Early San Francisco Theater Posters from the Collection of James H. Schwabacher, April 21-May 27, 1956

James H. Schwabacher was an American singer born in San Francisco in 1920 into a musical family, and was a member of the Fleishhacker family. On a trip to New York in the summer of 1938 he met Erno Balogh who told him to get good musical training first. He then attended the University of California, Berkeley to study music. He spent World War II as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, returning to his musical career in 1946. He joined singing companies and toured successfully soon after. He would go on to have a 30-year career as a recitalist and oratorio singer. A growth on his vocal chords forced him to retire from singing, picking up teaching, mentoring, and institutional leadership. He co-founded the Merola Opera Program in 1957 and San Francisco Performances in 1980. He established the Schwabacher Debut Recital Series in 1983. He was also deeply involved in the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra for most of his adult life, serving as the third president of the San Francisco Symphony Foundation, and as a member of the Board of Governors since 1959, eventually becoming a Life Governor. His home in Pacific Heights was filled with rare recordings of musicals and the scores of unknown operettas, as well as a music studio and a third-floor solarium. He also played host to famous artists such as Leonard Bernstein and Marilyn Horne. He also enjoyed spending time at his family's ranch in Cupertino, where its vineyard grapes were bottled by Ridge Vineyards. Schwabacher died on July 25, 2006.

Source: https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Schwabacher-James.htm