Symphony Spring 2015

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THE MAGAZINE OF

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Summer Music Festivals

NOW THEN& Friendlier Skies for Traveling Musicians

Orchestra Startups

Preview: Conference 2015

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PRELUDE

VO LU M E 6 6 , N U M B E R 2

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nly a few weeks after the Obama Administration began to open diplomatic relations with Cuba following a 50-year embargo, the Minnesota Orchestra announced that it will perform in Havana this May. That an orchestra from the American heartland, led by its Finnish music director, will perform works of a German composer—Beethoven—in a Communist country during the start of normalized engagement between two nations, says much about the potency of classical music, how it translates despite borders and ideologies. The Minnesota Orchestra’s Cuba visit is cultural diplomacy in action, and recalls the jet-set activities of charismatic cultural ambassadors like Leonard Bernstein, who took the New York Philharmonic to the Soviet Union during the iciest stretches of the Cold War. We’re not naïve about these things—both countries can spin this visit for their own purposes—but it’s still significant that an American orchestra is one of the first visitors to a formerly off-limits country. It’s a local success story, too: the Minnesota Orchestra faced possible extinction a year ago, but management and musicians worked out a deal, the community stepped up its support, and the orchestra is back on track.

Art and politics intersected this fall at the St. Louis Symphony. Right before an October 4 performance of Brahms’s German Requiem, protesters in the concert hall unfurled banners reading “Requiem for Michael Brown,” for the man shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. They sang the civil-rights song “Which Side Are You On?” and departed peacefully, using music to make their point. The intervention took place during the grand jury deliberations concerning the case, in a city racked by tension. A very real protest invaded the concert hall, sometimes perceived as a temple of art music far distant from the here and now.

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SPRING 2014 5

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THE MAGAZINE OF THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS

2 Prelude by Robert Sandla

14 Conference Preview As orchestras face a changing cultural landscape, the League’s 2015 Conference focuses on issues of strategic importance. by Ken Cole 20 Board Room Governance expert Chuck Loring discusses what nonprofit boards need to succeed.

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24 Comment Geoff Baker and Eric Booth debate pros and cons of Venezuela’s El Sistema movement.

26 At the League The League’s Knowledge Center collects and crunches industry data to provide valuable insights into the orchestra field. by Chester Lane

14

Roger Mastroianni

12 Critical Questions What does Ferguson mean for orchestras? by Jesse Rosen

Minnesota Orchestra photo: Jake Armour

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4 The Score Orchestra news, moves, and events

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Friendlier Skies for Musicians After years of horror stories from traveling musicians, uniform federal regulations governing air travel with musical instruments are finally in place. by Susan Elliott

36

Startups Rising Why launch an orchestra now? by Jennifer Melick

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Summer Festivals 2015 A guide to what’s on this season, from Alaska to Wyoming.

36 64

61 Advertiser Index 62 League of American Orchestras Annual Fund 64 Coda Conductor Teddy Abrams is making a splash as the Louisville Orchestra’s new music director.

Throughout this issue, text marked like this indicates a link to websites and online resources that can be accessed by visiting SymphonyOnline l at symphony.org.

about the cover

At Colorado’s Aspen Music Festival and School: Music Director Robert Spano leads the Aspen Festival Orchestra and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra Chorus in the Benedict Music Tent. (Credit: Alex Irvin.) Igor Stravinsky leads the Denver Symphony, a guest ensemble, in his own works at the 1950 Festival. (Credit: Ferenc Berko.)

See story, page 44.

Josh Mauser/Kertis Creative

Summer Music Festivals: Then and Now A look at how summer music festivals have changed— and sometimes stayed the same—over the years.

Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra

44

SCORE News, moves, and events in the orchestra industry THE

League Selects 22 Orchestras for Getty Grants

Minnesota to Havana

What a season the Minnesota Orchestra is having. Just a year after a new contract was signed between musicians and management following a lengthy lockout, the ensemble announced that it will be the first U.S. orchestra to perform in Cuba following the Obama administration’s recent initiative to normalize relations between the two countries. On May 15 and 16, Music Director Osmo Vänskä will lead two Beethoven concerts as part of the country’s annual Cubadisco Festival, with the Cuban National Choir and Cuban pianist Frank Fernández. The musicians will also participate in community engagement projects in Havana. Principal Trombone Doug Wright remarked in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “If this doesn’t show the world that we’re roaring back on the world stage, nothing does.” It is also something of a return visit for the orchestra, which performed in Cuba back in 1929 and 1930 when it was known as the Minneapolis Symphony.

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Jake Armour

The Minnesota Orchestra will perform in Cuba in May.

Twenty-two U.S. orchestras have been selected by the League of American Orchestras to receive Getty Education and Community Investment Grants for innovative educational, health and wellness, and artistic programs. The grants will fund long-term in-school partnership programs; after-school educational programs with socialdevelopment components; health and wellness programs in hospitals, nursing homes, and treatment centers; and artistic programming with a focus on social issues and community dialogue. A total of $425,000 was awarded for this year’s grants, part of the League’s three-year, $1.5 million re-granting program made possible by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.

Getty Grant recipients for 2014-15 are: Allentown Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Central Ohio Symphony, DC Youth Orchestra Program, El Paso Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Kidznotes, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Phoenix Symphony, San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory, Seattle Symphony, Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras, Spokane Symphony, Stockton Symphony, and Yakima Symphony Orchestra. For more on the program, visit americanorchestras.org and look for Getty. symphony

SPRING 2015

MUSICAL CHAIRS The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. has appointed MASON BATES as its first composer in residence. has been named executive director of the Westerville (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra.

SEAN BREWSTER

The Nashville Symphony has announced the appointment of STEVEN BROSVIK as chief operating officer, effective this spring. SONJA WINKLER has been named senior director of operations and orchestra manager.

Brosvik

has been appointed principal bass at the Minnesota Orchestra.

KRISTEN BRUYA

Princeton (N.J.) Symphony Orchestra Executive Director MELANIE CLARKE will step down from that post on July 1, 2015.

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra has appointed ZACHARY COHEN principal bass. JULIE ALBERS has been named principal cello effective with the 2015-16 season. will conclude his tenure as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra in 2017; he assumes the title conductor laureate in the 2017-18 season.

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Andrew Haveron, in the orchestra’s “Visions of Vienna” concert.

Musical Chairs

Projected images on the Sydney Opera House were inspired

by Klimt’s Tree of Life.

Ken Butti

CHRISTOPH ESCHENBACH

Reno Chamber Orchestra Executive Director SCOTT FAULKNER will step down from that post on May 3, 2015; he will continue as a member of the RCO’s bass section and as principal bass in the Reno Philharmonic. will step down as music director of the New York Philharmonic in 2017.

ALAN GILBERT

The Santa Barbara (Calif.) Symphony has appointed JESSICA GUIDERI concertmaster. has been named director of public relations at the Cleveland Orchestra.

JUSTIN J. HOLDEN

has been named music director of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, effective in September 2015.

CARLOS IZCARAY

The University of Southern California has named JEFFREY KAHANE to a part-time faculty post; he will begin full-time at USC in 2017 when he steps down as music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. has been appointed principal bass in the Houston Symphony.

ROBIN KESSELMAN

Ken Butti

Symphony in C (Camden, N.J.) has named STILIAN KIROV music director, effective July 1, 2015.

Vienna Down Under

A cultural mashup spanning two far-flung continents took place this February, when Australia’s Sydney Symphony Orchestra performed an Austrian-themed concert, as imagery inspired by Austria’s art and architecture was projected live onto the famous Sydney Opera House sails. Ola Rudner conducted the “Visions of Vienna” program, which was a collaboration between the orchestra and the Vienna tourist board.

Prominent among the Art Nouveau images projected were works of Gustav Klimt, shown as the orchestra performed works of Brahms, Johann Strauss, Schubert, Mozart, Lehár, Suppé, Kálmán, and Josef Strauss. Nicholas Tory’s Ample Projects organization— an Australian design firm—was in charge of technical aspects, and the performance was streamed live online. americanorchestras.org

The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Symphony Orchestra has appointed JENNY MANN executive director; she retains her post as the TSO’s principal bassoon.

has been appointed senior vice president of institutional advancement at the New York Philharmonic; BILL THOMAS is now the orchestra’s chief operating officer.

