The inaugural Orchestra Engagement Lab, organized by conductor Paul Gambill and arts consultant Eric Booth, will convene this August 5-11 in Burlington, Vermont. At the Lab, representatives from a still-forming group of commissioning orchestras will join composer Kenji Bunch, electric violinist Tracy Silverman, and teaching artists to discuss the creation of a new hybrid work. During the week they will also discuss community engagement ideas around the new work. Later in the season, the commissioned work and an accompanying community engagement project will be presented in Vermont, and the Vermont engagement project will be evaluated. There are several slots available for orchestras to join the Lab’s commissioning consortium, with participation fees for the week ranging from $3,000-$5,000 per orchestra, depending on budget size. “We never get the chance to bring a composer, a renowned soloist, expert teaching artists, and program leaders together with enough time to do our best work,” says Booth. “The Orchestra Engagement Lab’s working atmosphere will be the creative playground that we and our field need and deserve.” For more information or to participate in the Lab, visit http://www.oelvt.org/.
Posted April 9, 2012
