NEWS
Mayor Lurie Celebrates MOU Between San Francisco Conservatory Of Music And Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Office of the MayorSigned in Shanghai, Memorandum of Understanding Will Begin Five-Year, Cross-Cultural Partnership Between Renowned Music Institutions; Continues Mayor Lurie’s Work to Drive San Francisco’s Economic Recovery Through Arts and Culture
SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today celebrated the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music as he kicked off his trip to Shanghai and Seoul. The MOU will set up a partnership between the San Francisco and Shanghai conservatories—inviting collaboration on artist exchanges, joint performances, and music research. As part of the MOU, the organizations will begin a five-year partnership to expand opportunities for students and faculty to learn, teach, and perform internationally while strengthening international cultural ties.
Signed during Mayor Lurie’s trip to Shanghai and Seoul, the MOU builds on Mayor Lurie’s work to elevate San Francisco as a global music city, including additional live music performances and new initiatives that showcase the city’s vibrant music scene. Since the start of 2026, the mayor has announced regular free live music in Golden Gate Park, biweekly concerts in Civic Center, and the San Francisco Opera’s first ever free performance of Bohème Out of the Box in the city. Early in his administration, the mayor announced the inaugural SF Music Week to spotlight San Francisco’s renowned music scene. He celebrated the return of SF Music Week this year following a free downtown concert series and a successful "Summer of Music" that drew tens of thousands and generated over $150 million in local economic activity.
“Strong arts, culture, and music organizations are critical to our economic comeback,” said Mayor Lurie. “We are expanding student and faculty exchanges, supporting joint performances between artists, and sharing music materials and research. With this partnership, we will open the door to deeper collaboration on performances, lectures, and academic and artistic programs that will strengthen cultural ties between San Francisco and Shanghai.”
The signing is the first milestone of Mayor Lurie’s first international trip as mayor—where he will visit China and South Korea to strengthen San Francisco’s sister city relationships with Shanghai and Seoul, deepen arts and culture partnerships, and promote tourism to San Francisco.