LISA MANTONE

The Eugene (Ore.) Symphony has appointed SARA MASON development director. has been named to the new post of chief of staff at the San Diego Symphony.

KATY MCDONALD

The Greenville (S.C.) Symphony Orchestra has appointed SHERWOOD A. MOBLEY executive director.

Mobley

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MUSICAL CHAIRS has been named development director at the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra.

PAMELA MURCHISON

Alisa Garin

The Fort Wayne (Ind.) Philharmonic has named JASON G. PEARMAN director of education and community engagement.

Murchison

Ron Blunt

Carnegie Hall’s board of trustees has elected RONALD O. PERELMAN chairman; he succeeds SANFORD I. WEILL , who has assumed the role of president. has been appointed president and CEO of the Norfolk-based Virginia Symphony Orchestra.

KAREN PHILION

has been appointed executive director of the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Symphony.

DAVID PRATT

Georgia’s LaGrange Symphony Orchestra has named RICHARD PRIOR music director and conductor.

Musical Chairs

The Atlantic Classical Orchestra (Fort Pearce, Fla.) has announced that Artistic Director and Conductor STEWART ROBERTSON will step down for health reasons at the end of the 2014-15 season.

Ohio’s Springfield Symphony Orchestra has appointed LOUIS ROSS executive director.

Christophe Abramovitz

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has named CRISTINA ROCCA vice president for artistic planning.

Rocca

has been appointed education outreach coordinator at the Santa Rosa (Calif.) Symphony Houston’s River Oaks Chamber Orchestra has named ERIC SKELLY executive director.

has been appointed principal guest conductor at the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa, Ont.).

JOHN STORGÅRDS

The Colorado Springs Philharmonic has named AUDREY J. SZYCHULSKI director of development.

has been appointed director of artistic administration for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati May Festival.

ISAAC THOMPSON

The Fort Worth (Tex.) Symphony Orchestra has named BECKY TOBIN vice president of operations.

will step down as music director of the Los Angeles-based American Youth Symphony at the conclusion of its 2014-15 season this spring.

ALEXANDER TREGER

Cleveland Orchestra Principal Viola ROBERT VERNON will retire from the orchestra in the summer of 2016 following a 40-year tenure, the longest of any string principal in the orchestra’s history.

The Philadelphia Orchestra has appointed BRADFORD VOIGT vice president of development, DANIEL BERKOWITZ director of collaborative learning, and ALYSSA PORAMBO public relations manager.

Voigt

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra has announced that EDO DE WAART will step down as music director at the end of the 2016-17 season, when he will assume the title conductor laureate.

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Orchestra Festival Shifts to Kennedy Center In January, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Washington Performing Arts announced SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras, to begin in spring 2017.

The six-day festival is described as a reimagining of the innovative Spring for Music festival at New York’s Carnegie Hall, which concluded its four-year run in May 2014.

SHIFT will bring four or five North American orchestras to Washington each year, to be selected not only for artistic excellence but for their relationships with their communities.

Semifinalists will be chosen by April 8, 2015, and finalists by June 1, 2015. The festival will include performances, community events, and symposiums and workshops, both at the Kennedy Center and in smaller venues and schools throughout the Washington, D.C. metro area. SHIFT is presented in cooperation with the League of American Orchestras.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has named DAVID POSTILL vice president of marketing.

JANE SHELLY

The Kennedy Center will co-host SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras, beginning in 2017.

Essentials Heads West for 2015

This summer, the League’s Essentials of Orchestra Management program for future orchestra leaders will be held in Los Angeles for the first time, allowing it to draw upon some of the West Coast’s most innovative thinkers. Presented by the League in association with the University of Southern California’s Arts Leadership program, Essentials will take place July 7-16, hosted by the USC Thornton School of Music. The ten-day seminar will be a residential program, with participants housed on the USC campus. San Francisco Symphony Executive Director Brent Assink and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts President Deborah Rutter will continue as co-directors, in consultation with Kenneth Foster, director of USC’s Arts Leadership program. Faculty will include Deborah Borda of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Martha S. Gilmer of the San Diego Symphony, Pacific Symphony staff members, and USC faculty. Essentials of Orchestra Management is made possible by generous grants from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Essentials is sponsored by the Association of California Symphony Orchestras.

Marie-Hélène Bernard Named Chief at St. Louis Symphony Marie-Hélène Bernard, executive director of Boston’s Handel & Haydn Society since 2007, heads west this summer to become president and CEO of the St. Louis Symphony, effective July 1. She succeeds Fred Bronstein, who left the orchestra last year to become dean of the Peabody Institute of Marie-Hélène Bernard Johns Hopkins University. Bernard previously was president and CEO of Ohio’s Canton Symphony. She had earlier served as chief of staff, project manager, and orchestra manager at the Philadelphia Orchestra, and as orchestra manager at the Cleveland Orchestra. Bernard began her orchestra career in the 1996-97 season as a participant in the League of American Orchestras’ Orchestra Management Fellowship Program. A native of Quebec, she studied communications, media, and literature at Jean-de-Brébeuf College, earned a law degree at the University of Montreal, and practiced law for six years in Canada.

“Marie-Hélène Bernard is a strong leader with a personable, collaborative approach to communication and management,” said Chairman Barry Beracha. symphony

SPRING 2015

The Trumpets Shall Sound

Music Director Michael Francis with the Florida Orchestra at Tampa’s International Plaza

B. Lively Images

Two years ago, Ryan Anthony, principal trumpet of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow.

In March, musicians gathered in Dallas for CancerBlows, a concert and fundraiser organized to honor Anthony, currently undergoing treatment, while raising money for cancer research. CancerBlows featured trumpet players Doc Severinsen, Arturo Sandoval, Lee Loughnane (of the band Chicago), as well as Canadian Brass alumni Ronnie Romm, Jens Lindenmann, Joe Burgstaller, and Anthony himself. They were joined by members of the DSO conducted by Jeff Tyzik and Robert Moody, and the UNT One O’Clock Lab Band at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.

On the program were the last movement of Respighi’s Pines of Rome; a multitrumpet Carnival of Venice backed by members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; and Tommy Dorsey’s “Well, Git It.” The good news: Anthony has responded well to treatment and is currently in remission.

Attention, Shoppers!

In February, the Florida Orchestra took the music to the people with a free season-preview concert at that quintessential American meeting place: the mall. The central court of Tampa’s International Plaza rang out with selections from the coming masterworks and pops programs led by the orchestra’s new music director, Michael Francis, who spoke about the music and about how he hopes to adapt the concert experience. Music ranged from Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man to Purcell, Vivaldi, Brahms, Nino Rota, and Elgar. The free concert was part of Francis’s aim to make the orchestra more visible and accessible beyond the concert hall; in December, he conducted a “Season Serenade” concert at the Moffitt Cancer Center, and there have been additional concerts in the community, including a free performance at the All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg in March.

Orchestras in the Media Spotlight

Tracy Martin

Music Center of Los Angeles County

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Principal Trumpet Ryan Anthony

americanorchestras.org

At a time when press coverage of the arts is contracting, two series of recent articles are proving major exceptions. The Los Angeles Times’ multi-part, in-depth “Inside the LA Philharmonic” series in February began with a feature article about accomplishments under Deborah Borda during her fifteen years as president and chief executive. A pair of multimedia “meet the musicians” segments presented photos and brief biographies with quotes from the musicians, as well as short videos of Principal Trumpet Thomas Hooten, Bass Clarinet David Howard, Walt Disney Principal Bass Christopher Hanulik, and Concert Hall, Principal Timpanist Joseph Pereira. Additional home to the coverage included an article about Youth Los Angeles Orchestra Los Angeles, the Philharmonic’s Philharmonic El Sistema-inspired education program, and another about the orchestra’s challenges and successes in dealing with a changing cultural landscape. In Cleveland, Ohio, the Plain Dealer has been running a regular Q&A series since June, entitled “Meet the Musicians of the Cleveland Orchestra,” in which musicians respond to questions about why they chose their instruments, musical highlights of their careers so far, and their greatest passion other than classical music. In a March 3 Plain Dealer segment, violinist Scott Weber, asked how he replies when someone says that classical music is dying, said, “More people listen to it now than ever before. All we have to do is program John Williams’s music from his movies on a Blossom schedule and we’ll have 20,000 people show up.”

