classical music in the Bay Area. The site offers clips of music being performed locally, program notes for upcoming concerts, access to concert ticket and dinner reservation services, and free music downloads. Writers include a mix of expert academics, journalists, and artists, who are paid for their work.

The site is a 501 (c)3, supported locally by donations from foundations, corporations and individuals, and by ads and memberships, and is self-sustaining. As an example of a website covering an art form in a region where newspaper coverage has been cut back, executive producer Patricia Gessner says that Classical Voice demonstrates that more comprehensive local coverage is now possible than in the traditional press.

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