The Barbary Coast Recorder Orchestra (BCRO) is the renowned adult amateur recorder orchestra in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 2011, BCRO is a democratic orchestra in which all its invited members participate equally from sopranino to bass, with some members playing the largest recorders, including the giant SubContrabass. The orchestra meets monthly for rehearsals from October through March and performs annually for the public at the end of its season, as well as bi-annually at the Berkeley Early Music Festival (BFX).

BCRO’s name references historic 19th-century San Francisco, evoking a flavor of diversity and imparts one of its objectives: to perform unconventional works for recorder orchestra, including contemporary repertoire, pop and jazz arrangements, and newly-commissioned works. The recorder orchestra also plays earlier repertoire from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque in arrangements that give voice to the unique sounds of the recorder orchestra.

Directors: Greta Haug-Hryciw and Glen Shannon

Join our mailing list to receive updates, or call 415-377-4444 for more information. Our next concert is on March 21, 2026 at 2PM, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, 2407 Dana St. at Channing.