November 3, 2021

Safety First

Orchestras are adopting new health protocols to keep everyone safe for the return of in-person concerts this fall. The emergence of the Delta variant and shifting COVID-19 infection rates mean that proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test, plus masking and social distancing, are being implemented for audiences, musicians, and staff alike. Actions vary from orchestra to orchestra, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. How is everyone coping?

June 24, 2021

Critical Provocations

Artist/scholar Dr. Tanya Kalmanovitch, who led a panel discussion on artistic engagement with climate change, shares her opening provocation from the webinar and discusses her Tar Sands Songbook project.

April 21, 2021

Climate Emergency: Artistic Responses and a Call to Engagement

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges confronting modern society. How are artists and orchestras responding? How can we “connect the dots” between classical music and the impacts of climate change?

February 17, 2021

2020-21: The Resiliency Season

The orchestra field spent the summer of 2020 listening, learning, negotiating, testing, analyzing, soul searching, and innovating. The goal: laying a foundation for a viable future and creating a structure for, if possible, a 2020-21 season.

February 2, 2021

Navigating Uncertain Times

Witnessing the dramatic changes seen through 2020 – brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the national conversation on racial justice, among other factors – The Wallace Foundation commissioned AEA Consulting to create a scenario planning toolkit, seeking a way to help arts and culture organizations deal with the likelihood of a “new normal” featuring few certainties.

January 27, 2021

The Score: Winter 2021

News and updates from orchestras everywhere. In this issue: League helps secure federal COVID-19 relief package that includes support and resources for orchestras; concert halls and performing arts centers serve as polling places and orchestra musicians play as voters cast their ballots; orchestras perform in parks, drive-ins, and an airport hangar; advancing the careers of women in classical music.

January 27, 2021

Sounds from a Distance

Thrilling sound is one of the defining characteristics of orchestra concerts. But the pandemic has reordered priorities: outdoor performances and safety protocols like masks and distancing require new approaches to acoustics.

January 27, 2021

Studying Safer Concerts

Orchestras and scientists are joining forces to study the spread of the coronavirus so they can bring back live music— safely. These collaborations are part of the innovative approaches orchestras are taking on multiple fronts during the pandemic.

January 14, 2021

Operations