Category: Help Yourself

The League of American Orchestras’ 2022 National Conference runs from June 1 to 3 in Los Angeles—but even before it begins, a host of Pre-Conference events and activities will engage and enlighten Conference delegates. The League has just announced a presentation and tour of SoFi Stadium, home of the 2022 Super Bowl, on May 31. Experts from the stadium’s marketing, communications, and programming team will share what it was like to open a new stadium, host multiple concerts, and work with the NFL on such a high-profile event. Other Pre-Conference events include a tour of the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center at Inglewood featuring a Q&A with architect Frank Gehry; an in-depth session on conscious leadership with Suzanne Lahl; an innovation and problem-solving lab with Dave Viotti, and a session on the intersection of governance and equity work with Vernetta Walker. Visit https://leagueconference.org/ to learn more.

Register for the League’s 77th Conference now, and be sure to reserve a room at the Westin Bonaventure, the Conference host hotel, by May 9 for a discounted rate—rooms are almost sold out.

The Spring issue of Symphony, the League of American Orchestras’ award-winning magazine, is online now, free of charge. What’s in the new edition? In-depth coverage of the classical music scene in Ukraine, reported even as Russia invaded the country. As orchestras strive to become more welcoming, League President and CEO Simon Woods asks whether the concept of a classical “canon”—frozen in time, etched in stone—should be reconsidered. Symphony examines the real-world actions that orchestras ​are taking toward equity, diversity, and inclusion. And the new issue reports on how new homes for youth orchestras represent not only literal stakes in the ground, but fresh commitments to music education, young musicians, and the future. Print copies of Symphony are on the way, so check out all this and more right now online.

As part of its series of Catalyst Webinars, the League of American Orchestras will present “How Far We’ve Come: What’s Working and What Isn’t” on Tuesday, April 26. The 60-minute webinar will examine what equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) look like at an orchestra that is far along on its EDI journey. Caen Thomason-Redus, Community Catalyst/Senior Director of Community and Learning at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and incoming Vice President, Inclusion and Learning at the League of American Orchestras, will speak with McKensie Mack, Founder and CEO of MMG, about the Detroit Symphony’s EDI journey—what it means to go the distance in this work with a renewed sense of purpose and a vision for what the future may hold. The webinar will include a question-and-answer session with the speakers.

“How Far We’ve Come: What’s Working and What Isn’t” takes place on Tuesday, April 26 at 3:00pm Eastern/Noon Pacific. A recording and transcript will be available after the live event. The League of American Orchestras offers a 50% discount off registrations to staff of NYC arts organizations, thanks to the Howard Gilman Foundation and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Learn more and register here. Questions? Contact League Member Services at member@americanorchestras.org.

Super early-bird pricing for the League of American Orchestras’ 77th National Conference, June 1-3 in Los Angeles, will end next week, so now is the time to sign up and save. Don’t miss sessions with experts and conversations with colleagues on critical topics including artistic planning; revenue generation; audience development; environmental sustainability; equity, diversity, and inclusion; workforce development and retention; and more. Register by Thursday, April 21 to get the best rates for the Conference. Find all of the rates online, and check out the extra savings for groups. Take advantage of discounts at the Westin Bonaventure by reserving your hotel room by May 9.

Looking for financial help to attend the Conference? Boomerang Carnet’s “Play the World” Grants assist general managers, operations managers, and executive directors from League-member orchestras with the registration cost or comparable travel expenses. Apply at Carnets “Play the World” Grants | ATA Carnet, and direct questions to Grant Program Coordinator Moira Wilson at mwilson@atacarnet.com. The Association of California Symphony Orchestras has found two further funding opportunities: from LA County Department of Arts & Culture (applications must be submitted a month before the Conference) and from the Center for Cultural Innovation (applications must be completed by April 15).

