Following a long day of working at our firms, the students of SF Urban made their way to Barbro Osher Recital Hall at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) on a Tuesday evening to enjoy a night of chamber music.

San Francisco’s Civic Center features many prestigious art organizations and establishments, with City Hall, Davies Symphony Hall, the War Memorial Opera house, and other Civic Center landmarks providing a beautiful backdrop for the performers. The skyline through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls wrapping the room from eleven stories up create a magnificent atmosphere for the concert, especially as the sun begins to set. The recital hall has a more intimate setting, seating 200 people surrounding the performance stage.

The performance featured the Telegraph Quartet: Eric Chin and Joseph Maile (violins), Pei-Ling Lin (viola), and Jeremiah Shaw (cello). The program consisted of Franz Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in F Major, Op. 50, No. 5, "The Dream"; Gabriela Lena Frank’s Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout; and Felix Mendelssohn’s String Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20. The pieces were incredibly compelling and unique—a very different sound from what one would initially consider classical chamber music. The impressive talent of the performers and the distinctly eccentric music created a captivating performance that was great to witness. Among the class, most seemed to enjoy Mendelssohn’s opus the most, each of the four movements embodying that contemporary tone as the theme of the evening and create a tone of suspense.

Overall, the experience of listening to enthralling chamber music in a beautiful setting cannot be replicated. It was a great way to relax and catch up with classmates during our time working our internships.