This fall in Maryland, keep an eye out for the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra’s new education initiative for middle-school and high-school students in Anne Arundel County. ASO Executive Director Patrick Nugent says that the new Annapolis Symphony Academy aims to create a creating more diverse pool of orchestra musicians by “promoting accessibility to classical music to all who seek it in any demographic, cultural, or social sphere.” The orchestra plans for half the academy’s students to be African-American or Hispanic-Latino, with an estimated 20 students in the first year. The academy will include private lessons as well as ensemble coachings, master classes, performance opportunities, and access to Annapolis Symphony Orchestra rehearsals. Scholarships and tuition waivers are available for qualifying students. ASO Concertmaster Netanel Draiblate is the program’s director and founder, and he will head the academy’s faculty, which will include Annapolis Symphony string players and other musicians.
