Press Releases

Contacts:

Rachelle Schlosser, Director of Media Relations
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Judith Kurnick, Vice President for Strategic Communications
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League of American Orchestras Board of Directors Elects Angelo M. Fatta as Chair Elect

Term to begin June 2013

New York, NY (May 16, 2013) – The League of American Orchestras Board of Directors has elected Angelo M. Fatta as Chair Elect. Dr. Fatta will assume this position in June 2013 and will hold it until June 2014, when his election to succeed Lowell J. Noteboom as Chair will take place.

(read entire release)

Futurists and Industry Leaders to Imagine 2023 at League of American Orchestras’ 68th National Conference, June 18-20 in St. Louis

Events to include participatory performances

New York, NY (April 23, 2013)   Participants will consider multiple views of the future of orchestras at the League of American Orchestras’ 68th National Conference, June 18-20, 2013 in St. Louis. The Conference, under the theme Imagining 2023, will include a keynote and breakout sessions with futurist thinkers and industry leaders, live participatory performances and traditional concerts, and a master class with conductor David Robertson, music director of the St. Louis Symphony, which is co-hosting the Conference.

(read entire release)

Symphony Magazine Spring Issue Highlights Orchestra Health and Wellness Partnerships; Citywide Musical Events; Summer Music Festivals

New York, NY (April 16, 2013) – Orchestras’ health and wellness partnership programs and large-scale citywide musical events are some of the topics covered in the Spring issue of Symphony, the award-winning magazine of the League of American Orchestras. The magazine, published on April 15, also includes a wide-ranging preview of summer music festivals.

(read entire release)

League of American Orchestras’ Essentials of Orchestra Management Immerses Emerging Orchestra Executives in State of the Art Leadership Training

New York, NY (February 14, 2013) – Thirty (30) highly talented administrative staff members from orchestras and arts organizations have been chosen to participate in Essentials of Orchestra Management, a 10-day intensive leadership training program offered annually by the League of American Orchestras, in New York City. The program was held this year from February 4 – 13.

(read entire release)

Six Rising Conductors Chosen to Lead the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra at the League’s 2013 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview

Highly Anticipated Biennial Industry Showcase To Take Place March 13, 2013 in Jacksonville, FL

New York, NY (January 29, 2013) – Six emerging conductors will lead the Jacksonville Symphony  Orchestra at the 2013 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview, the League of American Orchestra’s prestigious conducting showcase, scheduled for Wednesday, March 13.  This industry event, which takes place every other year in partnership with a League member orchestra, brings highly talented rising conductors to the attention of American orchestra leaders.

(read entire release)

Winter Issue of Symphony Magazine Offers New Insights into Programming for Our Time, Connecting With Younger Audiences, And Entrepreneurial Musicians

League Membership Directory and Guide to Emerging Artists Also Included

New York, NY (January 22, 2013) – Symphony, the award-winning magazine of the League of American Orchestras, looks at new ways orchestras are connecting with audiences through programming and generational diversity in its Winter issue, published on January 15. The magazine also includes two annual directories:  the complete League Membership Directory and the Emerging Artists Directory Advertising Guide. Symphony is available in print and online. Click here to view the Winter 2013 issue.

(read entire release)

2012

$1.7 Million in NEA Grants Help Orchestras Across the U.S. Increase Access To Classical Music

NEA FY13 Art Works (Part One) and Challenge America Grants Highlight Orchestras’ Innovative Programs, Including:

• Workshops and Concerts for Economically Disadvantaged Children
• Concerts for Adults with Disabilities and the Elderly
• The Use of Technology to Engage New Audiences
• Culturally-Aware Repertoire in the Concert Hall
• Community-Based Concerts and Activities

New York, NY (January 3, 2012) – Recently announced National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Art Works (Part One) and Challenge America grants totaling nearly $1.7 million focus on upcoming programs that orchestras have created to increase access for underserved populations and engage new audiences. (read entire release)

22 Innovative Orchestra/Community Partnership Programs to Receive Getty Education and Community Investment Grants from League of American Orchestras

North American Orchestras Will Perform 165 Premieres in 2012-2013

Notable Focal Points This Season Include:

• Community Celebrations & Ties
• Commissioning Consortiums and Partnerships
• Female Composers
• Ethnic Diversity
• Alternative Concert Formats

New York, NY (November 7, 2012) – In the 2012-13 season, North American orchestras are performing premieres of 165 compositions by 150 composers, according to the League’s newly published Premieres List. Of these works, 127 are world premieres, 27 are U.S. premieres and 11 are Canadian premieres. 25% of the premieres are directly connected to community celebrations or partnerships.

