Tag: Artistic Planning

South Bend Symphony Opens Masterworks Season with Music and “Photochoreography”

Posted on October 31, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (10/30) South Bend Tribune (Indiana), Abreanna Blose writes, “Under the direction of Music Director Alastair Willis, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra opens its Masterworks Series with a unique blend of music and visuals. The concert, titled ‘Viva la Música & Berlioz Fantastique,’ will take place at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1, 2025, at the Morris Performing Arts Center … The first half of the evening will feature Westwater Arts’ ‘Symphonic Photochoreography,’ which will present panoramic visuals alongside three iconic works: Revueltas’ ‘La Noche de los Mayas,’ Copland’s ‘El Salón México’ and Moncayo’s ‘Huapango.’ These pieces will be brought to life on screen and on stage, offering an immersive experience that bridges music and imagery. Photographer and multimedia artist Nicholas Bardonnay, who traveled through 18 states in Mexico to capture the visuals, expressed his excitement about sharing the experience with the South Bend community…. Bardonnay said … ‘The natural and cultural beauty of Mexico, its friendly folks and its vibrant festivals will forever stay with me. I am so excited to share the resulting performance pieces—and this experience—with South Bend’s community….’ Following intermission, the symphony will perform Berlioz’s ‘Symphonie Fantastique.’ ”

Remembering: Polly Kahn

Posted on October 24, 2025 by - News Briefs

On October 14, Polly Kahn, a dynamic and influential figure in the orchestra field, passed away after a brief illness. She was 77 years old.

Polly Kahn was the Vice President for Learning and Leadership Development at the League of American Orchestras for 14 years, stepping down in 2014. Her impact and contributions to orchestras were widespread, prescient, and enduring. She was a tireless champion of orchestras and the music they play, with an ardent commitment to developing the next generation of musicians; connecting with communities in authentic, ongoing ways; encouraging the creation and performance of new music, and welcoming more diverse musicians, composers, staff and board members, and audiences to orchestras.

The League of American Orchestras sends its profound condolences to her daughter Sara Newland, son-in-law Devin, and grandchildren Milo and Hazel.

At the League, Kahn oversaw artistic, learning, and leadership development programs and services. Her portfolio included the Orchestra Leadership Academy, Orchestra Management Fellowship, Executive Leadership, and Emerging Leaders Programs, the League’s annual National Conference, Getty and Bank of America Education and Community Investment Grants, Governance Grants, Bruno Walter National Conductor Previews, Music Alive new music program, constituent services, and programs for orchestra executives, board members, and conductors, as well as online learning and self-assessment tools for orchestras. She was also the primary liaison for education directors of the League’s member orchestras.

All that reads like an enormous job description—and it was—but Kahn embraced every aspect of her multifaceted work with enthusiasm, drive, discipline (Kahn was a meticulous organizer of detail), and a we’re-all-in-this-together spirit. The people who participated in the League’s professional development and other programs during Kahn’s tenure number in the hundreds; many have forged outstanding careers at orchestras, performing arts centers, and ensembles nationwide. Everyone who attended a League Conference soon realized that she knew virtually everyone in the orchestra field.

Prior to the League, Kahn was Director of Education for the New York Philharmonic, the Tisch Center for the Arts at the 92nd Street Y, assistant director of the Lincoln Center Institute, and founding administrator of the Avery Fisher Artist Program. After stepping down from the League, she founded PK Art Solutions/PK Orchestra Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, organizational assessment and program design, and executive coaching. The firm quickly drew clients including Lincoln Center Education, Carnegie Hall, the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Philadelphia Orchestra, along with orchestras and conservatories nationwide. She was also a self-described “passionate avocational cellist, playing chamber music primarily.”

Simon Woods, President and CEO of the League of American Orchestras, states:

“All of us who knew Polly—at the League and beyond—are devastated by her loss. I first met Polly back in 2001, when she hired me to teach one of the League’s artistic administration programs. She not only believed in me as a teacher, but she gave me thoughtful and graceful feedback to help me succeed. I later learned that this was typical. Polly cared deeply for the people who work in orchestras, and she invested tirelessly in nurturing the leaders of the future who could continue to help our field thrive. She set the tone for the League’s leadership development programs that continues to this day, and was a loyal friend to so many within our organization and beyond. We will miss her.”

When she stepped down from the League of American Orchestras in 2014, Symphony magazine published her “Making a Difference” article. The article was a wide-ranging overview of her perspectives, insights, suggestions—never prescriptions—for the orchestra field, with a vision of orchestras as richly diverse and inclusive, deeply connected to their communities, and playing at the highest level of artistry. The article shows a rare foresight: many of the philosophies and strategies that Kahn outlined a decade ago were unusual or even provocative at the time, but are now widely practiced. Kahn’s keen mind, always with the best interests of orchestras at heart, will be missed by the entire field.

