League Forward: December 2024

Dear Friends,

In the season of gratitude and the holidays, it is my great pleasure to be able to write to all our donors and provide you with a short update from the League. We are approaching the end of another incredibly busy year, and I am constantly reminded that none of our work for orchestras and music would be possible without your generosity. So thank you!

At a time when political division may be uppermost in many people’s minds, we are comforted that orchestras and their music continue to bring people together across this country. The League has a long history of nonpartisan work in Washington, DC advocating for orchestras, and we are looking forward to continuing this collaboration with current and newly-elected officials on both sides of the aisle. As we do so, we will continue to hold close to our deeply held values about the power of music and artistry, the importance—and the joy—of inclusion, and how orchestras can support and enhance their communities. And above all, we continue to support the people of the orchestral field across all 50 states.

One of the great pleasures of my position as President and CEO of the League is being present in as many of those states as possible, visiting our members and learning about their organizations. Being able to interact with executive directors, music directors, board members, staff, musicians, and donors is a source of rich inspiration and wonder—inspiration for the sense of commitment and pride that is visible in every single orchestra I visit, and wonder for the sheer breadth and quality of orchestral music in communities across the country. This year, I visited orchestras in Detroit, Sarasota, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Nashville, San Francisco, Houston, Tyler (TX), Chicago, Cincinnati, Madison, Little Rock, Washington DC, San Diego, Providence, and Louisville. Everywhere I have been, there has been a warm welcome, great music, and stimulating conversation. It’s gratifying to hear how valued the League is to orchestras as a presence behind the scenes, helping them with resources, convenings, and information to do their best work.

Here are a few recent updates at the League that you might be interested in:

We are thrilled and grateful to report a very significant gift from the Sakana Foundation to support our new Inclusive Stages program. Aimed at increasing musician racial diversity at American orchestras, Inclusive Stages is tackling the onstage underrepresentation that has been holding back our orchestras and communities for generations. The continuation of the program brings exciting updates, including the expansion of the Inclusive Stages coalition to welcome youth orchestras, educational institutions, and pathway programs; helping orchestras establish best practices and processes for recruitment; and providing data-driven insights to help fuel change.

Last month, we announced our 2024-25 Student Leadership Council. We are excited to have six high school, college, and graduate students—Anthony Cangemi, Jacob Eddy, Lorin Green, Laiyina Shate, William Tan, and Lauren Zwonik—bring their voices to the League’s strategic thinking, develop content for the student constituency, and help create pathways for a new generation of professionals. Additionally, two Utah-based students are serving as Conference Advisors for the Council as we look forward to Conference in Salt Lake City in June 2025.

On November 12, Rei Hotoda, Music Director of the Fresno Philharmonic, shared the inspiring creativity taking place in Fresno and how the orchestra embraces its community in an exclusive donor event, “Leading from the Podium: A New Vision of Artistic Leadership.”

We are also deep into planning for our June 2025 National Conference in Salt Lake City. We are immensely grateful to the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera team for already bringing so many exciting ideas to the planning process, and we know that our delegates will love being in one of America’s most stunning urban settings. This is one Conference you will not want to miss! The member pre-sale for Conference is now underway and runs through January 9.

But for now, I wish you a happy holiday season, and I send you sincerest thanks for your contribution to our vital mission to support this precious and uplifting art form, and the people and institutions that bring us so much joy throughout the year.

As ever,

Simon Woods
President and CEO
League of American Orchestras