Category: Help Yourself

How do successful performing arts organizations achieve financial health? How can a struggling organization turn its fortunes around? The Wallace Foundation, in partnership with SMU DataArts, has released a new report, The Alchemy of High-Performing Arts Organizations, that identifies common strategies utilized by twenty arts groups to achieve organizational health. The paper is co-authored by SMU DataArts Director Zannie Voss and Research Director Glenn Voss and is the first of several reports that will expand the Wallace Foundation’s resources for the field. While the report’s findings reflect pre-pandemic conditions, the authors believe that the data it presents could help inform organizations’ future efforts and serve as a productive starting point. Learn more and read the full report here.

On July 29, the League of American Orchestras presented In It for the Long Haul: From Reimagining to Financial Sustainability, a webinar based on the new report. In the webinar, Jill Robinson, CEO of TRG Arts, and Zannie Voss, Director of SMU DataArts, share specific steps that orchestras can take to emerge from the current crisis and orient toward sustained action and resiliency. League members can watch the webinar free of change on demand; non-members can watch for $35. Register to watch the webinar here.

Eighteen orchestras and youth orchestras have received grants of $30,000 each to spark a culture of innovation and learning in U.S. orchestras. Created by the League of American Orchestras to support forward-thinking and experimental projects, the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund grants, made possible by the generous support of the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, focus on artistic vibrancy, civic engagement, and organizational vitality. Reflecting new ways of thinking and flexibility during this time of tremendous challenge and uncertainty, the programs’ areas of focus vary greatly. Projects include a commissioning program for composers of color in Maryland aiming to diversify the pool of composers who write for youth orchestras; a travelling music float in Kentucky permitting residents to social-distance while enjoying music; an alternative medical program in Georgia utilizing mindfulness-based music therapy; and an after-school music and social program for students in El Paso, near the Texas-Mexico border. This is the fourth round of the League’s $6 million Futures Fund program; smaller-budget U.S.-based orchestras and youth orchestras that are members of the League were eligible to apply in this round. Learn more at https://americanorchestrass.org/learning-leadership-development/American-orchestras-futures-fund.html.

On Wednesday, July 29, the League of American Orchestras will present In It for the Long Haul: From Reimagining to Financial Sustainability, a webinar on specific steps that orchestras can take to emerge from the pandemic crisis and move toward sustained action and resiliency. Free for League members ($35 for non-members), the 90-minute webinar will be led by Jill Robinson, CEO of TRG Arts, and Zannie Voss, director of SMU DataArts. They will discuss three propositions that any organization can develop and implement in the short term, and they will examine the strategic steps that high-performing and turnaround organizations follow to get from strategic vision to long-term sustainability. Executive directors, youth orchestra directors, trustees, marketing and audience development staff, and anyone seeking to learn more about sustainability planning in the midst of the pandemic should attend. The webinar takes place on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern/10:00 a.m. Pacific, and a recording will be available afterward. Click here to learn more or contact David Styers at the League: dstyers@americanorchestras.org.

This webinar is made possible by a generous grant from The Wallace Foundation. Additional support is provided by American Express, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City.

The Association of California Symphony Orchestra’s (ACSO) 2020 Annual Conference will take place online. Running from August 3 to 14, the conference will include keynote addresses, sessions, peer forums, networking events, and more. Sessions will focus on the issues facing California’s orchestras, ranging from diversity, equity, and inclusion to navigating operational and financial changes due to COVID-19. ACSO has made registration for its online conference available on a “pay what you can” basis for members and non-members. While ACSO serves classical-music organizations, the conference is open to all nonprofit professionals, as the speakers and sessions will explore widespread nonprofit management topics. Orchestra professionals and musicians outside of California are also welcome to attend, as the conference will focus on issues of interest to the national field. Among the sessions are “Five Provocations: Thinking about Orchestras and Race in 2020,” a panel discussion examining the relationship between race and American orchestras; “The Brave New World of Performance Streaming”; and “Fundraising in Times of Crisis.” ACSO’s members comprise professional, academic, youth, and community-based orchestras, choruses, and festivals in California and the Western United States. Learn more at www.acso.org/conference, or contact ACSO at (800) 495-2276 or office@acso.org.

The ​new edition of Symphony, the League of American Orchestras’ ​magazine, tackles today’s most pressing issues: the orchestra field’s response to racial injustice, how orchestras are coping with the global pandemic, the growing visibility of women conductors, and more. We examine orchestras’ historic and ongoing lack of ethnic and racial diversity; provide expert advice on how to improve fundraising at a time when ticket and subscription revenue is drying up; and report on the impact of the National Alliance for Audition Support, which is helping Black and Latinx musicians take—and win—auditions at U.S. orchestras. Leaders of orchestras nationwide reveal how they are planning seasons during the pandemic, when planning is impossible. And ​we contextualize the present day with a look back at the influenza pandemic of a century ​ago and its impact on orchestras. Plus: as he prepares to step down in September, League President and CEO Jesse Rosen reflects on the past, present, and future of orchestras.

Read the latest issue of Symphony for free online.

From 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, NYC classical radio station WQXR will broadcast and stream its second annual Pride show with a virtual video concert from the homes of multiple classical-music artists. Performers will include bass-baritone Davóne Tines, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, pianist Sara Davis Buechner, cellist Hannah Collins, violinist Clara Lyon, vocalist/violinist/composer Mazz Swift, pianist Henry Kramer, singer and pianist John Holiday, and pianist David Fung. The event will be hosted by New York Public Radio’s Tobin Low.