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Janette Beckman

Lee

Huang

Lisa-Marie Mazzucco

Five young instrumentalists— violinists Paul Huang, Kristin Lee, and Simone Porter; violist Matthew Lipman; pianist Michael Brown—were presented with Career Grants by the Avery Fisher Artist Program in its annual awards ceremony on March 18, held for the first time at WQXR’s Jerome L. Greene Performance Space in New York City. The awards program, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, honors outstanding potential in early-career musicians who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S.

Brown

Porter

Jeff Fasano

Avery Fisher Program Honors Five

Tchaikovsky is the orchestra go-to guy for Russian spectacle and soul. But in February, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra took a different, multi-pronged look at the composer with a Tchaikovsky Festival that included the familiar works, relative rarities, chamber music, recitals, and more. Pre-concert presentations explored Tchaikovsky’s ballet scores, the historical context of the 1812 Overture, and Russian culture in the composer’s formative years. A panel discussion in partnership with Affirmations, a local lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender resource organization, looked at how Tchaikovsky’s homosexuality affected his life and work, framed through a contemporary perspective. Extensive online resources included a digital program book, videos, and live webcasts. Also part of the TchaikFest: a special Russian-inspired menu and a vodka bar at Orchestra Hall.

Na zdarovye!

Lipman

Harrison Linsey

TchaikFest

League Initiative Supporting Women Composers Renewed for 2015

The League of American Orchestras’ program supporting women composers will be renewed for a second year, the League and EarShot—the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network— have announced. Administered by New York’s American Composers Orchestra and made possible by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, the initiative aims to increase opportunities for women composers through orchestral readings and commissions. The program is integrated into this year’s EarShot composer readings with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Chicago Modern Orchestra Project, and Berkeley Symphony, as well as American Composers Orchestra’s Underwood New Music Reading Sessions. During the readings, composers are mentored by established composers and participate in career development workshops. Two participating composers will receive orchestral commissions of $15,000 each, with premiere details to be announced. Works by the two 2014 commission recipients, Julia Adolphe and Melody Eötvös, will premiere in a future season: American Composers Orchestra will premiere a new work by Eötvös, and the New York Philharmonic will premiere Adolphe’s viola concerto for Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps.

Russian nesting dolls took over Orchestra Hall for the Detroit Symphony’s Tchaikovsky Festival in February. In photo: pianist Olga Kern (rear left), who performed at the festival, and a friend meet the festival mascot.

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Food banks in America help 46 million people in need across the country, including 12 million children and 7 million seniors. And over the past six years, the Orchestras Feeding America food drive has seen more than 425 orchestras nationwide The New York Philharmonic is holding a clothing collect and donate nearly 450,000 pounds of drive at all its Young People’s Concerts this season. food. The League launched the 2015 Orchestras In photo: clothing-drive volunteers with young Feeding America food drive this March, and concertgoers who attended through the NYC orchestras can join the list of participants by Department of Homeless Services. visiting americanorchestras.org. Orchestras that participate in the campaign provide urgently needed assistance to combat food insecurity.

For its 2014-15 Young People’s Concerts, the New York Philharmonic is partnering with fashion retailer Uniqlo on a clothing drive.

Concertgoers can leave gently used clothes in bins at Avery Fisher Hall, and the clothing is distributed by Uniqlo volunteers directly to people living in New York City homeless shelters. symphony

SPRING 2015

Michael DiVito

Detroit Symphony

Orchestras Feeding (and Clothing) America

Glenn Triest

Glenn Triest

Curating Concerts in Pittsburgh and Tucson

A New Crop of Sphinx Laureates The 18th annual Sphinx Competition for black and Latino string players wrapped up on February 1 with a concert at Detroit’s Max M. Fisher Music Center featuring competition winners in performance with the professional Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, led by Andrew Grams. In the Senior Division, the $50,000 first-place award went to nineteenyear-old violinist Eduardo Rios (left), a student at the Colburn School in Los Angeles.

Awarded $10,000 as the Junior Division’s top laureate was Hannah White (right), a fourteen-year-old violinist from Germantown, Wis. Second- and third-place awards in the Senior Division, worth $20,000 and $10,000, went to violist Michael Casimir and Annelle Gregory, respectively. As top laureates, Rios and White will both have the opportunity to perform with orchestras through the Sphinx Soloist Program.

NY-California Connections

In January the New York Philharmonic launched the first American partnership in its Global Academy Fellowship Program as ten competitively selected students from California’s Music Academy of the West—the first class of Zarin Mehta Fellows—came to New York for eleven days of coaching, mentoring, mock auditions, rehearsals, and side-by-side performances with the Philharmonic under Music Director Alan Gilbert.

Pictured at the January 8 subscription concert is 24-year-old Sean Krissman, a 2014 MAW student, performing alongside Mark Nuccio, the Philharmonic’s associate principal clarinet. The Global Academy also includes a four-year partnership with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra inaugurated last September. It establishes a Shanghai Orchestra Academy in conjunction with the Shanghai Conservatory, as well as annual residencies in Shanghai by Gilbert and the Philharmonic.

Two new musician-curated chamber music series have launched this season, featuring members of the Pittsburgh and Tucson orchestras. On March 3, Pittsburgh Symphony musicians performed music from Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale at Wigle Whiskey Barrelhouse & Whiskey Garden on the city’s North Side. The performance was one of three in the PSO’s Play N’at series this season, with others taking place at Livermore Cloak Room in the East Liberty neighborhood and at the restaurant Franktuary in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Classical music-themed cocktails and refreshments were served, door prizes were given out, and discounted tickets to PSO concerts were for sale. Tucson Symphony Orchestra percussionists performed on February 22 at Tucson Symphony Center in the orchestra’s TSO Center Stage Series, launched in November and featuring TSO members performing concerts of their own choice. On the program was music

by Vivaldi performed on steel pan drums, as well as selections by Philip Glass, West African compositions, and a sonata for nonpitched percussion. Previous TSO Center Stage programs have featured the TSO brass section, Concertmaster Lauren Roth, and pianist Paula Fan.

Chris Lee

Pittsburgh Symphony musicians perform at Livermore Cloak Room (top photo) and at Wigle Whiskey Barrelhouse & Whiskey Garden (above).

americanorchestras.org

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Piano-Paloozas

Jeff Goldberg

Several recent events reinforced what music-lovers already know: pianos are cool. In December, New York’s Park Avenue Armory flooded its 30,000-square-foot Drill Hall with water, and Hélène Grimaud (below middle) played water-themed music in the center of it, attired in a track suit. The program included Berio’s Wasserklavier, Ravel’s Jeux d’eau, and Debussy’s well-known La

Racheal McCaig

James Ewing

cathédrale engloutie. Later in the winter, San Francisco Symphony Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas (above, second from right) celebrated his 70th birthday by inviting pianists Yuja Wang, Jeremy Denk, Emanuel Ax, Marc-André Hamelin, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet to play with him onstage at Davies Symphony Hall. In Canada, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s “Pianos in the City” event in February (below, with Stewart Goodyear, at left, and Emanuel Ax) put Steinways in several downtown locations as a lead-in to its Piano Extravaganza festival in partnership with the Royal Conservatory of Music.

On May 5, 1891, Carnegie Hall opened its doors for the first time, with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky conducting his Marche Solennelle, and, several days later, his Piano Concerto No. 1. On opening night in October 2015, Alan Gilbert will lead the New York Philharmonic and pianist Evgeny Kissin in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in a program that also includes the world premiere of a fanfare by Magnus Lindberg, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall and launching a 125th-anniversary commissioning project that will result in 125 new works by leading composers to be premiered over the next five seasons. Also planned for 2015-16: a citywide learning project exploring West Side Story and culminating in a production in a restored factory in Queens, New York, conducted by Marin Alsop and directed by Amanda Dehnert. On May 5, 2016—exactly 125 years since Tchaikovsky conducted at Carnegie Hall—a gala event will feature performers including Martina Arroyo, Emanuel Ax, Renée Fleming, Marilyn Horne, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Audra McDonald, Jessye Norman, and James Taylor.

Strauss Seizes San Antonio

For its fifth annual citywide composer festival this winter, the San Antonio Symphony in Texas partnered with local arts groups for performances of music by Richard Strauss.

Curated by Music Director Sebastian LangLessing, the Strauss Festival included tone poems, chamber music, and Salome, the latter a collaboration with Opera San Antonio.

