Topic: League News

Review: Quad City Symphony Premieres New Score by Angel Lam

Posted on February 11, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (2/10) Quad City Times (Iowa), Nina Baker writes, “On Saturday, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra premiered composer Angel Lam’s work ‘Unearthing the Heart: The Thousands Grottoes of Dunhuang.’… The reception was … commendatory, earning a swift and lengthy standing ovation for Lam (who was in attendance), the symphony and the accompanying Nai- Ni Chen Dance Company…. Many of Lam’s compositions integrate elements from the stories and history of the Silk Road. Saturday’s premiere was inspired by the oasis city of Dunhuang, on the edge of the Gobi Desert in China. In 2022, the League of American Orchestras [in partnership with the American Composers Orchestra] selected the Quad City Symphony Orchestra as one of 30 orchestras taking part in the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program, which commissioned new works by women composers to be performed at American orchestras. That resulted in the Quad City Symphony Orchestra presenting a different work by Lam in April 2025. The League of American Orchestras later commissioned ‘Unearthing the Heart’ and selected the Quad City Symphony Orchestra as the premiere orchestra for Lam’s new work…. The music and accompanying choreography held particular meaning for Lam because of her own spiritual experiences … Cosmic and mesmerizing, Lam’s music transports its listeners to the long-past world of love and loss in Dunhuang…. The orchestra performed brilliantly.” Mark Russell Smith is the orchestra’s music director.

Free Webinar: “Know Your Bow: New Rules and Essential Steps for Pernambuco Sustainability”

Posted on February 6, 2026 by - News Briefs

New rules under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) take effect March 5, 2026, with implications for all stringed-instrument musicians, makers, and sellers, as well as for the iconic Pernambuco trees that grow exclusively in Brazil. In “Know Your Bow: New Rules and Essential Steps for Pernambuco Sustainability”, a free 90-minute webinar on Tuesday, February 10, musical instrument owners, dealers, and makers can learn the new rules and steps for legal compliance from speakers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, music-sector leaders will explain how to identify the wood material in bows and support a sustainable future for the species.

Speakers: Heather Downey, Permits Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Lynn Hannings, Vice President, International Alliance of Violin and Bow Makers for Endangered Species; Claire Kreger-Boaz, Public Policy Manager, NAMM; Heather Noonan, Vice President, Advocacy, League of American Orchestras; Rochelle G. Skolnick, Director, Symphonic Services Division, American Federation of Musicians; and Anne St. John, Senior Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The content of this free webinar was developed by the League in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Know Your Bow: New Rules and Essential Steps for Pernambuco Sustainability” takes place on Tuesday, February 10 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern/12:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Questions to advocacy@americanorchestras.org in advance are welcome. If you can’t attend the webinar live, register to receive the recording. Questions? Please contact League Member Services at member@americanorchestras.org. Learn more and register at https://americanorchestras.org/event/know-your-bow-new-rules-and-essential-steps-for-pernambuco-sustainability/.

Participants Selected for League of American Orchestras’ First Orchestra Personnel Management Intensive

Posted on February 4, 2026 by - News Briefs

Twenty orchestra professionals from across the U.S. have been selected for the first Orchestra Intensive from the League of American Orchestras. A four-day, deep-dive professional development program, the Orchestra Personnel Management Intensive will be the first in a series of Intensives focused on specific roles in orchestra administration. This program is presented in collaboration with Arts Administration programs at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, and will take place March 16-19, 2026, in Bloomington, IN. Orchestra Intensives are intended to be complementary to the League’s long-running Essentials of Orchestra Management program. Demand for similar programs with more specialized approaches drove the League to develop these new opportunities. The Orchestra Personnel Management Intensive will be the first in the series, to be followed by an Orchestra Artistic Administrators Intensive in Fall 2026 and an Orchestra Operations Management Intensive in Spring 2027. Curriculum topics at the Orchestra Personnel Management Intensive will include musician management and hiring, collective bargaining agreements, the audition and tenure process, building inclusive cultures, conflict resolution, crisis problem-solving, employment law, and more. The program also emphasizes networking and leadership development, with time for peer exchange and guided reflection.]

