The San Francisco Conservatory of Music has announced a gift of $46.4 million from the William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation for an expansion of the school's campus and construction of a new performing arts center.

Construction is scheduled to begin this summer on the Ute and William K. Bowes, Jr. Center for Performing Arts in the San Francisco Civic Center. The $185 million arts center and residential tower will provide housing for four hundred and twenty students and feature two concert halls that will host hundreds of performances annually, with more than 90 percent of them free and open to the public; a restaurant with a live performance space; multiple classrooms; rehearsal space and practice rooms; a recording studio and technology hall; a large observation deck and garden; conference facilities; a student center; and several apartments for visiting artists and faculty. The new building also will include twenty-seven apartments that replace the rent-subsidized units that are currently part of the site.

Since 2013, SFCM has evolved its curriculum through the implementation of a vision that includes fusing education with imaginative, creative works; the development of critical thinking skills essential to a prosperous, rewarding life; required business courses and professional development experiences applicable to any field; strong partnerships with the technology sector and the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, and SFJAZZ; and the launch of a technology and applied composition program that prepares classically trained composers to score for film and games, with a focus on collaborative work linked to Silicon Valley partners.

"This project will fuel the unlimited potential of this institution and serve as a beacon for the innovative artists who will lead the next generation," said SFCM president David H. Stull. "Bill Bowes believed that music and beauty are essential to life and that education offers the best promise for tomorrow. I am profoundly grateful to both Bill and Ute for their inspiring investment and their transformative impact on our school. We miss Bill very much and none of this would have been possible without him."

(Image credit: Mark Cavagnero Associates)