Repertoire also included Strauss works that were premiered by the San Antonio Symphony, including Josephslegende, Symphonic Fragment, and the Symphonic Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten. To mark the orchestra’s 75th anniversary, Renée Fleming opened the season with Strauss’s Four Last Songs, which had its U.S. premiere in San Antonio. The orchestra’s series of recently commissioned American works were also part of the festival. Artistic partners included Ballet San Antonio, Barshop Jewish Community Center, Camerata San Antonio, Children’s Chorus of San Antonio, San Antonio Choral Society, and Youth The San Antonio Symphony and Opera Orchestras of San Antonio. Performances and San Antonio collaborated on Strauss’s Salome, with Patricia Racette in the title discussions took place throughout the city. role and Alan Held as Jochanaan.

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symphony

SPRING 2015

Karen Almond

Moanalani Jeffrey

Carnegie Hall: 125 Years, 125 Commissions

Amazon Studios

Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph by Jan Swafford.

Mozart on the Small Screen

Amazon Studios

It’s official. The TV dramedy series Mozart in the Jungle has been picked up for a second season by Amazon Studios. The show, which launched as one of Amazon’s inaugural batch of streamed TV pilots in 2014, is loosely based on freelance oboist Blair Tindall’s 2005 tell-all book about the classical/orchestra world, subtitled “Sex, Drugs and Classical Music.”

Lola Kirke (left) plays a young aspiring oboist, Gael García Bernal (above) plays a curlyhaired conductor evidently modeled on Gustavo Dudamel, and Bernadette Peters (above left) is board chair of the fictitious New York Symphony.

Joshua Bell had a cameo role in the pilot episode, performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.

The show, produced by Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Alex Timbers, takes many creative liberties concerning the orchestra world, prompting much debate in the classical-music community and gaining mostly positive critical notices.

Another classical-themed television series is in the works: this winter, HBO announced that it is producing the pilot episode of Virtuoso, depicting 18th-century classical prodigies. The show starts production this spring and is co-produced by Elton John. americanorchestras.org

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1,077 pages, $40 (also available as an e-book). Swafford, a composer, author, and teacher whose previous books include Johannes Brahms: A Biography and Charles Ives: A Life with Music, offers what he calls “a biography of Beethoven the man and musician, not the myth … looking at him as directly as possible as he walks, talks, writes, rages, composes.” Informing this prodigiously documented book is a trove of source material from Bonn previously unused in English-language biographies of Beethoven.

Handsomely illustrated with color plates.

Conducting Concerti: A Technical and Interpretive Guide by David Itkin.

University of North Texas Press, 410 pages, $29.95. Itkin, music director of the Abilene (Tex.) Philharmonic and director of orchestral studies at the University of North Texas, examines 43 works, both standard concerti and such orchestral staples as Ravel’s Tzigane and Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations. The veteran conductor comments on each work’s structure, shares his experience of conducting it, and provides interpretive tips keyed to specific measures in the score.

Among soloists whose views he considers are violinist Robert McDuffie, cellists Zuill Bailey and Carter Brey, and pianists Horacio Gutiérrez and Misha Dichter.

Leonard Bernstein: An American Musician by Allen Shawn. Yale University

Press, 347 pages, $25. Packed with you-arethere details drawn from a host of published accounts and audiovisual records, this highly readable biography puts us at the center of Lenny’s world—as student, composer, conductor, passionate educator, musical colleague, husband, and father—beginning with his days as the precocious first-born son of “Russian Jews transplanted to Massachusetts.” Shawn’s text is a page-turner; the curious reader will find a wealth of background detail in his extensive end notes.

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QUESTIONS

CRITICAL

What Does Ferguson Mean for Orchestras?

A recent protest in Missouri revealed that orchestras can speak powerfully about the things that matter in our communities.

Chris Lee

by Jesse Rosen

“R

equiem for Michael Brown” was painted on a banner unfurled by demonstrators in Powell Symphony Hall moments before the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra performed the Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem on October 4. This occurred in the weeks during the grand jury deliberations that ultimately concluded without an indictment of police officer Darren Wilson for shooting Michael Brown on a Ferguson, Missouri street. Tension, anger, fear, and anxiety ran high in Saint Louis and quickly spread to cities around the country as the nation once again was in the grip of its racial divide.

What struck me most about the Powell Hall demonstrators was their decision to appear at a Saint Louis Symphony concert, and before a performance of the Brahms Requiem. My take on this is that they believed that the Symphony, its music, and its audience were a forum of sorts, a place that mattered and where a critical civic issue could be aired. You might say the demonstrators appropriated the Brahms Requiem, knowing full well its remarkable beauty and the solace it offers.

This was an affirmation that orchestras and their core repertoire speak powerfully to our current time and place. While

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Jesse Rosen, President and CEO, League of American Orchestras

orchestras invest heavily in community engagement programs, most of which live in a parallel but separate universe from core classical concerts, here was the community reaching in to its orchestra, reminding it that its canon also engages the community.

I’m not recommending that orchestras become hosts of demonstrations. Indeed,

That night, the symphony, its music, and its audience were a forum of sorts, a place that mattered and where a critical civic issue could be aired. in this instance, some members of the audience and musicians were upset, fearful, and angry. Rather, I think we might view this event as an invitation and opportunity. Some of the most exquisite orchestral achievements have been requiems. And, the requiem mass for the dead has great meaning and wide following well beyond the orchestra. So instead of waiting for the next demonstration to connect us with our communities, let’s get ahead of it. Can we not imagine that the programming of a requiem is an occasion to recognize the passing of an important citizen of the community?

On a much less somber note, I’m reminded of a program designed by Kent

Nagano with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. Kent wanted to program Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life).

But he wanted to do it in a way that celebrated a Montreal hero. He and his staff settled on the famed Montreal Canadiens hockey team. And, when the concert took place, the Montreal Canadiens sat onstage for a talk about what heroism meant to each of them, just before the performance.

The concerts were, as you would expect, sold out.

My main point is this: it’s time for a more holistic way of thinking about orchestras and their communities, one that encompasses both what we do on our classical series and in our communities. It’s been surprising that in the three rounds of grants the League has awarded for excellence and innovation in community engagement, not a single application, from among hundreds of orchestras, has had anything to do with the classical series.

As we work hard to sharpen our practices and messaging about public value, it is a risky proposition to bifurcate our community work and our classical series.

We end up inadvertently suggesting that our public value and service to community occur only in “education and community engagement” programs, while core symphony

SPRING 2015

just as much as the other way around. In orchestras with no staff dedicated to education or community engagement, music directors and executive directors may need to develop these chops. In either instance, orchestras are well served when they have the capacity to stay informed of community issues and opportunities, and engage the orchestra in ways that are meaningful and authentic.

Three practical resources to help orchestras explore these opportunities further are the Artistic Vibrancy handbook

We can find the pathways for joining the music we make with the life of our communities. It is about the music—and the music is about the things that matter.

During the grand jury deliberations concerning the shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, protesters briefly interrupted the start of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra’s October 4 performance of Brahms’s Deutsches Requiem by unfurling banners paying tribute to Brown.

work remains perceived as separate and removed—about something else and for someone else.

In order to serve communities with a single vision, music directors and community engagement staff may need to work in greater partnership. Opportunities to engage with the community can inform classical programing decisions The League’s “Your Orchestra: Your Community” diagnostic tool is among the practical resources available at americanorchestras.org to help orchestras engage with their communities in ways that are meaningful and authentic.

It’s time for a more holistic way of thinking about orchestras and their communities, one that encompasses both what we do on our classical series and in our communities.

Your Orchestra, Your Community: Roadmap to Success

americanorchestras.org

from the Australian Council for the Arts (australiacouncil.gov.au) , the League’s own “Your Orchestra: Your Community” diagnostic tool, and the League’s Public Value toolkit (found under Resources in the News & Publications section of americanorchestras.org).

“It’s the music, stupid” was a phrase some people in orchestras used to dismiss some of the extra-musical devices employed to develop audiences, but also to remind us of what we were ultimately about. It is about the music—and the music is about the things that matter, our human experience: triumph, joy, mystery, despair, hope, and most especially those sensations and feelings for which there are no words.

Our long forms—the symphonic compositions that unfold over time—and infinite palette of colors allow us to depict with vivid detail, subtlety, and power, the journeys from darkness to light, from loss to redemption, and the ambiguity and uncertainty that seems to characterize our current moment. The orchestral repertoire is as complex, varied, and surprising as the human experience itself. If we really believe this, then we can find the pathways for joining the music we make with the life of our communities.

