Incoming Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Executive Director John Caldon.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, San Francisco free music festival started by philanthropist Warren Hellman, has hired John Caldon to be its first executive director. Caldon comes to Hardly Strictly from San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, where he is the managing director of the War Memorial Opera House, Davies Symphony Hall and Veterans Building, where he has led the strategic vision, financial planning, operations and diversity and inclusion initiatives. He was appointed to the position by San Francisco Mayor London Breed in 2019.

Caldon will have a similar role with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. He will lead the organization and “carry forward the wishes of the Hellman family, the organization said in a news release. He will oversee the festival’s human and financial resources, safety and risk management, governance, communications, community relations and technology.

“Few festivals of this size and caliber exist in the United States that are available at no cost to attendees, located in a setting as beautiful as Golden Gate Park, and kept free of corporate sponsorship to focus on celebrating music,” Caldon said in a written statement. “Joining an organization that exists entirely to give the gift of incredible music to its community is the perfect next step for a career in which I have worked to promote access to arts and culture as a public good.”