San Francisco’s historic Old First Church (built 1911) provides the setting for this year-round concert series, which has been produced regularly since 1969. The space seats around 450, offering a mid-size option between a concert hall and a nightclub. Recently refurbished, with many of its original fixtures and decorations restored, Old First Church offers an intimate and inspiring setting for musical concerts leaning toward Western classical music but with a variety of flavors (including folk, jazz and world music) reflecting the diversity of the Bay Area.
The mission of Old First Concerts is to provide a laboratory of sorts for up-and-coming as well as mid-career artists to develop their work in a relaxed and open-minded concert setting. The series features numerous and regular premieres of new works by Bay Area composers through the season.
Old First Concerts Information
- Public Transportation: Very Good (steps from buses 1, 47, 49, and 76 at Van Ness Avenue/Sacramento Street; and a 1-minute walk from bus 19 at Polk Street/Sacramento Street, and the California Street bus at Van Ness Avenue)
- Handicapped Accessibility: Good
- Performances/Programs: Old First Concerts feature classical, chamber, jazz, avant-garde, blues, folk, and world music. The venue has hosted notable musicians like Ali Akbar Khan and the Kronos Quartet, but it’s dedicated to providing a platform for emerging and niche artists and frequently premieres brand new work
- Ticket Prices: Ticket prices tend to be around $15. Old First Concerts also offers a discount-ticket program. Patrons receive a 10% discount when buying a book of five tickets or a 20% discount when purchasing a book of 10 tickets. Further discounts are available for students and seniors (for both discount books and for single tickets)
- Subscriptions/Membership: None, as such, but people who donate $100 or more to Old First Concerts receive invitations to rehearsals.
