Thirty-one early-career professionals delved into the world of orchestra management this July at the League of American Orchestras’ Essentials of Orchestra Management program in Los Angeles. Hosted by USC Thornton School of Music, the ten-day residential program, presented in association with the University of Southern California Arts Leadership Program, offered a 360-degree immersion into the complexities of orchestra management, with an intensive curriculum, network building, and innovative leaders as faculty. Topics included the evolving work of orchestras, programming, community engagement, fiscal health, governance, and technology. Among the highlights, Thomas Wilkins, principal conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, moderated an “Orchestras in the 21st Century” discussion among Deborah Borda, president and CEO, Los Angeles Philharmonic; Deborah F. Rutter, president, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; and Simon Woods, president and CEO, Seattle Symphony. Essentials of Orchestra Management was made possible by generous grants from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Hearst Foundation, Inc., the National Endowment for the Arts, and Wells Fargo Foundation. Essentials was sponsored by the Association of California Symphony Orchestras. For more on Essentials, visit americanorchestras.org/essentials.