For more about the League’s Orchestra Personnel Management Intensive, including complete lists of participants and faculty, visit https://americanorchestras.org/event/orchestra-personnel-management-intensive/.

Quad City Symphony to Present World Premiere by Angel Lam on Program with “The Rite of Spring”

Posted on February 3, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Saturday’s (1/31) Quad Cities News (Iowa), Linda Cook writes, “The Quad City Symphony Orchestra will present Masterworks IV: ‘The Rite of Spring,’ featuring the world premiere of Angel Lam’s ‘Unearthing the Heart: The Thousand Grottoes of Dunhuang.’ ” Led by Music Director Mark Russell Smith, the program, which also features Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” will be presented on Feb. 7 and 8. “Unearthing the Heart: The Thousand Grottoes of Dunhuang” 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. “This evocative new work will feature dancers of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, choreographed by … Zhongmei Li … Lam and Li re-imagine the ancient cave murals of Dunhuang, one of the Silk Road’s most significant artistic and spiritual crossroads through a fusion of orchestral color, dance, and visual storytelling…. ‘To be chosen as the lead orchestra in this League of American Orchestras commissioning consortium, and to present the world premiere of Angel Lam’s new work, is a profound honor. Bringing this powerful piece to life in the Quad Cities speaks to the artistic ambition of our community,’ said Brian Baxter, executive director, Quad City Symphony Orchestra.”

Applications Now Open for League’s Essentials of Orchestra Management Program

Posted on January 29, 2026 by - News Briefs

The League of American Orchestras is now accepting applications for its 2026 Essentials of Orchestra Management seminar, a 10-day immersive program for current and aspiring orchestra professionals that runs July 21-30 at the Juilliard School in New York City. Essentials equips participants with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to excel as leaders and catalysts for change. Over 700 individuals have participated in Essentials since 2000, many of whom now hold key leadership positions in orchestras. Participants gain an in-depth understanding of orchestra management, develop career networks, and build the skills and mindset to become innovative and successful arts leaders. Participants will earn a non-credit professional certificate from Juilliard Extension. Early and mid-career professionals, musicians, career changers, and students are eligible to apply, as are experienced administrators who wish to deepen their knowledge in all aspects of orchestral organization. The League especially invites applicants from backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented in the orchestra field.

Learn more and register at https://americanorchestras.org/event/2026-essentials-of-orchestra-management/. For additional information on Essentials of Orchestra Management, contact David Styers, Director, Learning and Leadership Programs, at dstyers@americanorchestras.org. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

Utah Arts Administration Graduate Student Returns to League’s Student Leadership Council

Posted on January 23, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (1/22) Southern Utah University News, Kol Gibson writes, “Utah University’s Master of Fine Arts in Arts Administration candidate Megan Rasmussen has been selected to serve a second term on the Student Leadership Council for the League of American Orchestras. Rasmussen is one of just six students from across the country chosen to serve during the 2025-26 season, and is one of two returning council members. Originally from Hyrum, Utah, Rasmussen is the youngest of five children and brings a strong musical and academic background to her work with the League. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from Utah State University, graduating summa cum laude, and is currently completing her graduate studies at SUU while working at Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA)…. During her first term on the Student Leadership Council, Rasmussen planned and facilitated the student experience at the 2025 League Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her current term focuses on expanding the student constituency nationwide and organizing events that allow students to network, explore careers, and engage more deeply with the orchestral field…. ‘I learned a lot about the industry and myself …,’ Rasmussen said. ‘I am so grateful for the personal development and growth that came from this experience.’ ”

League Webinar: “Strategic Social Media for Today’s Orchestras”

Posted on January 20, 2026 by - News Briefs

From making musicians feel more approachable to lifting a veil behind the scenes, social media can enliven and humanize the orchestra field, opening new avenues of connection with audiences. Strategic social media can improve an orchestra’s relevance and even drive in-person attendance. When given the proper time and energy, this technology has the power to redefine the narrative about why classical music matters.

