Our History

For many years, the organization staged concerts in a variety of Pacifica locations–a community center, a neighborhood firehouse, an Episcopal church. Here is how we evolved over the years:
  • 1976: Pacifica Performances is founded as the Pacifica Arts and Heritage Council, which assists with art shows, sponsors art, dance, poetry, and calligraphy classes, and provides a meeting place for various community arts groups. Over time, many of these activities are absorbed by the Pacifica Parks, Beaches and Recreation Department.
  • 1996: A group of visual artists renovates a former school building scheduled for demolition. This becomes the Sanchez Art Center. Pacifica Performances subsequently secures the rights to develop the former school’s multi-purpose room into a 175-seat concert hall with adjoining large kitchen and office space.
  • 1997: Pacifica Performances operations moves into the Center.
  • 1998: Packard Foundation provides a grant to build a new stage and install professional lighting equipment in our Concert Hall.
  • 2001: Pacifica Arts and Heritage Council is officially renamed Pacifica Performances and negotiates a ten-year lease with the City.
  • 2001-2002: Pacifica Performances decides to sponsor a cappella vocal ensemble Pacifica Seaside Singers and local jazz band SanJazz.
  • 2009: Sanchez Concert Hall is renamed Mildred Owen Concert Hall, in honor of our founding Artistic Director.

We offer occasional Koncerts for Kids, free Saturday morning performances for young children and their families at Mildred Owen Concert Hall.

In recent years, we have updated our sound equipment, purchased a wonderful Baldwin concert grand piano and re-floored the entire hall. Donations from members and friends and the Rotary Club made this possible.

Today our focus is live performance.

Examples of featured artists:
Jazz & Blues:
Maria Maldaur
Lavay Smith
Bud E. Luv
Larry Vuckovich
Wayne Wallace
John Worely
Wesla Whitfield & Mike Greensill
Jim & Morning Nichols
Larry Dunlap & Bobbe Norris
San Francisco Hot Club
Kenny Washington
Stompy Jones
Daniel Castro
Brenda Boykin

World and Dance:
Viviana Guzman
Celia Malheiros
Ed Johnson & Novo Temp
Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir
Los Boleros
Arabesque Belly Dance Troupe

Classical:
Matthew Laurence Edwards
Robyn Carmichael
Viviana Guzman
Yuan Sheng
Tien Hsieh
Noah Stewart
Russian Chamber Orchestra
Joan Nagano
Kay Stern
Handel's Messiah Sing-Along
Chamber Music - Members of S.F. Opera Orchestra
Guitar Series:
Richard Smith
Adrian Legg
Jim Nichols
Edgar Cruz
Pat Kirtley
Peppino D’Agustino
Michael Manring

Celtic:
Golden Bough
Molly’s Revenge
Jamie Laval & Ashley Broder
Triskela

Bluegrass, Country & Folk:
High Country
Sidesaddle
Curios
Brian Anderson

Drama, Comedy & Word:
S.F. Mime Troupe
Will Durst
Word for Word
The Vagina Monologues
SF Shakespeare Festival
Poet Laureate Robert Haas
Pacifica Poetry Festival


Board of Directors:

Morning Nichols - Artistic Director

Jerry Crow - Chair
Pat Norris - Secretary
Christine Krenzel - Treasurer
Kay Stern - Classical Booker
Bob Welch - Sound/Light and House Manager
Donald Barnaby - Hospitality
Neil Sofia - Rental Committee
Debbie Sofia - Rental Committee
Allison Weber - Vice Chair
Yvonne Lorvan - In-School Music Program
Jim Nichols - Maintenance
Tom O'Toole - Sound/Light

Kat Ilvedson - Office Manager

Mildred Owen - Founding Artistic Director
(1926 - 2009)