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CONFERENCE

PREVIEW

The New Work of Orchestras As orchestras face a changing cultural landscape, the League’s 2015 Conference focuses on issues of strategic importance for today and tomorrow.

by Ken Cole

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Roger Mastroianni

A

The Cleveland Orchestra and Music Director Franz Welser-Möst in performance at Severance Hall. On May 27 during the League Conference, Welser-Möst will lead the orchestra and distinguished vocalists in Daphne, Richard Strauss’s opera about a young woman who must choose between the love of men and her love for nature.

are especially eager for musicians (who can register free of charge), conductors, and other artists to attend. For complete information and to register, visit americanorchestras.org.

Why Cleveland?

Why hold the Conference in Cleveland?

Cleveland is the 48th-largest city in the U.S., yet it has sustained one of the world’s great orchestras for nearly 100 years. How has Cleveland managed to maintain a stellar orchestra over such a long period of time, in a relatively small market that has experienced more than its

Roger Mastroianni

merica’s orchestras are built on a tradition of exquisite artistry and expert execution.

Yet that’s not enough to ensure relevance in a rapidly changing world. If our orchestras are to continue to thrive, is it time to expand our missions, employ our music in service to increasingly diverse communities, and invite new forms of public participation onstage and off, all while harnessing an unprecedented richness of musical expression?

What next practices must we develop so that orchestras remain a vital part of America’s cultural landscape in the years to come? The League of American Orchestras’ 2015 Conference will explore this question from a variety of perspectives: artistic, financial, technological, and more. The Conference takes place May 27-29 in Cleveland, Ohio, and is hosted by the Cleveland Orchestra. Conference sessions focus on issues of strategic importance, with an eye toward harnessing the collective wisdom not just of expert presenters and panelists but of Conference delegates from all walks of orchestral life.

Beyond the big picture, delegates will also gain plenty of practical tools and tips they can apply as soon as they return home.

The Conference serves orchestra executives, board members, staff, musicians, volunteers, music directors, and other stakeholders at orchestras of all sizes.

Those at career stages from new-to-thefield talent to seasoned professionals are sure to find meaningful programming. We

share of economic hardship? What innovations has the orchestra pursued in order to secure its future? How have relationships among musicians, staff, volunteers, and board members evolved to support extraordinary achievement? Conference attendees will gain insight into these issues directly from the people who make it happen at the Cleveland Orchestra.

Cleveland is home to three other symphony

SPRING 2015

Katie Wyatt, executive director, Kidznotes

Invest in one, invest in many Through our leadership programs, the League invested in Katie, who now invests in nearly 300 kids annually from Title-1 schools in Durham and Raleigh, N.C. Supporting the League means investing in people, their communities, and the future of classical music. Donate now at americanorchestras.org.

Roger Mastroianni

Dorman. At the Building a Bigger Pops Audience session, Cleveland Pops founder Carl Topilow will join a panel of artistic planners to discuss the new formats, new genres, and innovative presentation elements that are attracting growing numbers of audience members.

Severance Hall, home of the Cleveland Orchestra

Conference sessions focus on issues of strategic importance, with an eye toward harnessing the collective wisdom of expert presenters and Conference delegates.

The Conference will be preceded by two days of pre-concert seminars that focus intensively on specific topics. Led by experts and orchestra veterans, these insightful, highly interactive classes include Patron Growth, 2015 Edition: An Integrated Approach to Sales, Fundraising, and Loyalty; a Seminar for New Executive Directors; Boards on Fire!; and Outcome-Based Planning and Evaluation.

Elective Sessions to Challenge Your Thinking

Digital technology is affecting virtually every aspect of orchestras’ work. To harness its power, it needs to be fully integrated into all aspects of our operations. Where should the responsibility for “driving digital” reside within your organization? How much time and money should be devoted to “going digital”? During Driving Growth through Digital Innovation, we’ll look at new paths cultural

Frank Lanza

professional orchestras, each remarkable in its own way, and each playing an important role in Cleveland’s artistic ecosystem: Cleveland Pops, CityMusic Cleveland, and Apollo’s Fire. During the League Conference, CityMusic Cleveland will present a free concert on Thursday night: the world premiere of Josef Bardanashvili’s A Child’s Prayer for pop singer, children’s chorus, and chamber orchestra, led by rising composer and conductor Avner

In-depth Learning Opportunities

All Conference delegates are invited to the Tune-Up Party hosted by the Cleveland Orchestra on May 27. The party takes place across the street from Severance Hall in the Atrium at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Designed by architect Rafael Viñoly, the Atrium is a great spot to celebrate with orchestra colleagues.

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institutions are forging in digital culture to attract larger and often younger audiences, deepen audience engagement, forge new community relationships, generate new revenue, revitalize programming, and produce landmark artistic projects. Speakers will share findings from a new study, Like, Link, Share: How Cultural Institutions are Embracing Digital Technology, which includes research on such organizations as the San Francisco Symphony, New York Philharmonic, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Some orchestras are experiencing success in engaging their communities at the front end of the artistic and program development processes, identifying needs and opportunities through dialogue with their communities, then working with members of the community to craft artistic responses to address those priorities while increasing an orchestra’s value to the public. In Developing and Sustaining High-Impact Community Engagement Programs, we’ll explore how subtle shifts in approach to working with community can produce powerful results. Effective community engagement requires orchestras to work in new ways—as artistic collaborators and facilitators of community creativity—and on long time horizons.

When done right, these projects can enhance an orchestra’s artistic vibrancy, demonstrate relevance, and even unlock new streams of funding.

If orchestras are to find new ways forward, we must maximize the contributions that everyone at our organizations can make toward our common goals.

Collaboration among musicians, staff, board members, and volunteers can bridge divides and unleash our organizations’ full potential. As organizational development guru Horst Abraham says, “Culture eats strategy”—so how do we cultivate healthy cultures within our orchestras? At the Unleashing the Power of Collaboration session, members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra reveal what they have achieved by motivating musicians, artistic directors, staff, trustees, and volunteers to work together on an ongoing basis. symphony

SPRING 2015

Rachel Ford, executive director, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra

Invest in one, invest in many Through our leadership programs, the League invested in Rachel, who now invests in the healing power of music – exactly when patients need it the most. Through live performances in healthcare facilities, the KSO’s awardwinning Music & Wellness Program helps the healing process of more than 4,500 patients every year.

Supporting the League means investing in people and their communities. Donate now at americanorchestras.org.

Why Cleveland? Here’s why. n The Cleveland Orchestra, one of the

world’s great orchestras, in concert in Severance Hall, one of the world’s great concert halls. n The Cleveland Museum of Art, site

of the Conference Tune-Up Party, and one of the country’s foremost art museums—its collection is rated among the top three in the nation. n Take a break from Beethoven at the Jeff Roffman Photography

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, just down the street from the Conference hotel. n Cleveland’s fantastic farm-to-table

scene—locally grown, locally owned, and all at affordable prices.

Lean in: Discussion, sharing, and networking are key parts of League Conferences.

The creation and presentation of great music is central to orchestras’ work. We are driven to share this music with others because we have experienced its transformative power. Yet to too many Americans, live symphonic feels irrelevant. Can the ar-

The Making Music that Matters session will offer strategies for helping the communities we serve leverage the power of live orchestral music as they face complex social issues. tistic choices we make—about what music to create and perform, when and where to play, and for and with whom—help them connect? Across the country, orchestras are using music to help communities address complex challenges by giving voice to the concerns of marginalized populations, expressing wonder at the beauty of the natural world, even helping addicts recover from substance abuse. Making Music that Matters will offer strategies for helping the communities we serve by leveraging the power of live orchestral music to address complex challenges.

Developing a clear picture of the full range of your orchestra’s activities—the number of concerts presented, audience

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members served, students taught, new works presented—takes time. Measuring the impact that music-making has on the people involved is far trickier. Yet in order to understand our impact, we must attend to such tasks, then use the data we collect in ways that empower everyone on our team to tell our story. To accomplish that, data collection, evaluation, and reporting processes must be built into programs from the beginning. Evaluating Impact will explore what these activities require in terms of time, money, and expertise, and how to integrate them into busy schedules and tight budgets. The session will also offer practical tips on where to turn for guidance and support.