After three years of virtual meetings and digital sessions, the orchestra field will reunite in person for the League of American Orchestras’ 2022 National Conference in Los Angeles, June 1-3. Here’s just some of what’s on the slate. The Conference opens with Los Angeles Philharmonic Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel and legendary film composer John Williams discussing how the large-ensemble sound of an orchestra uniquely animates storytelling through film. Conference sessions include “A Celebration of Black Composers,” with a performance by the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles conducted and curated by Charles Dickerson III; “Beyond COVID-19: Immersed in the Future”; “Climate Change: Orchestrating Sustainability”; and a case study, “Toulmin Women Composer Commission and Successful Composer Residencies,” featuring some of today’s most exciting women composers. The Conference wraps up on June 3 with Thomas Wilkins, principal conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and artistic advisor for education and community engagement of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, sharing his unique perspectives on the importance of connecting with audiences, engaging children in orchestral music, and committing to local communities.

The League’s 2022 Conference is hosted by the Los Angeles Philharmonic In partnership with the Association of California Symphony Orchestras.

Visit https://leagueconference.org/ to learn more and register.

The League of American Orchestras has awarded three-year, $75,000 grants to 20 U.S. orchestras to help create more equitable organizational cultures through collaborative, peer-driven learning opportunities. Made possible by a $2.1 million leadership grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the Catalyst Fund Incubator aims to drive change by incorporating models from high-tech incubators, such as creating strong peer communities for brainstorming and strategizing and developing new ideas through mentorships. A key element of the program focuses on building capacity to attract new resources, including funding and partnerships, for the orchestras’ equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) work. The grants will enable orchestras to work directly with professional EDI consultants, who will help orchestras clarify, map, and measure equity, diversity, and inclusion goals, and offer guidance on issues such as avoiding common pitfalls in EDI work; mediating conflict around differences of opinion on approach and strategy; and best practices for including multiple voices and perspectives. Administrative, educational, and artistic staff, board members, and musicians from each orchestra will participate. Learn more and see the complete list of Catalyst Fund Incubator orchestras at https://americanorchestras.org/learn/grant-programs/the-catalyst-fund-incubator/.

After three years of virtual meetings and Zoom chats, the orchestra field will reunite in person for the League of American Orchestras’ 2022 National Conference. The League’s National Conference—the only gathering of its kind for the orchestra field—takes place June 1-3 in Los Angeles and is hosted by the Los Angeles Philharmonic in partnership with the Association of California Symphony Orchestras. With “Forward Together” as its theme, the Conference will examine critical topics such as artistic planning; revenue generation; audience development; environmental sustainability; equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI); workforce development and retention; and more. Together, speakers and delegates from orchestras across the country will re-envision how to move ahead into a sustainable future through effective business practices, healthy and inclusive cultures, and leadership development. Live music plays a prominent role at this year’s Conference, with four different performances in some of LA’s most exciting concert halls and venues.
Register now to take advantage of the lower super-early-bird rates. Learn more and register for the League’s 2022 National Conference.

The WolfBrown firm has released a new set of findings in its latest “COVID-19 Audience Outlook Monitor” study. Surveys deployed by orchestras and performing arts centers captured audience sentiment at the peak of the Omicron surge, including projections for when non-returning audience members expected to return to live events. Find key takeaways from the latest survey on the “COVID-19 Audience Outlook Monitor” website and in “The Omicron Factor,” a 30-minute executive briefing with Alan Brown that includes a set of informative slides for download here.

Beginning on February 22, the League of American Orchestras will present a series of Catalyst Webinars, EDI Lessons from the Field, in which orchestra leaders across the country share their experiences in forging paths for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). In the multi-part Catalyst Webinar series, EDI experts and leaders of orchestras at different points in their EDI journeys will share what they’ve learned. On Tuesday, February 22, 3:00pm Eastern/12:00pm Pacific, “Getting Started on the EDI Journey with the Kennett Symphony” will explore how this Pennsylvania-based orchestra launched its EDI work. Kennett Symphony Executive Director Monica Buffington and McKensie Mack, founder and CEO of MMG, will discuss lessons learned, unexpected obstacles, and what it means to get to the next level through commitment, willingness, and collaboration.

“Getting Started on the EDI Journey with the Kennett Symphony” takes place online on Tuesday, February 22, 3:00pm Eastern/Noon Pacific. A recording will be available after the live event. Learn more and register here. Questions? Contact League Member Services at member@americanorchestras.org.