Spotlight: Sarah Generes

March 2026

We are delighted to introduce Sarah Generes, the League’s new Vice President of Development. With a deep commitment to the transformative power of orchestras and a proven track record in building vibrant philanthropic communities, Sarah is already making an impact at the League. We’re excited for our members and donors to get to know her, and we look forward to the vision and energy she brings to the League’s philanthropic community.

Can you share your background and what drew you to a career in development and philanthropy in the arts?

I began singing in church choir when I was six, started piano lessons when I was 10, and was a die-hard musical theatre nerd in high school. I was the student representative on a community theater board when I was in high school, and I was fascinated by how the organization actually worked to make things on stage possible. 

In college I double majored in voice and English, but I knew a performance career wasn’t what I wanted. After joining the student committee that booked the performing arts series at Vanderbilt, I never gave anything other than arts administration a consideration.

I want everyone to have the opportunity to experience those magical moments that come from the shared experience of live music.

What inspired you to join the League of American Orchestras?

I’ve been aware of the League since my first job out of college, working on artist visa applications!

Coming most recently from higher education/music school fundraising, I realized that a national organization focused specifically on supporting the field of orchestral music is incredibly important to the success and future of orchestral music as an art form in this country. I’m excited to be part of supporting colleagues and board members in our member orchestras and helping audiences for generations to come experience the power of orchestral music.

How do you see philanthropy shaping the future of orchestras nationwide?

Philanthropy is not just part of the financial foundation for orchestras; philanthropy is helping orchestras evolve their identities and priorities.  Philanthropy helps orchestras define their value within their communities and supports them as they grow and adapt to serve those communities.  Donors today are more engaged and feel a deeper sense of ownership with their giving, subsequently, they want the organizations in which they invest to be active participants in their cities, towns and neighborhoods.

What excites you most about working with the League’s community of donors?

Donors to the League recognize the value of supporting the orchestras in their communities, and they appreciate that no single orchestra can provide the breadth of advocacy, professional development, and support that the League offers. Our donors understand that supporting orchestras on both the micro/local and macro/national level is essential to supporting the art form as a whole.

Do you have a favorite orchestral work or a formative musical experience that has stayed with you?

The first performance that hit me on a visceral level and confirmed that I was doing the right thing in pursuing arts administration was the final performance of Boito’s Mefistofele at Lyric Opera of Chicago in the 98-99 season. It was my first full-time job after graduating college, and I was standing stage right at the end of the opera, the massive chorus was onstage singing, Samuel Ramey was Mefistofele, and the orchestra sounded amazing. They created this avalanche of sound that I felt deep in my core, and I thought “This is my JOB!  I get to help make this happen!”

Another memorable performance was at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in December of 2023 when Sir Andrew Davis conducted his own orchestration of Handel’s Messiah. I had worked for Sir Andrew for more than 15 years earlier in my career, and he conducted his arrangement with orchestras around the world while we worked together. Seeing him conduct that piece with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus was really special, and I cried for probably the last 10 minutes because I was happy and nostalgic and just emotionally overcome by the music. Those performances turned out to be Sir Andrew’s final performances before he passed in April 2024. I look back now and realize how perfect it was that he got to conduct his piece with that amazing orchestra that he loved so much in his adopted hometown.

I’m always waiting for those moments when the music just overwhelms you and hits you on more levels than you thought possible. The idea that humans can collectively create those experiences for one another is staggering to me, and it’s really what I love most about what we do.