Building new audiences while deepening an orchestra’s engagement with existing audiences is vital. Recent research from the Wallace Foundation documents innovative strategies that are proven to work for arts groups. The Road to Results: Effective Practices for Building Audiences, led by market-research expert and author Bob Harlow, will unpack successful practices and explore case studies of orchestras and other cultural organizations that are attracting growing numbers of young adults, Latinos, and other key audience segments.

n The Cleveland Indians battle the

Texas Rangers at Progressive Field on May 26. Watch it with orchestra leaders who also happen to be rabid baseball fans.

Among recent challenges to the orchestral business model is the waning of subscriptions—performing-arts organizations can no longer count on subscribers to commit to attending an entire season’s worth of concerts. What’s behind the decline in subscriptions, and how are orchestras adapting? Oliver Wyman, a global management consulting firm, has conducted a study of subscription trends across the orchestra field, and in The Subscription Model: Dead or Alive?, researchers will share their discoveries and relate what their findings suggest regarding new methods for increasing concertgoers’ engagement and loyalty.

KEN COLE is vice president for Learning and Leadership Development at the League of American Orchestras.

The League’s 2015 National Conference takes place May 27-29 in Cleveland, Ohio, and is hosted by the Cleveland Orchestra. For more information and to register, visit americanorchestras.org. symphony

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Mei-Ann Chen, music director, Chicago Sinfonietta

Invest in one, invest in many Through our leadership programs, the League invested in Mei-Ann, who now invests in connecting the diverse cultures of Chicago by expanding the boundaries of classical music.

Supporting the League means investing in people and their communities.

Donate now at americanorchestras.org.

BOARD ROOM

Good Governance: No Longer a Luxury–a Necessity Today’s nonprofit boards face a changing landscape, with rising expectations for accountability, new definitions of fundraising responsibilities, and a fresh emphasis on the value nonprofits bring to the community. Here, governance and fundraising expert Chuck V. Loring discusses what nonprofit boards need to succeed.

W

hen Chuck Loring talks about nonprofit governance, people listen. Loring has helped hundreds of nonprofits improve their governance, among them the Special Olympics, Girl Scouts USA, Feeding America, Planned Parenthood, and The Smithsonian National Museum of The American Indian. Every year he conducts dozens of training programs for funders, community foundations, and nonprofit centers interested in good governance. He is the senior partner of Loring, Sternberg & Associates, a Fort Lauderdale- and Indianapolis-based nonprofit-consulting firm, and is also senior governance associate for BoardSource, the national organization devoted to nonprofit governance. Loring is a CFRE—a Certified Fund Raising Executive—with an MBA (from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California), but don’t let the acronyms deter you: He tells it like it is when he talks about governance, making his points with clarity, brevity, and drive.

Lately Loring has focused on orchestras. This January, he led a seminar presented by the League of American Orchestras, “Building an Effective Fundraising Board,” that drew a standing-room-

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only crowd of executive directors, board members, and development officers eager to understand what it takes to promote a healthy culture of fundraising among boards of directors. The seminar was designed to help attendees learn how to recruit and develop board members with the ability to give and get; increase board members’ confidence and effectiveness in fundraising; nurture a healthy and productive board-staff fundraising partnership;

“During my training sessions I encourage boards to work with their staffs to create a menu list of reasons to support and donate to the orchestra.

Every board member must know all of the orchestra’s talking points so they can easily learn and articulate the orchestra’s reason for being.” and of course raise more money. In November, Loring led a similarly successful “Building an Effective Fundraising Board” seminar, with panelists from three Ohio orchestras—the Canton Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Firelands Symphony—at a day of League events in Cleveland.

We caught up with Loring this winter.

Chuck V. Loring

Your firm works with a broad swath of nonprofit clients, in sectors ranging from arts and culture to animal welfare to education. How do orchestras fit in that world, and what kind of governance challenges do they face?

Sweeping generalizations most likely lead to trouble, but since you asked, I will make some sweeping generalizations.

Over the past two decades, large arts organizations—not just orchestras—have often suffered from less than outstanding governance and directors who have not been fully engaged. It was not unusual to see a board of directors with 50 or 60 members who got there simply because of an annual financial contribution. Board work was often done by a smaller executive committee, and the full board only showed up for show-and-tell meetings and celebratory events. When the going got rough, many of these board members did not stand by the organizations and get their nails dirty. Fortunately, many organizations have abandoned this model and gone to smaller boards that are fully engaged.

Established cultural organizations have sometimes been cursed by their prestige in the community. Individuals often want to symphony

SPRING 2015

americanorchestras.org

House Ways and Means Committee, Senator Orrin Hatch is the new chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and both are convening hearings on tax reform. Buckle your seat belts and stay tuned. We will certainly be calling on board members to do some public-policy work.

More emphasis is being placed on orchestras providing public value. How Loring leads a “Building an Effective Fundraising Board” seminar do orchestras go about demonstrating that, both at the League of American Orchestras in New York City, January 2015. as a matter of governance and in fundraising? value to the community. We need to give Each orchestra needs to look at the board members useful tools so they can needs of the community it serves, and easily learn and articulate the orchestra’s each will answer this question differently. reason for being.

Orchestras in large communities with Are the roles and responsibilities of a board changing? Are expectations of board members shifting?

“Historically, a true When scandals happen in the nonoutward focus has not been profit sector, expectations for transparcharacteristic of some arts ency and accountability grow. Arts organizations. Orchestras organizations that receive any governshould be doing what human- ment funding are under added scrutiny.

Many cultural groups earn less than service organizations have 50 percent of their income from ticket always done, whether it’s sales, so they are out in the community thinking about the value they raising tax-advantaged dollars. In an era bring to the community or of instant communication, every scandal responding to community and wrongdoing puts the sector under expectations and needs.” the microscope. Board members have never faced greater expectations for good full-time musicians will have different outgovernance than they do now. reach programs than orchestras in smaller What provocative ideas might stimucommunities with part-time musicians. late fresh thinking, even if they are not Orchestras must think strategically about practical? community engagement and collaboration.

I think orchestra board members, musiHow can board members can make a cians, staff, and volunteers should be asking stronger case for support from donors “What does the community expect of us?” about the importance of the work of and “What can we do to bring cultural and their orchestras? economic value to this community?” HisDuring my training sessions I encourtorically, a true outward focus has not been age boards to work with their staffs to crecharacteristic of some arts organizations. ate a menu list of reasons to support and That might not sound very provocative, but donate to the orchestra. I call this the “50 it means that orchestras should be doing Reasons to Donate” sheet. Every board what human-service organizations have member must know all of the orchestra’s always done, whether it’s an outward focus talking points and all the reasons it brings or thinking about the value they bring to Samara Ungar

be on the board for all the wrong reasons.

They are motivated by status and not by a desire to help the community and to benefit the arts.

One of the challenges nonprofits face concerns public perception. The size of the charitable sector has grown enormously.

The number of people working in the sector, and the tax-advantaged dollars flowing through the sector, make us just too big to ignore. Good governance is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.

What’s the one question you hear from all nonprofit boards? From staff members? Are questions being asked about orchestras that may not be asked of other nonprofits?

Orchestras are really not all that different from other nonprofits. Everyone wants to know how to do a better job at recruiting the right board members and how to get them to do effective fundraising.

What are the major trends in philanthropy and public policy regarding nonprofits today? What do they mean for boards of directors? How important is it to adapt to these shifts versus staying a traditional course?

There are multiple trends in philanthropy right now, but I will mention two.

As the nation deals with income inequality we find that more and more of the charitable dollar is coming from fewer people. High-net-worth individuals make up 4.5 percent of the U.S. population but they account for 51 percent of charitable dollars. The other trend is the increase in legacy giving. Thanks to the work of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett and their “Giving Pledge,” in which wealthy people promise to dedicate the majority of their wealth to philanthropy before they die or in their wills, we are having discussions in this country about the need to take care of your community in your estate plans. Bequest giving in 2013 rose at almost twice the rate as overall giving. Boards must work with their professional staffs to take maximum advantage of these realities.

In the public-policy area, the coming storm could be changes in the tax laws as they impact charitable giving. Congressman Paul Ryan is the new chair of the

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Jessica Balboni

levels. Every time a donor or a prospect meets a staff member, a board member, or a musician, they form an opinion of the orchestra, for better or worse.

