News and updates from orchestras everywhere. In this issue: the League of American Orchestras issues statement of solidarity with Black Lives Matter; orchestras and musicians respond to racial injustice; how the classical-music field is coping with the pandemic; League’s Catalyst Fund advances equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The orchestra field needed information and resources from the League more than ever, so canceling the 75th National Conference amid the pandemic was not an option. So, an online Conference event stretching six weeks, with near-daily sessions starting the first week of May, was born.
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Suddenly, one of the most beautiful things that humans do—gather together to make music—has become one of the most dangerous. As COVID-19 metastasized across the planet, orchestras, conservatories, and concert halls postponed and then cancelled entire swaths of their seasons out of safety concerns. – Bob Sandla
At times of crisis, one of the first things people turn to is orchestral music. Beyond the sheer beauty that offers solace or the knotty dissonance that echoes personal anguish, orchestral music offers a sense of continuity and collective effort. There’s the knowledge that a group of artists came together to play this music and that a composer—in the distant past or right here, right now—understands your pain. As has been said before by smarter minds, “where words fail, music speaks.” – Bob Sandla
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by Brian Wise At a time of climate change, the environment and sustainability practices are growing concerns for the classical music field. How are American orchestras addressing their environmental impact, and what kinds of sustainability efforts go beyond the call of duty?
As 2020 begins, we look at back what some important voices from inside and outside the orchestra field have had to say on Symphony’s Coda page.
With the support of our valued donors, the League continues to have a positive impact on the future of orchestras in America by helping to
develop the next generation of leaders, generating and disseminating critical knowledge and information, and advocating for the unique role of
the orchestral experience in American life before an ever-widening group of stakeholders.
The conductors, composers, ensembles, and soloists on the rise, in an indispensable guide.