San Domenico alum returns to lead string music program

Violist Alexandra Simpson has accomplished a lot since she graduated from San Domenico School in 2011.

She’s shared the stage with stars like Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Halsey and Kygo and went on NPR’s popular “Tiny Desk Concert” series to perform alongside pop star Sabrina Carpenter.

But, she says she owes a lot to her time in San Domenico’s Virtuoso Program, which develops high school string musicians.

“San Domenico’s Virtuoso Program gave me the opportunity to study with world-class music educators and exposed me to the highest level of music making. My peers have gone on to the top levels of classical music as well, and to make that level of music as a teenager was transformative. The Virtuoso Program gave me the opportunity to be a part of something extraordinary, which is such a gift for a young person to experience,” she said.

 

In November 2024, the Emeryville resident returned to the school to become the program’s music director. And for Simpson, who took conducting classes with Toshiyuki Shimada, who studied with Leonard Bernstein, while studying at the Yale School of Music, the position has allowed her to tap into her love of conducting in a way she hadn’t been able to before.

“I fell in love with it almost immediately. I felt I understood how to extract the best playing from these already very talented kids, and leading an orchestra as a conductor seemed like the answer I had been seeking as a musician. I find it so exciting to guide the musical choices a group makes, and while I still actively perform as a violist, this job has allowed me to use my full range of talents,” said Simpson, who holds tenured positions at the Berkeley Symphony and California Symphony.

San Domenico’s Virtuoso Program will perform holiday tunes at a benefit concert for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Rita Church in Fairfax. While the concert is free, donations are encouraged at bit.ly/4s4Sd59. RSVP to the concert on Eventbrite.

“I’ve always felt that the main job of a musician is to bring joy and light to people’s lives, and this concert aims to do that not just with classic holiday music, but with the mission of raising money for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank,” she said.

The concert was the idea of Ian Baker, a junior at the school, who wished to “help raise awareness around the reality of hunger in California and help feed those who need it,” he writes on the fund page.

For Simpson, it’s been a heartwarming thing to witness.

“I’ve been doing everything I can to support his incredible efforts to put this concert together. I’m so proud of the generosity I’ve seen in these students. Even though they’re busy studying for finals, they all have dedicated time to practice the music and spread the word about this concert,” she said.

“San Domenico excels at instilling the values of community and service into students; in fact, the four core values of the school are study, reflection, service and community. Several weeks ago, we had a food drive for Thanksgiving that felt especially poignant in a time where SNAP benefits had been cut. An incredible amount of food was collected; we all worked together in an assembly line to load this food onto a large truck. I think this reminded students that we have so much power to engage with our community, especially as musicians.”