Last spring I did fund­raising training for Participants break for discussion at the “Building an Effective the board of directors of Fundraising Board” seminar at the League this January. the Sarasota Orchestra. the community or responding to commuThey were pretty fired up at the conclunity expectations and needs. sion, and with their fabulous executive You often speak about boards and a director decided they would invest in “fundraising culture.” What is that? fundraising training for the entire staff— How do we get there, in practical terms? from management to box office—as well Organizations and boards that have a as for musicians. While such training was fundraising culture have worked to intennot part of the musicians’ contract, the tionally infuse that characteristic throughmusician representatives on the board of out the organization. It impacts how you directors who had attended the earlier recruit board members and who you recruit board retreat thought it was so important, to the board. It impacts how you conduct and talked it up so much, that the attenboard meetings. It impacts the staff at all dance was overwhelming. The board chair

launched the training, and the musicians and staff were very receptive. Everyone associated with an orchestra should view themselves as a fundraiser.

Without successful fundraising there is less money for salaries, equipment, etc. Not very hard to grasp, if you are an employee.

Do you see a generational shift in expectations of board members regarding the mission of their chosen organizations, level of involvement, and expectations?

Many folks are doing research on this topic, and articles are often published in the trade papers that report on nonprofits about millennials and Generation X. The story that is unfolding is that they want to be hands-on, they want to be engaged quickly, they want to make a difference, and they do not want to attend boring meetings and be told “we have always done it that way.”

League Launches Orchestra Governance Center The League of American Orchestras has launched an Orchestra Governance Center, offering a comprehensive range of support, strategies, and programs designed to strengthen governance practice in orchestras. Newly developed regional seminars for board chairs, orchestra CEOs, and development staff, such as those recently presented in Cleveland and New York City, are a cornerstone of the Center’s activities. “High-performing boards are essential to institutional health,” says League President and CEO Jesse Rosen, “and we are delighted with the enthusiastic response we’ve had both from funders interested in supporting this vital programmatic area, and from orchestra board chairs and executive directors eager for new ideas and expert guidance.”

Orchestra Governance Center Grants of $3,000 to $5,500 help boards analyze strengths and weaknesses, roles and responsibilities, and priorities for board development. Regional Seminars for board members and CEOs cover such topics as promoting effective relationships between board, CEO, and development staff, improving fundraising, and building purposeful boards. Orchestra Board Chair Peer Groups feature facilitated discussion of top-level governance and strategic challenges—among them increasing board engagement, CEO

performance evaluations, and meeting new civic expectations.

Peer Exchange and Learning Sessions at the League’s National Conference are designed specifically for orchestra trustees.

Web-based Assessment Tools include Board Self-Assessment, Diversity in Action, and Your Orchestra, Your Community: Roadmap to Success. Pertinent and timely eBooks from BoardSource are available free to League members. The League provides free Webinars on governance-related and other topics of interest to trustees and orchestra staff. Further Governance Center materials include a Diversity and Inclusion Resource Center, a Public Value Communications Toolkit, an Orchestra Story Bank, and Online Discussion Groups.

As part of the Governance Center, the boards of directors of seven orchestras will receive 2014-15 Orchestra Governance Center Grants: Albany Symphony (NY); Billings Symphony Orchestra and Chorale (MT); Jackson Symphony Association (TN); Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra Society (HI); Music in the Mountains (CA); Symphony of Northwest Arkansas; and Wichita Symphony Orchestra (KS).

For more information on The Governance Center, go to americanorchestras.org and look under Governance.

The League’s Orchestra Governance Center is supported by the Noteboom Fund, with leadership gifts from Richard and Kay Fredericks Cisek, The Clinton Family Fund, Marcia and John Goldman, and the Sargent Family Foundation. Additional support is provided by generous grants from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

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symphony

SPRING 2015

You’re working hard to build audiences. nine evidence-based practices can help. t h e r o a d t o r e s u lt s

Nine Effective Practices

Wallace Studies in Building Arts Audiences

for Building Audiences for the Arts

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Prepare for Success

EffEctivE Pr ActicES for Building ArtS AudiEncES

Plan for the heavier workload and new staff skills that serving new audiences requires.

1

Recognize When Change Is Needed Respond to audience challenges and opportunities that matter to your organization’s future.

2 8

Build in Learning Experiment. Evaluate.

Adjust. Repeat.

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Focus on a group receptive to your art form and organization, and that leaders agree makes sense to pursue.

3

Align the Organization Around the Strategy

Expanded and Engaged Audiences

t h e r o a d t o r e s u lt s BoB harlow

EffEctivE Pr acticEs

Provide Multiple Ways In Offer a variety of engaging experiences to introduce the target audience to your organization and art form.

4

5

Think Through the Relationship

Determine What Kinds of Barriers Need to be Removed Are the obstacles between you and the target group practical matters like ticket pricing, people’s perceptions or the audience experience itself?

Make sure organization leaders and staff understand and embrace the strategy and their roles in it.

6

Identify the Target Audience that Fits

Take Out the Guesswork Use audience research to understand the target group’s views on your organization and art form.

Develop a vision for how the target audience will interact with your organization.

for Building arts audiEncEs

By BoB harlow

This infographic summarizes The Road to Results: Effective Practices for Building Arts Audiences, a guide based on the work of 10 arts organizations that received funding from The Wallace Foundation between 2006 and 2012 to develop audience-building initiatives. An analysis of their efforts, which were shaped by audience research and then evaluated, revealed nine factors contributing to their success. To read the report and see other Wallace publications about audience building, visit www.wallacefoundation.org.

based on case studies of 10 arts organizations that undertook audience-building projects as part of the wallace excellence awards initiative, this guide and infographic pinpoint nine practices that successful efforts had in common.

download the report and infographic for free. wa l l a c e f o u n d a t i o n . o r g

COMMENT In the spring issue of Symphony, we published a discussion by Eric Booth of Geoff Baker’s new book, El Sistema: Orchestrating Venezuela’s Youth.

The book’s criticisms of Venezuela’s El Sistema movement and its founder, José Antonio Abreu, have received wide notice, with strongly worded reviews and opinion pieces appearing in numerous newspapers and media outlets.

And the book continues to be at the center of impassioned debate throughout the classical music community, especially among those involved in Sistema-inspired programs.

In the interest of providing a platform for productive public discussion about an important issue for orchestras, we have offered Baker and Booth a final response and counter-response to the column that appeared in Symphony.

Geoff Baker:

El Sistema is one of the world’s most celebrated music programs. As a musicologist specializing in Latin America, I was fascinated as soon as I encountered it and began to study it in depth. Despite its fame and longevity, detailed research was in short supply. Those who had written about the program often lacked the combination of research skills, regional knowledge, language ability, and long-term immersion necessary to get beneath its surface. Eric Booth, who wrote his first article after one week in Venezuela, was a case in point.

The results were attractive, inspirational even, but also superficial, rose-tinted, and frequently misguided. He describes himself as an “expert” on El Sistema, but this is setting the bar very low.

So before I began writing El Sistema: Orchestrating Venezuela’s Youth, I spent more than a year on the ground. I was also building on a substantial foundation, having researched and written about the region’s music since 1996. Whatever Booth may think of the outcome, it constitutes in-depth, academically grounded, peer-reviewed research of a kind he himself has never done on Venezuelan music education.

There are serious question marks, then, over Booth’s qualifications to judge my book, and his “personal response” is replete with errors and misjudgments—for example, mixing up sources and berating me for not citing a study that he has not read himself. The problem is partly a

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simple lack of knowledge. He could only claim that El Sistema’s new initiatives are “barely publicized” if he were completely oblivious to the program’s active press office and the Venezuelan media. “Highly vulnerable” is a perplexing label for a cultural institution with an immense budget and unprecedented political power. At times, his myopia seems deliberate, since it rests on ignoring key evidence, such as three major articles on José Antonio Abreu published in the Venezuelan press in the 1990s, which I discuss at length but he fails even to acknowledge.

Booth is an idealist, which can be positive, but not when it morphs into naiveté.

He sees the marketing but thinks that it is the whole truth. He believes that every question can be answered by a manager or official spokesperson. He knows the theory, then, but not the actual practice.

Conveying an institution’s official line to the outside world is PR, not research, and it obscures rather than clarifies contentious issues like sexual abuse.

Booth is of course free to believe whatever he wants about El Sistema. Criticizing my methodology is more questionable, since he is not a scholar and my book was approved by half a dozen academic peerreviewers. Implying that I may have deliberately distorted my data is simply beyond the pale. The examples to which he refers constitute something entirely different.

