Laura MacDonald, Principal and Founder of Benefactor Group, explores trends in philanthropy to the arts—focusing on orchestras—and engages a panel of orchestra leaders to discuss the specific impact for members of the League of American Orchestras, and how they may leverage opportunities created by the recent shifts in the philanthropic landscape.
Orchestras large and small can benefit from cost savings, and one model is to partner with sister organizations in the same community. The Pittsburgh Cultural District’s unique program of Shared Services, an innovative operational collaboration, provides the seven major arts organizations in the district with scaled fees depending on budget to purchase healthcare together, to screen Tessitura data for marketing mailings across the district, and to create joint brochures and marketing campaigns.
Learn about the on-the-ground experiences of Catalyst Fund grantees working towards becoming more equitable and inclusive organizations in this Conference 2023 elective session.
Farnam Jahanian, President of Carnegie Mellon University, moderates a panel of local Pittsburgh business and tech leaders about how they got their start, where they are now, what lessons they’ve learned, and where they see their industries evolving into the future.
A panel discussion moderated by Nancy Wrenn of the Women’s Symphony League of Tyler with three orchestras of varying sizes as examples of successful collaboration between orchestras and volunteer leagues.
Susan Nelson unpacks the ways assumptions have been upended by the pandemic, and how we need to think differently as we emerge into new financial realities.
Closing the Conference, Byron Stripling, Principal Pops Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, talks about his devotion to giving back and the power of music.
Deborah Borda received the Gold Baton Award, the League’s highest honor, and was interviewed by author, narrator, and filmmaker Jamie Bernstein about her career in this Conference 2023 general session.
The League of American Orchestras is pleased to honor these member orchestras celebrating noteworthy anniversaries this season.
We kicked off the League’s 78th National Conference in beautiful Heinz Hall with performances by both the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras, as well as a keynote by National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson.