How do you plan an orchestra season during a global pandemic, when planning is impossible? By having more than one script. As government agencies revise pandemic projections and health authorities issue new safety guidance, fixed plans are out, and flexible plans that outline multiple scenarios offering ways to move forward are in.
In just two years, the National Alliance for Audition Support, which aims to increase the numbers of Black and Latinx musicians at orchestras, is making an impact.
The good news: more women are getting high-profile jobs conducting orchestras. The bad news: it’s not yet time to retire the phrase “glass ceiling” for once and for all. Will we get there, and if so, when?
With the arrival of the pandemic, the world changed dramatically for orchestras. Theaters and concert halls were closed, concerts and events were cancelled, and orchestras were forced to cut short their seasons.
Jesse Rosen steps down as the League’s president and CEO this September after a distinguished twelve-year tenure. But his links to the League—and to the orchestra field—go back much further.
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.
While lead negotiators may have stepped away from the table, Congress continues to consider the scope and scale of the next massive package of COVID-19 relief. The details really matter, and you can add your voice once again by contacting Congress this week, alongside colleagues in the broader performing arts sector.
Continued Advocacy Needed! Next Federal Relief Package Nears Completion; Quick Federal Policy News; Steep Artist Visa Fee Increases and Policy Changes to Take Effect October 2, 2020; U.S. House Recommends NEA and Arts Education Increases for FY21; Music Education is Essential
The League joined more than fifty national organizations issuing the statement, Arts Education Is Essential (PDF), which succinctly reminds school administrators and the public that — especially in the context of COVID-19 — arts education contributes to the social and emotional well-being of students, encourages student expression, and is essential to a well-rounded education for all students.
Last month, the Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives advanced all twelve of its funding bills for FY21, followed shortly by passage by the full House of a package containing nearly all of them.