MARIA MANETTI MENTORS
Maria Manetti Shrem is one of ArtSmart’s most generous supporters. Since ArtSmart’s inception in 2016, she has been an emphatic supporter and patron and without her commitment, our program would not have had the success we charted. In honor of her generous support and guidance, we are proud to name all of our San Francisco Mentors the “Maria Manetti Mentors”. Please read more on this page about Maria and the depth of her commitment to ArtSmart.
Maria Manetti with ArtSmart Co-Founder Michael Fabiano
ABOUT MARIA MANETTI
Learn more about Maria Manetti below from an excerpt of our interview with her entitled, “Patroness of the Arts”. You can read the full interview here.
ArtSmart: Where did you grow up and what was your earliest memory of the arts as a child?
Maria Manetti Shrem: I grew up in Florence, Italy and lived there until I was 31 one years old. Florence is the birthplace of opera, and I was always surrounded by art, culture and classical music.
AS: Where do you currently make your home and how are you involved in the arts in your local community?
MMS: I currently live in San Francisco, California but also have residences in Oakville, California and Florence, Italy. I am a supporter of The San Francisco Opera, The San Francisco Symphony and the founder and largest supporter of the Festival Napa Valley. Also in 2016 my husband and I opened the Manetti Shrem Museum of Contemporary Art at UC Davis. Thirty percent of the building is dedicated to education.
AS: How did you become affiliated with ArtSmart?
MMS: I met Michael Fabiano through post-performance events at the San Francisco Opera. After his performance as Rodolfo in La bohème, Michael was talking to me about this new foundation he was working on and that he wanted to bring the study of opera and voice to underprivileged schools as well as to give paying jobs to singers who were not as fortunate as he was in the performance arena. I knew I wanted to get involved and support ArtSmart. I started out with a set contribution and have increased my support every year as the program has expanded and succeeded.
AS: Why do you feel it is so important to support ArtSmart in a financial way?
MMS: We must support those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Art plays a very important role in education and in the larger scope of our society. ArtSmart is a great help to its students, the landscape of education in America and the future of our society.
Learn more about Maria, her career, and her dedication to the arts by downloading her full bio here.
MARIA MANETTI MENTORS
Nikki Einfeld
Carina Kahane
Sarah Nadreau
Sergio Gonzalez
MARIA MANETTI MENTOR SPOTLIGHT
Simon Barrad as Count Paris in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at Cincinnati Opera, 2019.
Simon Barrad, baritone
ArtSmart is proud to have Simon Barrad on our mentor teaching staff… a few highlights about Simon!
- Grammy-nominated baritone
- As a previous Fulbright scholar in Helsinki, he has given lectures and private lessons throughout Finland.
- His keen interest in Finnish and American art song recital music has taken him to many performance venues, including the famed Berlin Philharmonic.
For more information on Simon and his versatile performing career, please visit his website www.simonbarrad.com
“Building empathy and compassion through the arts takes years rather than days. I love ArtSmart because it focuses on the long term growth of students. Every week, ArtSmart is fighting for the future of our country by nurturing the next generation of Americans for an empathetic and compassionate life.”
SIMON BARRAD, SAN FRANCISCO MENTOR
“ArtSmart has helped so many students see their potential, regardless of where that potential ultimately leads them. As a teacher I am inspired everyday by the positive impact music is having on the lives of students, and I am honored to be a part of their journey.”
NIKKI EINFELD, SAN FRANCISCO MENTOR
Three San Francisco ArtSmart students attend a chamber music concert featuring Maria Manetti Mentor, Nikki Einfeld
WHAT OUR SAN FRANCISCO ARTSMART STUDENTS SAY
“These lessons have helped me vocally, emotionally, and spiritually. This is better than my therapy sessions.”
SAN FRANCISCO ARTSMART STUDENT
“What I love about singing is that it is the only thing I truly feel confident doing. When I sing, I’m at my happiest point and it just relieves everything.”
SAN FRANCISCO ARTSMART STUDENT
“What I love about singing is that it helps me to calm my nerves down and makes me happy.”
SAN FRANCISCO ARTSMART STUDENT
“Singing allows me to express myself, while also giving me a break from the stress that comes with academics and athletics.”
SAN FRANCISCO ARTSMART STUDENT
San Francisco Students Speak About ArtSmart:
San Francisco ArtSmart Student Soren working with ArtSmart mentor Cheryl Cain
“ArtSmart is helping fill this void by providing vocal instruction to teenagers who would otherwise be unable to take lessons. The lessons cover so much more than pure vocal training, such as accountability, organization, and time management.”
RUTH RAINERO, SAN FRANCISCO MENTOR
HIGHLIGHTS OF SAN FRANCISCO PROGRAM
Active Schools
JLMS
Everett MS
RASOTA
Lowell HS
Aptos MS
Menlo Atherton HS
Previous Schools
Burton HS
Mission HS
Students
71 students in 2020-21
San Francisco ArtSmart Student Aubrey in a masterclass with co-founder Michael Fabiano
“I’m proud to be an ArtSmart mentor, to give kids an opportunity to develop their unique voices and express themselves. I love watching my students blossom and gain confidence. We always learn so much from each other!”
DARIA MAUTNER, SAN FRANCISCO MENTOR
Maria Manetti with ArtSmart Co-Founder Michael Fabiano and board member Nadine Sierra
San Francisco ArtSmart Students Sing Italian Opera & Art Song
In honor of Maria Manetti’s love of Italian opera & her generosity to ArtSmart, we highlight San Francisco ArtSmart students performing Italian Opera Arias & Art songs in the video below.
“I love ArtSmart because it is a program that allows students to discover their personal and unique talents. Having a private lesson every week ensures a successful learning process in the arts and also opens the door for imagination and self assessment.”
ALBERT MONTANEZ, SAN FRANCISCO MENTOR
