Protected: Preparing to Apply for American Rescue Plan Grants from the NEA (July 14, 2021)
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Coda: Sound Embrace
Xian Zhang, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s music director, brings a sky-high energy level and full-body approach to the podium. She leans in almost as if to embrace the musicians, and that’s not accidental. Even during the past year, with people socially distanced due to the pandemic, she has stayed tightly connected with NJSO musicians—and a film crew—to craft imaginative concert films.
Annual Fund: Summer 2021
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.
Catalyzing Change
The League of American Orchestras’ groundbreaking Catalyst Fund is helping dozens of orchestras build understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and implement effective EDI strategies. And it’s making a real-world impact at orchestras and communities across the country.
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.
Restorative Notes
The pandemic ushered in a prolonged period when many musicians could not perform with their orchestras. This time has been psychologically and emotionally fraught not only for musicians, but for orchestra staffers as well, and it has brought heightened attention to the importance of health and wellness. Instrumentalists, composers, orchestras, and therapists are stepping up to help their colleagues by creating programs that provide solace, support, and a space to talk.
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.
Currents: To Stream, or Not to Stream?
Orchestras raced to put music online in the pandemic as a matter of necessity. But the move to streaming only accelerated a trend that was already underway. As we begin to transition to a post-pandemic world, orchestras must weigh the costs and benefits of streaming, audience expectations, and how to balance in-person and virtual presentations.
At the League: How Can We Help?
By Rebecca Winzenried It’s been a year of unprecedented change and adjustment, but the focus at the League of American Orchestras remains constant: finding ways to help American orchestras not just survive, but thrive.
Board Room: How Orchestra Boards Can Advance Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
A new guide from the League of American Orchestras makes the case for the vital importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion at orchestras—from the board perspective. How Orchestra Boards Can Advance Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion discusses the urgency of this work and offers practical advice, contextual information, and strategies for boards and orchestras to become truly representative of the communities they serve.