League’s 76th National Conference, Embracing a Changed World, Will Explore the Promise of a Post-Pandemic Future
Online Conference, June 7 – 17, Will Spotlight New Voices in Reflecting on Opportunities Ahead
Conference 2018 Luncheon: Questions from Jenny Koh
The adventurous and dazzling violinist Jennifer Koh performed and gave remarks at the 2018 Conference Luncheon.
Coda: Vital Signs
Many doctors and healthcare workers perform with vocational orchestras, but during the pandemic these caregivers found themselves at the center of a global health crisis— without a musical outlet to forge connections and relieve grief. Here, John Masko, co-founder and music director of the National Virtual Medical Orchestra, explains how an ensemble of healthcare professionals from around the country rehearses and performs together—at a distance.
Annual Fund: Spring 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.
Page Views
Digital technology has come to pervade all walks of life, from academia to banking, and COVID-19 has only stepped up the pace. But sheet music—the familiar paper score—has remained virtually unchanged for centuries. Are orchestras ready to make the jump to e-scores?
Lockdown Learning
Though in-person instruction has been mostly shut down since the pandemic began in 2020, youth orchestras have been finding myriad ways to rehearse and perform, socially distanced. And some of the changes will likely be lasting, informing music education in the future.
Summer Festivals 2021
A classical guide to what’s on this summer – In person and virtually.
Festival Overtures
Last summer, most music festivals were on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, but this year many festivals are gearing up to return—for a very different kind of summer season. As classical music fans head to outdoor stages or log in to soak up the sounds of orchestral music, what can they expect to see and hear?
Native Sounds
Music by composers from Navajo, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and many other tribes is increasingly being performed and commissioned by orchestras as they seek to broaden the range of music they perform. While these artists are working in a classical European tradition, they embrace their cultural heritage and see music as a way to express Indigenous worldviews.
Rethinking Blind Auditions
Blind auditions, in which musicians perform behind a screen to shield their identity, were instituted to redress the longstanding exclusion of people of color and women from orchestras. Blind auditions were successful in some regards, but the percentage of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color musicians has not risen significantly over the years. Is it time to rethink blind auditions?