Vermont Symphony Performs Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Alongside Chelsea Komschlies’s New “Mycelialore”

Posted on October 24, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (10/23) Rutland Reader (Vermont), Jim Lowe writes, “On Oct. 25, Andrew Crust will conduct his first Beethoven symphony since becoming the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s fifth music director in 2023. The Sixth, called the ‘Pastoral Symphony,’ is one of the greatest and most popular works in the symphonic repertoire. And yet, Crust’s program, appropriately titled ‘Pastoral,’ was inspired by mushrooms—in particular Chelsea Komschlies’s new work ‘Mycelialore.’ ‘This whole concert is structured around the idea of forests because Chelsea’s piece is all about mycelium and mushrooms,’ Crust says…. In addition … Crust will conduct ‘Wood Notes’ by William Grant Still…. In 2023, Komschlies was one of six female and non-binary composers selected to join the League of American Orchestras’ Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program. The program brings together a national consortium of 30 orchestras to partner with the composers with six lead orchestras, each premiering a work by one of the chosen composers. The consortium ensures the new works will receive multiple performances throughout the country. Komschlies’ piece ‘Mycelialore’ was premiered by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in February … As part of VSO’s ongoing partnership with the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association (VYOA), two of its young violinists will perform alongside the VSO for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6.”

Aspen Music Festival and School President and CEO Alan Fletcher to Step Down After Two Decades

Posted on October 23, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (10/21) Aspen Public Radio, Halle Zander reports, “Alan Fletcher, the longtime President and CEO of the Aspen Music Festival and School, is stepping down from his leadership role at the end of 2026. The festival’s board of trustees will honor Fletcher as the organization’s first-ever President Emeritus in 2027 … Fletcher initially took the job in 2006 and later secured the largest gift in the institution’s history to build the Matthew and Carolyn Bucksbaum Campus … Fletcher said establishing the Bucksbaum campus was one of his biggest accomplishments as leader of the festival. ‘It depended on the generosity of a great many people, … but so much of the accomplishment of the campus was on staff, on other board members who made crucial contracts, contributions of time and expertise, as well as money, and Harry Teague, who designed it,’ he said. Fletcher also spearheaded several new initiatives in recent years … In 2020, Fletcher oversaw the organization’s Culture, Excellence and Access initiative, examining the nonprofit’s internal policies and goals. One of their first goals was to diversify their performers and teachers to make Aspen’s classical music scene more inclusive…. Fletcher did not characterize his departure from the Aspen Music Festival and School as a retirement.”

National Symphony Orchestra Now Opens All Concerts with the National Anthem

Posted on October 23, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (10/23) New York Times, Adam Nagourney writes, “The National Symphony Orchestra has begun to open all its performances with the national anthem, the latest indication of how President Trump is putting his imprint on the Kennedy Center, the orchestra’s home. The new policy was put in place at the direction of Richard Grenell, the former ambassador to Germany, whom Trump appointed as the center’s president after installing himself as its chairman. The president purged 18 members from the center’s formerly bipartisan board who had been appointed by former President Joseph R. Biden Jr…. Like many other American orchestras and opera companies, the symphony used to play ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ only at the opening of its seasons. It did so again this year when it kicked off its 95th season on Sept. 27 … ‘People were really moved by the season-opening performance of the anthem, so we thought, why not play it at every performance?’ said Jean Davidson, the orchestra’s executive director. ‘We are the orchestra in the nation’s capital. And we are about to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation.’ … Across the nation, there is a patchwork of policies on whether and when to play the anthem at classical music performances.”

Israel Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall: When Geopolitics Impinge on Musicmaking

Posted on October 21, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Monday’s (10/20) New York Times, Joshua Barone writes, “If you buy a ticket to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, you are signing up for more than just music. You should expect to be greeted by anti-Israel demonstrations, and to plan for heightened security: inspections of coats and bags outside, and agents flanking the stage inside…. When the Israel Philharmonic returned to Carnegie last Wednesday through Saturday, though, the atmosphere was more tense than usual, with extra precautions in place. The first concert came several days after Israel and Hamas began a cease-fire in Gaza; the final one, on the eve of renewed violence that made clear how tenuous the truce remains. In interviews, Lahav Shani, the Israel Philharmonic’s music director, has sought to separate the orchestra from the state of Israel. He told The New York Times that the Philharmonic ‘doesn’t represent any faction or party in the government,’ and said: ‘But as an orchestra, as an organization, we’re speaking in one voice, and this is the voice of music.’ That may be an ideal, but the reality is more complicated. The orchestra … is described in its official biography as ‘Israel’s premier cultural ambassador.’ ”

