SFCV Audience Choice Awards 2025–2026
BAY AREA FINAL VOTE

We invited you to nominate your favorite performances of the 2025–2026 season in the San Francisco Bay Area — and you delivered with enthusiasm. We received nearly 800 responses, each packed with multiple nominations.

We’ve tallied your submissions, and now it’s time to see which of your picks made the final roster. Cast your votes for your favorite artists and organizations across all categories.

Scroll down to vote in each category for the 2025–2026 season. Voting is open through Wednesday, Aug. 19, and winners will be announced on Aug. 25. For more on SFCV’s Audience Choice Awards, check out last year’s coverage for the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

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1. Favorite Opera Singer

Simon Barrad

Hannah Cho

Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen

Sarah Coit

Nikki Einfeld

Molly Netter

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2. Favorite Chamber Ensemble

Beneath a Tree — Baroque to Folk

Del Sol Quartet

Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)

Left Coast Chamber Ensemble

Quinteto Latino

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3. Favorite Choral Ensemble

American Bach Choir

Berkeley Community Chorus

Peninsula Cantare

Peninsula Women's Chorus

San Francisco Boys Chorus

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4. Favorite Dance Soloist

Adji Cissoko

Antoine Hunter

Babatunji Johnson

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5. Favorite Early Music/Baroque Ensemble

American Bach Soloists

Ars Minerva

Beneath a Tree — Baroque to Folk

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

Voices of Music

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6. Favorite New Music Ensemble

Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)

Left Coast Chamber Ensemble

Opera Parallèle

San Francisco Contemporary Music Players

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7. Favorite Orchestra

New Century Chamber Orchestra

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

San Francisco Opera Orchestra

San Francisco Symphony

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8. Favorite Community Orchestra

Barbary Coast Recorder Orchestra

Bay Area Rainbow Symphony

Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra

Nova Vista Symphony

Oakland Civic Orchestra

Redwood Symphony

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9. Favorite Conductor

David Drummond, Pocket Opera

Ian Robertson, San Francisco Opera Chorus

Jeffrey Thomas, American Bach Soloists

Hanneke van Proosdij, Voices of Music

Peter Whelan, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

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10. Favorite Instrumental Soloist

Gail Hernández Rosa (violin/viola)

Shunske Sato (violin)

Dale Tsang (piano)

Hanneke van Proosdij (keyboard and recorder)

Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu (violin/viola)

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11. Favorite Jazz Soloist

Tiffany Austin (vocalist)

Skylar Tang (trumpet)

Lady Zen (vocalist)

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12. Favorite Opera Performance

Laptopera Productions and 836M, The Glance

Opera Cultura, ¡Chicanísima!

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Tolomeo

Pocket Opera, Madame Butterfly

San Francisco Opera, The Monkey King

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13. Favorite Chamber Performance

Beneath a Tree — Baroque to Folk, "Musings"

Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, "Metamorphosen"

Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, "Spring Contrasts"

Valley of the Moon Music Festival, Smetana Piano Trio with Rachell Ellen Wong, Aaron Wolff, and Jeff LaDeur

Voices of Music, "Voice of the Viol"

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14. Favorite Choral Performance

American Bach, Handel's Messiah in Grace Cathedral

Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra, Terezin Requiem

Peninsula Cantare, Considering Matthew Shepard

Peninsula Women's Chorus, "Transcendence Surrounds"

San Francisco Boys Chorus, "Coming Together to Sing"

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15. Favorite Dance Performance

Alonzo King LINES Ballet, "Deep River"

New Ballet, "Fast Forward"

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16. Favorite Early Music/Baroque Performance

American Bach, Messiah

Beneath a Tree — Baroque to Folk, "Musings"

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Tolomeo

Voices of Music, "Virtuoso Concertos"

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17. Favorite New Music Performance

Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, "A Soldier’s Tale & Steam"

Peninsula Cantare, Considering Matthew Shepard

Voices of Music, Who has Seen the Wind

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18. Favorite Orchestra Performance

Nova Vista Symphony, "From Formosa to Vienna"