“Even in challenging times, orchestras continue to champion the work of the present day. And they are clearly embracing closer ties to community priorities in addition to artistic goals,” said League of American Orchestras President and CEO Jesse Rosen.

Notable trends this season include: (read entire release)

Fall Issue Of Symphony Magazine Examines Arts Education, Labor Relations, New Programming, Financing at European Orchestras, and Other Current Orchestra Topics

New York, NY (October 17, 2012) - Symphony, the magazine of the League of American Orchestras, reports on multiple timely topics facing the rapidly evolving orchestra field in its new Fall issue, published on October 15. Symphony is available in print and online.

Articles in the Fall 2012 issue of Symphony include:

Critical Questions: State of Arts Education: League President and CEO Jesse Rosen and League Vice President for Advocacy Heather Noonan respond to two new reports on the essential role of arts education in our nation’s schools—and give an update on League and orchestra advocacy efforts.

Opportunity in Crisis: What orchestras might learn from successful labor negotiations in the auto industry: At a provocative session at the League’s 2012 National Conference, orchestras heard what it takes to build strong relations between unions and management from Marty Mulloy, vice president of labor affairs at Ford Motor Company, and Jimmy Settles Jr., vice president of the United Auto Workers. The two men engaged in a spirited dialogue whose form mirrored the discussions they used during negotiations. (read entire release)

Summer Issue of Symphony Magazine: Orchestras Across the Country are Taking on Challenging Roles Outisde the Concert Hall

New York, NY (July 23, 2012) – Orchestras across the country are expanding their institutional focus from simply providing high quality music within the concert hall to a newer, more relevant role within the community, reports the summer issue of Symphony, the magazine of the League of American Orchestras. Orchestras as varied as the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and Stockton Symphony are among the many carving out new community engagement and educational initiatives for the underserved, and reaching into virgin territory, even to the extent of tackling literacy and gang violence or offering free concert tickets for former prison inmates. One urban orchestra has gone a step further, suspending its main-stage classical programming in favor of a series of community performances targeted to specific neighborhoods. (read entire release)

San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory Recognized For National Board Leadership Award

New York, NY (July 18, 2012) – San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory is one of five finalists for the Prudential Leadership Awards for Exceptional Nonprofit Boards, given by BoardSource, an organization dedicated to building outstanding nonprofit boards. The finalists, selected from among nearly 50 applicants, represent the full range of the non-profit sector, including social services, education, the arts and the environment. A $25,000 grand-prize winner will be announced at the BoardSource Leadership Forum in Chicago on September 15, 2012. (read entire release)

League of American Orchestras Announces Six Appointments to Board of Directors

New York, NY (July 16, 2012) - League of American Orchestras Chair Lowell J. Noteboom has announced the appointment of Burton Alter, Angelo Fatta, Jim Hasler, John Hayes, James Mabie, and Robert Peiser to the League’s Board of directors. The six new board members, who will each serve three-year terms, were elected by the League membership during its annual meeting in June.

"The League is committed to providing strong leadership for orchestras in a time of dramatic change,” said Noteboom. “We look forward to drawing on the expertise of this group of proven leaders who care deeply about sustaining and deepening the aluable role America’s orchestras play in their communities." (read entire release)

League of American Orchestras' 67th National Conference Addresses Labor Relations, Innovation, and Community Engagement

New York, NY (June 14, 2012) – Representatives from labor unions and managements participated in candid conversations about building productive relationships at tzhe League of American Orchestras’ 67th National Conference, June 5 – 8, 2012 in Dallas, TX. Nearly 1,000 professionals and volunteers from across the orchestra field attended the event, which also featured performances by the Dallas and Fort Worth symphony orchestras.