Johns Creek Symphony Visits Vietnam

Posted on October 20, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (10/15) Viet Nam News (Hanoi, Vietnam), an unsigned article states, “A concert entitled ‘Kết Nối Giai Điệu Việt – Mỹ’ (Connecting Vietnamese-American Melodies) will bring a vibrant cultural exchange and inspire young people to connect with music on October 16 in Hà Nội. … The program will … create a colorful musical space where classical international sounds merge with the distinctive Vietnamese soul. Notably, 71 musicians from the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra of Atlanta, Georgia, will present a meaningful and unique artistic program featuring masterpieces such as Overture to ‘Candide,’ ‘The Blue Danube,’ ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ and Fanfare for the Common Man, alongside classic film soundtracks … The orchestra will also perform Vietnamese works such as ‘Pizzicato Việt Nam’ and ‘Hướng Về Hà Nội’ (Towards Hà Nội). … American pianist Maxim Lando … will join the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra to deliver classical pieces in a musical space infused with the spirit of international exchange. Under the baton of … Austin Chanu … Vietnamese divo Tùng Dương and clarinetist Trần Khánh Quang will perform alongside Dương Đức Hải, winner of the Child Singer Contest and National Green Ambassador 2025, and ‘The Voice’ season 26 participant Mikaela Ayira…. The concert is held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam–US diplomatic relations.”

Lima Symphony Opens Season with a New Look at the Grand Canyon and Chelsea Komschlies’s “Mycelialore”

Posted on October 9, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (9/7) LimaOhio.com, Jacob Espinosa writes, “Another season is set to start for the Lima Symphony Orchestra and it will be yet another evening of new ideas. ‘Symphonic Landscapes’ will feature two guest artists for a multimedia show blending the orchestra with images of the Grand Canyon and the world of mushrooms … on Saturday, Oct. 11 … LSO Executive Director Elizabeth Brown-Ellis said, ‘Stephen Lias, who is also a composer, has created a visual projection that will accompany Ferde Grofé’s “Grand Canyon Suite,” which is going to be a really spectacular display to bring the music to life. Stephen is the artist-in-residence for many national parks….’ The show will also feature a commissioned piece by composer Chelsea Komschlies called ‘Mycelialore,’ which will pair the world of fungi with the fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien.” Mycelialore was commissioned by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program, an initiative of the League of American Orchestras in partnership with the American Composers Orchestra. “ ‘It’s such an honor and it’s really exciting for us to be able to bring these works of young, living composers to life,’ Brown-Ellis said. ‘It’s also so exciting for us to be part of a commission.’ ”

Violinist and Artistic Director Cho-Liang Lin on What Film Music Brings to Orchestra Concert Halls

Posted on October 7, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Friday’s (10/3) ContactMusic.com, an unsigned article states, “When Cho-Liang Lin performed Tan Dun’s Hero Violin Concerto in Qingdao, China, with film projections of Jet Li and Donnie Yen battling behind him, he demonstrated a philosophy that has guided his programming for decades: film music belongs in concert halls alongside Brahms and Beethoven, not relegated to separate ‘pops’ concerts. Film composers create orchestral masterworks that deserve serious consideration … These composers write for identical orchestras using identical instrumentation and harmonic language as concert repertoire. During his 18-year tenure as Music Director of La Jolla SummerFest, Lin commissioned and premiered 54 new works, integrating film composers like Lalo Schifrin alongside Mozart and Schubert instead of segregating them into separate concerts…. Lin places film-derived works within mixed programs instead of dedicating entire concerts to film music…. Pops performances, heavily featuring film music, generate 15-20% of orchestral ticket revenue annually, according to League of American Orchestras data…. Contemporary classical composition increasingly draws from film music innovations, with orchestral works now routinely incorporating electronic elements, world music influences, and extended techniques.” The article refers to multiple U.S. and international orchestras that perform film music.

Bellingham Symphony Hits the Half-Century Mark

Posted on October 6, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Saturday’s (10/4) Cascadia Daily News (Bellingham, Washington), Cocoa Laney writes, “In 1976, five locals gathered to play music in honor of the United States’ 200th anniversary—and accidentally founded an orchestra. ‘They’re like, “Let’s keep doing this. It’s fun,” ’ recounted Gail Ridenour, executive director of the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra…. What began as the Whatcom Bicentennial Orchestra is now the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra (BSO), which kickstarts its ‘golden’ season on Oct. 5. Over the past half-century, the orchestra has amassed a library of more than 500 works, and performances are regularly attended by a minimum of 1,000 eager audience members…. The orchestra also draws in guest soloists from across the world, and its Harmony from Discord series—which Ridenour said features ‘music that transcends oppression’—even caught the attention of famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma. He’ll join BSO for a sold-out performance on April 26, 2026…. Ridenour said planning each program is akin to solving ‘the best puzzle.’ As for how her team juggles seven shows, 80-plus musicians, 100 subs, a roster of soloists and an ever-growing mountain of sheet music? Every performance is one of a kind—and every musician, staff member and volunteer plays a role.”