Golden Gate Park Band

About the Golden Gate Park Band

The Golden Gate Park Band, founded in 1882, is San Francisco’s oldest musical organization. GGPB presents its 142^nd season with a new music director and principal conductor, German Gonzalez, and its new administrative leadership and structure.

The band is comprised of 30 professional musicians and performs a season of 25 free concerts, held mostly on Sundays and always starting at 1:00 pm here at the Spreckels Temple of Music in Golden Gate Park. The band features programming relevant to San Francisco’s diverse population, showcasing partnerships with cultural organizations as well as unique themes to delight all audiences. We play a completely different program each and every week. Please visit us on the web at goldengateparkband.org where you can sign up for our newsletter, find more information on the current season, and make donations to the band. Come and hear us play!

About the Director

Dr. German Gonzalez earned a D.M.A. from Arizona State University, Herberger School of Music where he studied music education and conducting with Gary Hill. He received a B.A. in music from San Jose State and a Masters in Conducting from CSU, Sacramento where he studied with Robert Halseth. His other conducting mentors include Frederick Fennell, Jack Stamp, John Whitwell, and Alan McMurray. As a child, his passion for music was inspired by Latin American rhythm and annual school field trips to the SF Symphony children’s concerts. His first participation with community bands began in the summer after his freshman year in high school. In his retirement, after a long and distinguished career as a Music Educator, Dr Gonzalez also performs as a freelance musician, is brass section coach for the Peninsula Youth Orchestra and directs a swing band.