Calling on delegates to “put the interests of our orchestras ahead of any single constituent interest,” League President and CEO Jesse Rosen introduced opening-session speakers Jimmy Settles Jr. of the United Auto Workers and Marty Mulloy of the Ford Motor Company, who described how they built a relationship that led to an innovative collaborative process and a landmark agreement for the auto industry. (read entire release)

Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation and League of American Orchestras Partner to Create $1.5 Million Grant Program

New York, NY (June 11, 2012) – The League of American Orchestras today announced the receipt of a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation to administer a re-granting program that supports orchestras in deepening their involvement with their communities. (read entire release)

League of American Orchestras Announces 2011-12 ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming

Dallas, TX (June 8, 2012) - 24 American orchestras will be recognized with 2011-12 ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming today at the League of American Orchestras’ 67th Annual Conference in Dallas. ASCAP and the League present the awards each year to orchestras of all sizes for programs that challenge the audience, build the repertoire, and increase interest in music of our time. Approximately $700,000 has been bestowed on orchestras since the awards were established in 1947. Below is a complete list of this year’s winners. (read entire release)

League of American Orchestras' 67th National Conference to Highlight Innovation and Address Challenges

New York, NY (May 23, 2012) – The League of American Orchestras’ 67th National Conference, June 5 – 8, 2012 in Dallas, TX, will offer participants a range of creative and provocative approaches to both the challenges and opportunities for orchestras, along with performances by the Dallas and Fort Worth symphony orchestras. Approximately 1,000 professionals and volunteers from across the orchestra field will attend the 2012 National Conference, which is co-presented with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and will open with an introduction on Wednesday, June 6 by Jesse Rosen, League president and CEO, and Blaine Nelson, Chairman of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Board of Governors. (read entire release)

Ben Folds Had "A Revelation" About Orchestral Music - Spring Issue of Symphony Magazine (4/23/2012)

New York, NY (April 23, 2012) – Ben Folds discusses the impetus for his orchestral gigs in the Spring issue of Symphony, the magazine of the League of American Orchestras. In 2004, the former youth orchestra percussionist had “a revelation” about scoring: “I realized that the songs I’ve had in my head since I was a kid had always been rooted in orchestration and then brought to life and adapted to the rock band.”

“Fast forward, and my symphony orchestra shows are becoming an important part of my career… what could be more inspiring than 80-some dedicated musicians, focusing their lives of discipline generously and passionately to create something beautiful.”

Folds’ upcoming orchestra dates include appearances with Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (April 27, 2012) and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (May 25, 2012). (read entire release)

League of American Orchestras Announces Two Fellows for 2012 Orchestra Management Fellowship Program (3/28/2012)

New York, NY (March 27, 2012) – The League of American Orchestras today announced the 2012 Orchestra Management Fellows. Agnieszka (Eska) Laskus and Agnieszka Rakhmatullaev, this year’s Fellows, will spend one full year in the League’s intensive management training program, designed to launch executive careers in orchestra management. Since its inception in 1980, the highly competitive Orchestra Management Fellowship Program has graduated approximately 175 fellows, many of whom hold leadership positions in America’s leading orchestras. The program was redesigned in 2011 to train administrators who have direct managerial experience and demonstrated potential to lead a professional orchestra within five to ten years. (read entire release)

League of American Orchestras’ Essentials of Orchestra Management Seminar Trains Rising Leaders (2/15/2012)

New York, NY (February 15) – It’s a highly selective “orchestra boot camp” for future leaders in the field. Co-directed by Brent Assink (executive director of the San Francisco Symphony) and Deborah Rutter (president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), the League of American Orchestras’ Essentials of Orchestra Management seminar recently ended after an intensive ten-day immersion into the tough challenges and opportunities facing today’s orchestra executives. Designed specifically to train talented leaders in the early years of their careers, the annual seminar highlights a range of topics, including artistic vitality, business models, community engagement and leadership, woven through the curriculum and presented by leading experts in the music field including, this year, Deborah Borda (president and CEO of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association), Clive Gillinson (executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall), Eric Jacobsen (conductor and co-artistic director of The Knights), Marin Alsop (music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra), renowned mezzo soprano Marilyn Horne and composer Judd Greenstein, among others. Representatives from the American Federation of Musicians and ICSOM (International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians) also addressed the participants, as well as a host of musical, financial, nonprofit, and marketing experts from in and out of the industry. (read entire release)

Recent NEA Grants Highlight Orchestras’ Innovative Programming, Community Engagement, and Educational Focus in 2012 (1/24/2012)

LOOKING FORWARD:

New York, NY (January 24, 2012) – American orchestras coast to coast have innovative plans for 2012 and beyond as they seek to engage their communities and broaden access.

These unique initiatives range from the Albany Symphony’s five day American Music Festival that turns the region into a hub for new music and a Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Musical Louisiana: America’s Cultural Heritage concert featuring performances of works by composers including Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, to Pacific Symphony’s A Nowruz Celebration festival hailing the ancient Persian New Year and the Milwaukee Symphony’s performances of a new cross-cultural work utilizing traditional Chinese instruments. (read entire release)