Oakland Civic Orchestra, Shostakovich Symphony No. 10

San Francisco Symphony, "Denève Conducts Saint-Saëns' Organ Symphony"

San Francisco Symphony, "Elim Chan Conducts La Mer"

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19. Favorite Vocal Recital

Simon Barrad, presented by Valley of the Moon Music Festival

Danielle Reutter-Harrah with Voices of Music, presented by Berkeley Festival & Exhibition

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20. Favorite Large Venue

Davies Symphony Hall

First Church Berkeley

Herbst Theatre

War Memorial Opera House

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21. Favorite Small Venue

Berkeley Piano Club

Gunn Theater at the Legion of Honor

Hanna Center Auditorium (Sonoma)

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22. Favorite Club Venue

The Freight & Salvage

The Sound Room (Oakland)

Yoshi's (Oakland)

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23. Favorite Festival

American Bach: San Francisco Bach Festival

Berkeley Festival and Exhibition

Music@Menlo

Valley of the Moon Music Festival

West Edge Opera Festival

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24. Favorite New Discovery

Beneath a Tree — Baroque to Folk

Katya Moeller, apprentice violinist, Valley of the Moon Music Festival

Mercury Theater (Petaluma)

Peninsula Cantare

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25. Enter your email if you would like to subscribe to the SFCV Weekly Newsletter and get the latest articles, reviews, artist profiles, and news about the Bay Area's music scene.

Name

City/Town

ZIP/Postal Code

Email Address

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26. Would you also like a free subscription to our Substack page? It features content distinct from SFCV.org. Learn more.

Yes

I'm already subscribed

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* 1. Favorite Opera Singer

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* 2. Favorite Chamber Ensemble

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* 3. Favorite Choral Ensemble

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* 4. Favorite Dance Soloist

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* 5. Favorite Early Music/Baroque Ensemble

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* 6. Favorite New Music Ensemble

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* 7. Favorite Orchestra

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* 8. Favorite Community Orchestra

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* 9. Favorite Conductor

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* 10. Favorite Instrumental Soloist

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* 11. Favorite Jazz Soloist

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* 12. Favorite Opera Performance

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* 13. Favorite Chamber Performance

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* 14. Favorite Choral Performance

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* 15. Favorite Dance Performance

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* 16. Favorite Early Music/Baroque Performance

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* 17. Favorite New Music Performance

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* 18. Favorite Orchestra Performance

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* 19. Favorite Vocal Recital

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* 20. Favorite Large Venue

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* 21. Favorite Small Venue

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* 22. Favorite Club Venue

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* 23. Favorite Festival

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* 24. Favorite New Discovery

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* 25. Enter your email if you would like to subscribe to the SFCV Weekly Newsletter and get the latest articles, reviews, artist profiles, and news about the Bay Area's music scene.

Question Title

* 26. Would you also like a free subscription to our Substack page? It features content distinct from SFCV.org. Learn more.

1. Favorite Opera Singer

2. Favorite Chamber Ensemble

3. Favorite Choral Ensemble

4. Favorite Dance Soloist

5. Favorite Early Music/Baroque Ensemble

6. Favorite New Music Ensemble

7. Favorite Orchestra

8. Favorite Community Orchestra

9. Favorite Conductor

10. Favorite Instrumental Soloist

11. Favorite Jazz Soloist

12. Favorite Opera Performance

13. Favorite Chamber Performance

14. Favorite Choral Performance

15. Favorite Dance Performance

16. Favorite Early Music/Baroque Performance

17. Favorite New Music Performance

18. Favorite Orchestra Performance

19. Favorite Vocal Recital

20. Favorite Large Venue

21. Favorite Small Venue

22. Favorite Club Venue

23. Favorite Festival

24. Favorite New Discovery

25. Enter your email if you would like to subscribe to the SFCV Weekly Newsletter and get the latest articles, reviews, artist profiles, and news about the Bay Area's music scene.

26. Would you also like a free subscription to our Substack page? It features content distinct from SFCV.org. Learn more.