Students watch as the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle fellows perform for them in a Durham classroom. Spectrum News 1/Kyleigh Panetta.
In Monday’s (11/27) Spectrum Local News (Durham, NC), Kyleigh Panetta reports, “Almost 80% of musicians in orchestras across the United States are white, according to 2022 to 2023 data from the League of American Orchestras. The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle is working to increase diversity and inspire the next generation of musicians with its new fellowship program. The fellows get professional experience through the program, and they also visit schools to play for students…. A major goal for the fellowship is geared toward increasing diversity within orchestras. According to the League of American Orchestras, in the 2022 to 2023 season, 79% of musicians were white while approximately 13% were Asian, 5% were Hispanic and 2% were Black…. Not only does the fellowship give musicians … the professional experience they might be seeking, it also connects the Durham community to diverse musicians, allowing kids to see the possibilities of what they can be…. Niccolo Muti, the executive director and principal conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, said other orchestras in the state have fellowship programs. For example, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the Winston-Salem Symphony are launching a fellowship program next fall.”