On June 19, WQXR will honor Juneteenth with a 24-hour music marathon celebrating Black classical artistry. Juneteenth—also known as Freedom Day—is a nationwide holiday commemorating the effective end of slavery in the U.S. A live discussion and call-in program hosted by Terrance McKnight, from 7 to 9 p.m. on June 19, will examine the ways in which classical music has historically excluded the Black aesthetic. The music marathon will feature over 150 pieces by more than 50 Black composers and performances by more than 60 Black musicians, ranging from historical figures to contemporary artists. During the live discussion and call-in program, “The Black Experience in the Concert Hall,” on the evening of June 19, McKnight will speak with leaders in the classical-music field including Martina Arroyo, soprano and founder of the Martina Arroyo Foundation; Wynton Marsalis, trumpeter and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center; Khalil Gibran Muhammad, professor of History, Race, and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and author of The Condemnation of Blackness; and Jesse Rosen, President and CEO of the League of American Orchestras.

The League of American Orchestras will present its highest honor, the Gold Baton, to the American Composers Forum (ACF) and New Music USA at the closing session of the League’s 2020 Conference on June 12. ACF President and CEO Vanessa Rose and New Music USA President and CEO Vanessa Reed will accept the awards on behalf of their respective organizations during the League’s online Conference Finale on Friday, June 12, 1:00-2:30 pm EDT. League President and CEO Jesse Rosen said, “The unparalleled work of both the American Composers Forum—fostering music creators, performers, advocates, and new music listeners—and New Music USA— fostering connections and offering resources to the creation, performance, and appreciation of new music—has contributed deeply to this unprecedented age of creativity and transformative orchestral experiences. Indispensable to composers and orchestras alike, the American Composers Forum and New Music USA are valued, longtime partners of the League.” Given annually since 1948 for distinguished service to America’s orchestras, the Gold Baton recognizes individuals and institutions that champion and advance the cause of orchestras and symphonic music throughout the country. Click here to read the press release announcing the awards. Register to watch the June 12 Conference Finale at https://leagueconference.org/general-sessions. A video recording of the session will be posted for viewing after June 12.

The League of American Orchestras has awarded grants to 28 U.S. orchestras to help deepen understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), improve practice, and strengthen organizational culture. Ranging from $12,000 to $25,000 each, the one-year grants comprise the second round of The Catalyst Fund, the League’s three-year, $2.1 million grant-making program made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation with additional support from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation.

“Recent events have underscored the deep racial disparities existing in our country, already amplified by the pandemic’s unequal impact on communities of color,” said Jesse Rosen, President and CEO of the League of American Orchestras. “The work orchestras are undertaking with support from the League’s Catalyst Fund highlights the urgency of addressing EDI as orchestras attempt to confront decades of inequity within our field. We must understand and address our personal and organizational roles in systems of inequity.”

For more about The Catalyst Fund, including this year’s recipients, visit https://americanorchestras.org/learning-leadership-development/the-catalyst-fund.html. Find information about the League’s other EDI work at the League’s EDI Resource Center.

From the time that COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) first impacted the performing arts, The Hub has been tracking postponements and cancellations by U.S. and international orchestras, performing arts centers, and conservatories.

The League of American Orchestras is posting resources and information about coping with the pandemic as a service to the orchestra field. These resources include information about the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security package; discussion groups and one-on-one consultations for League members; guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and other authorities; and more. Find regularly updated resources and information on the League’s coronavirus preparedness site.

The following orchestras and music organizations have recently announced postponements, cancellations, and other shifts in concerts and related activities due to the global pandemic. Many orchestras, musicians, conservatories, and others are posting videos, recordings, and educational resources online free of charge; visit the League of American Orchestras’ new, regularly updated directory of digital programming at SymphonySpot.org. Note: orchestras and music festivals are revising their plans as the situation evolves; refer to individual websites and social media pages for the most up-to-date information. (This list is not complete, and we will continue to post announcements as they arrive.)

The Adrian Symphony Orchestra (Michigan) has postponed its June 5 concert to a later date, due to the expansion of statewide stay-at-home orders. A new date will be announced. The orchestra is posting videos, stories, and other resources online.

The Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival (New York) has postponed its 2020 concerts to the summer of next year. The festival normally presents a dozen concerts for five weeks from late July to August in Bridgehampton and other East Long Island locations. Bridgehampton Chamber Music’s summer 2020 online activities will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Cincinnati Pops (Ohio) has cancelled its July 4 concert at Riverbend Music Center due to the coronavirus pandemic. In its place, the Pops will present a free livestream of musical performances, with details to be announced at a later date.

The Cliburn (Fort Worth, Texas), which produces the Cliburn Piano Competition and other programs, has delayed the start of its concert series from October 2020 to January 2021; the season will be shorter than usual. The concert series features recitals by classical musicians at Bass Performance Hall and other Fort Worth venues. The organization is exploring options for a few small live concerts this fall at alternative venues, utilizing social distancing. The summer seasons of the online Cliburn at Home, Cliburn Watch Party, and Cliburn Kids series will begin on June 15, with details to be announced. The Cliburn at Home initiative launched on March 30.

The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra (Minnesota) cancelled its April 18 and May 2 concerts. The orchestra had previously hoped to reschedule concerts and events that were suspended this spring. The organization is posting past concerts for free viewing online, with more content being added every week.