June 28, 2021

Seasons of Change

As we tentatively begin to emerge from the pandemic, what will the fall orchestra season look like? One thing is certain: It won’t be business as usual. Orchestras have grappled with the pandemic and sought to confront racial injustice while adopting notably different approaches to the new season. Flexibility is key, given the unpredictable nature of the pandemic.

June 28, 2021

Orchestrating a Better Future

Few activities are as central to orchestras as auditions for musicians. “Blind” auditions, in which musicians perform behind a screen to shield their identity, were instituted in the 1970s to redress the longstanding exclusion of people of color and women from orchestras. While blind auditions were successful in some regards, particularly in increasing the proportion of women musicians at orchestras, the percentage of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) musicians has not risen significantly over time.

April 28, 2021

Native Sounds

Music by composers from Navajo, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and many other tribes is increasingly being performed and commissioned by orchestras as they seek to broaden the range of music they perform. While these artists are working in a classical European tradition, they embrace their cultural heritage and see music as a way to express Indigenous worldviews.

January 28, 2021

Databases of Repertoire by Underrepresented Composers

Center for Black Music Research; Music by Black Composers, a Project of the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation; Composer Diversity Database; Composer’s Equity Project; Latin Orchestral Music

January 14, 2021

Repertoire Search Resources

BMI Repertoire Search; ASCAP Repertoire Search; SESAC Repertoire Search

January 14, 2021

Repertoire and Commissions

December 7, 2020

Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview: Roster of Past Participants

Since 1995, the Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview, a program of the League of American Orchestras, has been the premier showcase for talented conductors in America. To date, 80 conductors have been featured through competitive selection, and more than 50 orchestras have engaged these conductors for various appointments as a direct result of the Preview.

December 7, 2020

Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview

The Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview is a prestigious showcase of talented conductors poised for music directorships and major staff conducting positions of American orchestras. Conducting Master Classes offer opportunities for conductors to work with leading music directors, often at the League’s annual National Conference with the host orchestra.