On Wednesday, January 21, experts Allison Lambacher from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Alexandra Robinson from the Minnesota Orchestra will present “Strategic Social Media for Today’s Orchestras,” a 60-minute webinar showing how investment in organic social media can be transformative for orchestras. The webinar will examine case studies on the power of social media while also exploring data on its groundbreaking impact. Also, the session will offer tips for helping leadership understand how to best support staff in this emerging field. The content of this webinar was developed by the speakers, Allison Lambacher and Alexandra Robinson.

Check out “Strategic Social Media for Today’s Orchestras” on Wednesday, January 21, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern/Noon Pacific Time. The League is happy to offer 50% off webinar registrations to staff of NYC arts organizations, thanks to the generosity of the Howard Gilman Foundation and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. If you can’t attend the webinar live, register to receive the recording. Questions? Please contact League Member Services at member@americanorchestras.org.

Learn more and register for “Strategic Social Media for Today’s Orchestras.” 

Review: Princeton Symphony Performs New Work by Andreia Pinto Correia, Plus Shostakovich and Prokofiev

Posted on January 20, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (1/14) TAP Into Princetown (New Jersey), Linda Sipprelle writes, “Rossen Milanov, conductor of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO), is recognized for his adventurous programming of contemporary music. This enthusiasm was highlighted during the January 10 and 11 concerts in Richardson Auditorium on the Princeton University campus. The orchestral work ‘Cipres’ by Andreia Pinto Correia was the concert’s opening piece…. In her charming and informative pre-concert comments, Pinto Correia said she had been inspired to write ‘Cipres’ by one of the lesser-known poems of the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca. The eight lines of the poem’s text pair different species of tree (cypress, poplar, willow), depicted by Garcia Lorca in his poem, with the poem’s various forms of water (static, crystalline, static)…. Pinto Correia dedicated ‘Cipres,’ which received a cordial response from the capacity audience, to Milanov and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.” “Cipres” 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. “The PSO and [soloist Bella] Hristova presented a musically intelligent rendition of Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1—a rarely heard piece … The appreciative audience recognized the stellar performance with a standing ovation.” The orchestra also performed Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1, earning “a warm and enthusiastic reception.”

League of American Orchestras and Ibero-American Network of Symphony Orchestras Announce Partnership / La Liga de Orquestas Americanas y la Red Iberoamericana de Orquestas Sinfónicas Anuncian una Colaboración

Posted on December 18, 2025 by - News Briefs

The League of American Orchestras has announced a new partnership with the Ibero-American Network of Symphony Orchestras (RIOS), the organization that connects professional orchestras across Latin and South America. The two organizations will work to unite orchestras throughout the Americas for dialogue and the sharing of ideas, make the League’s resources available to Latin American orchestras, and develop Spanish-language content on the League’s website.

As a part of this new relationship, RIOS has translated the League’s Music Director Search Handbook into Spanish. You can access the handbook online now in both Spanish and English.

Anunciamos nuestra colaboración con la Red Iberoamericana de Orquestas Sinfónicas (RIOS), una organización que conecta orquestas profesionales en América Latina y Sudamérica. Esta iniciativa permitirá fortalecer el intercambio entre orquestas en las Américas, ampliar el acceso a recursos de la League para orquestas latinoamericanas, y desarrollar contenido en español en el sitio web de la League.

Como parte de esta nueva relación, RIOS ha traducido al español el Music Director Search Handbook. Ya puedes accedar al manual en linea, disponible tanto en español como en inglés.

Learn more here: / Obtenga más información aquí: https://americanorchestras.org/learn/recursos-en-espanol/.