In the face of global calls for racial justice, orchestras around the world have responded by seeking to understand the breadth and depth of systemic racial inequity. As we continue this journey, we ask ourselves, “What does it mean to move forward as an organization?”
World-renowned musician, composer, and bandleader Wynton Marsalis kicked off the Conference on Monday, June 7 in an interview by League President and CEO Simon Woods.
Mental health and wellness are extremely important yet frequently overlooked and stigmatized. In a 90-minute panel discussion moderated by Stephanie Wagner, a trainer and program specialist at Healthy Minds Innovations (affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison), we will open the dialogue to normalize conversations about mental health for those in the orchestra field and beyond.
Through direct grants, support to state arts agencies, and national leadership initiatives, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is a critical source of federal support for orchestras nationwide. The NEA’s FY19 Grants to Organizations included 100 grants to orchestras and communities they serve.
The U.S. State Department encourages links among cultural organizations and communities around the world by providing grant opportunities for cultural exchange and promoting cultural diplomacy.
Orchestras and individual musicians travel with their instruments to bring the
experience of live music to audiences in every corner of the globe.
Orchestras work at the national, state, and local levels to build support for
music education in schools. The League is a leader in national efforts to
preserve arts education funding and to improve arts education policy through implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act.
The League is a global leader in helping artists – and the organizations that
present them – as they navigate the U.S. visa process and tax withholding
requirements. In a coordinated effort with other national performing arts
organizations, orchestras are working with the White House, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), State Department, Treasury, and Congress to urge ongoing improvements to the visa process and tax procedures.
Orchestras, in close partnership with the broader nonprofit community, seek to protect and improve incentives for charitable giving. As Congress considers follow-up to tax reform, and as policy leaders intensify their focus on potential new regulations for nonprofit governance, administration, and demonstrating community benefit, the League makes the case for orchestras’ public impact.