League Announces Participants for Second Four-Day Orchestra Intensive

Artistic Administration Intensive to take place October 2026 in New York City

New York, NY (September 9, 2026) – A cohort of twenty rising orchestra professionals has been selected for the League of American Orchestras’ next Orchestra Intensive. The cohort represents artistic administrators, orchestra operations managers, artistic planning specialists, and more from over a dozen U.S. states, Canada, and Brazil. Participants will gather in New York City this October to study with field leaders as part of the League’s Artistic Administration Intensive.

A four-day, deep-dive professional development program, the Artistic Administration Intensiveis the second in a series of Intensives focused on specific roles in orchestra administration. Presented at the League’s New York City offices October 19-22, 2026, the program aims to introduce key skills and critical insights in the field of artistic administration, as well as to cultivate leadership capacity and foster an energetic network of orchestra professionals.

The Artistic Administration Intensive is made possible by a generous grant from The Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation, Inc. 

“As a former artistic administrator myself, I have significant personal investment in this program, and I’m thrilled it is happening this fall!” said League of American Orchestras President and CEO Simon Woods. “Programming choices are some of the most definitional decisions our members make, and an artistic administrator with depth of knowledge, artistic judgment, and creativity is a critical factor for any orchestra’s success. We hope that this program will advance a new generation of talented artistic administrators who can play important roles in moving the orchestra field forward in the coming years.”

Orchestra Intensives are intended to be complementary to the League’s long-standing Essentials of Orchestra Management program, which has created a pathway to future leadership and career success for over 25 years. Demand for similar programs with a more specialized approach drove the League to invest in developing the Orchestra Intensives.  The Orchestra Personnel Management Intensive in April 2026 was the first in the series, followed by the Artistic Administration Intensive; an Operations Intensive is planned for Spring 2027.

Curriculum topics at the Artistic Administration Intensive will include artistic planning systems, processes, tools, and budgeting; relationships with various artistic stakeholders; new concert formats and cross-genre projects; building diverse and inclusive programming; and more. The program also emphasizes networking and leadership development, with time for peer exchange and guided reflection.

This program is taught and directed by a faculty comprised of expert leaders of the orchestra field and beyond, including: 

Faculty Leadership: 

Martha Gilmer, President and CEO, San Diego Symphony
Patrick Castillo, Artistic Planning Consultant, San Diego Symphony

League Leadership: 

Simon Woods, President and CEO 
Caen Thomason-Redus, Vice President, Inclusion and Learning 
David Styers, Director, Learning and Leadership Programs 

The 2026 Artistic Administration Intensivecohort is comprised of professionals working in orchestra artistic management, seeking to strengthen or advance their careers. Participants include:

Dunia Andreu, Manager of Music Education, Jacksonville Symphony
Kaylene Beal, Director of Orchestra Operations, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Katie Brill, Associate Artistic Administrator, Aspen Music Festival and School
Sandy Choi, Executive Director, New Orchestra of Washington, and General Manager, Experiential Orchestra
Emily Dobmeier, Executive Director, Lake Placid Sinfonietta
Indigo Fischer, Vice President of Artistic Planning, Music Academy of the West
Connor Gibbs, Concert Operations Manager, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra
Ava Janes, Artistic Administrator and Concert Operations Manager, Waco Symphony Orchestra
Liz Kane, Director of Artistic Operations, Portland Symphony Orchestra (ME)
Theresa Lansberry, Manager of Artistic Planning and Artist Servicing, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Eun Lee, Manager, Orchestral Programming, Los Angeles Philharmonic
Renata Lima, Artistic Projects Manager, São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra
Liam McBane, Manager, Artistic Operations and Assistant to the Music and Artistic Director, San Diego Symphony
Brittany Moat, Executive Director and General Manager, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra
Meredith Morse, Artistic Administrator, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Amelia Rogocka, Director of Artistic Operations, Greenville Symphony Orchestra
Daphne te Boekhorst, Artistic Planning Assistant, San Francisco Symphony
Mia Thompson, Artist Services Coordinator, Primo Artists
Ana Vashakmadze, Artistic Administrator, National Symphony Orchestra
Veronica White, Artistic Operations Coordinator, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra