Actress Barbara Eden Will Be Honored By The San Francisco Conservatory Of Music With Its Distinguished Alumni Award

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music is honoring NBC's I Dream of Jeannie star and SFCM alumna Barbara Eden on Friday, February 14, at its annual Fanfare Luncheon, recognizing the significant contributions Ms. Eden has made to arts and culture and the SFCM community.

Ms. Eden will also be presented with SFCM's Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor bestowed by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music leadership upon an outstanding alumna or alumnus.

The Fanfare Luncheon serves as a meaningful homecoming for Ms. Eden, who grew up in San Francisco and attended SFCM in the 1940s. She has many close ties to the city, including attending Abraham Lincoln High School and City College of San Francisco, and she was even named Miss San Francisco in 1951. Ms. Eden went on to star in more than 25 feature films, five network TV series, and 19 top-rated network made-for-television movies. She was most recently seen on screen in the 2019 holiday movie, My Adventures with Santa.

The fundraising luncheon will take place at 12:00 PM in the Green Room at the San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center (401 Van Ness Ave.) and will feature performances by students in SFCM's Pre-College and Collegiate divisions, including a special rendition of the I Dream of Jeannie theme song and "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" in honor of Ms. Eden's San Francisco roots. SFCM President David Stull will interview Ms. Eden about her life and career before she's awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award. Proceeds from the event support SFCM student scholarships.

In addition to the Fanfare Luncheon, during her visit to San Francisco, Ms. Eden will return to SFCM for the first time since she was a student in the 1940s. She'll tour the campus and engage with current students in a Q&A. The private event will be moderated by a current SFCM voice student-soprano and actress Taylor See '20.

"I left San Francisco but my heart has always been with the Shining City on the Hill and the wonderful memories I had growing up there," said Barbara Eden. "It is with deep appreciation that the San Francisco Conservatory of Music is honoring me and I'm thrilled to be coming back to San Francisco to receive this wonderful honor at the organization's annual Fanfare Luncheon. My special thanks to all the many people who have worked to make this special event possible. It is one I will always treasure."

The 2020 Fanfare Luncheon is chaired by SFCM alumna Ana T.L. Dierkhising '95 and SFCM Trustees Lisa Grotts and Mary Poland. The annual, intimate luncheon recognizes the innovative and impactful career paths of SFCM alumni and their contributions to music and community. Recent honorees have included composer Ramón Sender Barayón '62, pianist and conductor Jeffrey Kahane '77, guitarist Eugene Rodriguez '87, and soprano Lisa Delan '89.

A limited number of tickets are still available at $500 for the luncheon or $1,000 for the Dream Package, which includes a special VIP reception with Barbara Eden prior to the luncheon and parking. Information and tickets are available online at sfcm.edu/fanfare or by calling 415-503-6307.

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