San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center

"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." Author: John Caldon

This week's show is focused on our arts and culture sector which generates $1.45 billion in annual economic activity in the City / County of San Francisco and supports over 39 thousand jobs. 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.

The Center is 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. The resident performing arts organizations are the San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and San Francisco Performances. 

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