His failure to grasp the fundamental distinction between openly disagreeing with another author’s interpretation and

covertly distorting one’s own interview data illustrates a poor understanding of basic academic processes. He should either substantiate his allegation, producing complaints from some of my interviewees, or retract it.

Booth finds my book “disheartening.”

I’m glad: the reality of El Sistema is, in some important ways, disheartening. Yet responses from scholars and experienced Venezuelan musicians have been very positive, though tellingly, the latter cannot say so publicly for fear of the consequences. A top Venezuelan musician not only praised the book highly, but said that it left him feeling “inspired.” It is littered with suggestions, solutions, alternatives, and positive examples. Diehard Sistema fans may be upset, but open-minded readers interested in orchestras, music education, and social justice will find much to ponder, and they would do well to take Booth’s subjective and poorly grounded opinions with a large pinch of salt.

Eric Booth:

Geoffrey Baker and I disagree on many things, such as: I like orchestras. I think Venezuelans get to decide what kind of music they like without being labeled colonialist if they add Beethoven to Márquez. I think kids learn a lot of good things in youth orchestras. I think El Sistema has brought incalculable good to Venezuela and the world. I think José Antonio Abreu is a great leader.

But we do agree on something—that good, solid research would be helpful to El Sistema. So does the leadership of El Sistema, who have expressed willingness to work with Baker if he would like to actually speak with them, rather than skulk symphony

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around talking only to the disaffected.

However, Baker’s recent book is not that research. It is tabloid journalism posing as research. Indeed I am not an academic researcher as Baker charges, nor have I ever purported to be; so I queried Baker’s methodology with established researchers in his field. Their most positive response was, “questionable.” For Symphony readers to get the feel of the book, imagine inviting Ted Cruz to opine anonymously about Barack Obama and reporting that as the true story, and you get a glimmer of the hundreds of repetitive pages of attack in Baker’s book, offset by about a dozen lines recognizing that El Sistema may have done something positive. For every nasty comment Baker published (unsurprising when reporting on a gigantic institution), there are tens of thousands to the contrary—but they remain unmentioned, as are the hundreds of dedicated, always-seeking-improvement workers in

americanorchestras.org

Venezuela, who are ignored, insulted, and baffled by this book. Let me point out by way of clarification for those who will not read Baker’s book that he does not address or criticize the international growth of El Sistema in any way, aside from a few swipes at Sistema England. So don’t let his diatribe against Venezuela’s El Sistema unsettle your interest or enthusiasm for the growth in the U.S. (117 programs) or in the 60-plus other countries that have started Sistema-inspired programs.

I won’t bore busy Symphony readers with itemized refutations of the ad hominem attacks that seem to be Baker’s preferred mode of professional exchange. I am glad Mr. Baker has found someone in Venezuela who liked his book, even though that person’s name remains as secret and unverifiable as the sources in his book. I too have found some people who share my doubts about the book, and I can share their names: not only Marshall Marcus

of Sistema Europe and others who have spent much more time in Venezuela than Baker, but also the book reviewers James R. Oestreich, New York Times (“Reads like a vendetta … his methods are disturbing … relentless overkill”); Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times (“Baker misrepresents what Sistema does, stands for, accomplishes, and those in it”), and my personal favorite

by Hervé Le Mansec, in the French online magazine Res Musica (“the book explodes in your face like a tiny damp firecracker”).

I have just returned from Venezuela after attending the 40th anniversary celebration of El Sistema. In light of the jubilant events and the one million concerts that students aspire to present throughout the country in the celebration month, Baker’s petty attacks on me personally and distorted attacks on Sistema broadly seem so irrelevant and unhelpful as to warrant neglect rather than further response.

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LEAGUE

AT THE

Knowledge Is Power The League knows orchestras. And its Knowledge Center is there to help them, both with answers to daily questions and with guidance for the future.

by Chester Lane

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hat percentage of North American orchestra musicians are female?” “On average, what is the ratio of earned to contributed income at orchestras?” “How long is the average tenure of music directors?” Such questions come in to the League of American Orchestras on a regular basis.

And the League has answers.

Helping orchestras tackle the myriad challenges of running their organizations has always been a primary goal of the League. It began collecting financial and operational data from its member orchestras soon after the organization was founded in 1942. In 1955 the League began the annual practice of distributing aggregated data to all orchestras that supplied information about their own operations in response to a survey. To a large extent, the League’s capacity for serving its member orchestras stems from the vast amount of information it receives from those orchestras, returns to them in the form of regular reports, and is able to draw upon in responding to specific requests.

Since 2008, this repository of information and expertise has been known as the Knowledge Center.

With a staff of three headed by Mi Ryung Song (see sidebar), the Knowledge Center looks both outward, to the League

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membership—interacting one-on-one with administrators, board members, volunteers, and artistic personnel on a daily basis—and inward, to the Knowledge Center’s own aggregated data. These data

reflect field-wide trends, as in the annual Administrative Staff Salary and Benefits Survey, or they provide benchmarks in a host of different operational areas for orchestras in specific budget categories (the annual Orchestra Statistical Report or “OSR”) and for youth orchestras (the Youth Orchestra Survey). In addition to responding daily to questions from member orchestras, two of the Knowledge Center’s top concerns are helping them find specific information in previous reports and advising them on how to provide accurate survey data for future reports.

The Knowledge Center staff, accessible by phone or email through the “About the League” tab on americanorchestras. org, work as a team in fielding member requests, says Daniel Morris, manager of research and analysis. “We share inquiries as they come in. Most are fulfilled by Dave”—the League’s Knowledge Center assistant, David Bojanowski—“but the

Who contacts Center?

Who contactsthe theKnowledge Knowledge Center?

Executive Office Knowledge Center Requests

by Job Category in 2014 2%

1%

Finance & HR Board Members & Trustees

1%

2%

Development

3% 5%

Music Directors & Conductors

5%

Operations 43%

7%

Artistic Administrators Education & Community Engagement

12% 18%

Marketing & PR Volunteers Orchestra Musicians symphony

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go-to person for development questions is Mi Ryung, who has broad experience in that area from her work in the orchestra field.”

Nearly half of the inquiries fielded by the Knowledge Center come from executive directors, with finance or human resources personnel and board members making up another 30 percent of the total (see chart). “I talk a lot to orchestras in budget groups three through eight,” Bojanowski says. “Many of these orchestras have only one or two or three people on staff, with generalized responsibilities.

With the big orchestras we’ll often get questions from specialists like the finance director or a human resources person.”

Morris says members often have questions about information that has already been reported. “The OSR is so comprehensive that even if they have the report they may not know exactly what’s in it. They might say, ‘I want benchmarks for this, this, and

this with these orchestras.’ So we’ll dig through the OSR, find information that could be useful to them in solving their problem, and get them what they need.”

Information-related questions are sometimes relayed to the Knowledge Center through the League’s Membership Department. Press inquiries that come directly to the Knowledge Center are routed to the League’s director of media relations, Rachelle Schlosser. “We’ll supply Rachelle with information and have a conversation about what can be given out to the public about broad trends in the orchestra field based on what we know,” Morris says. This information helps the League give reporters a contextual overview of how the field is doing as a whole, or how a variety of orchestras are dealing with similar concerns.

“With the exception of the Orchestra Repertoire Report, which is accessible through the ‘Knowledge, Research, and Innovation’ tab on the League’s website, the full infor-

What do they want to know?

What do they want to know?

Knowledge Center Requests

by Topic in 2014

6%

HR & Compensation

Financial Operations & Benchmarking

5%

8%

Fundraising & Endowments

9% Diversity

12%

60% Artistic & Repertoire

Attendance & Sales

americanorchestras.org

mation gathered in our surveys is available only to the participating orchestras.”

(The League takes matters of confidentiality very seriously, and does not permit the sharing of privileged information about individual orchestras. Visit the “League Antitrust Policy and Guidelines” section of americanorchestras.org for more information.)

As valuable as aggregated data is to the League and its membership, supplying all of the information sought in the OSR survey can be a challenge for orchestras. A typical inquiry, says Bojanowski, would be

The Knowledge Center’s capacity to serve member orchestras stems from the vast amount of information it receives from orchestras, which it draws upon in responding to requests. about “where to put a particular revenue figure in the OSR. Members may need advice about how to fill out the survey properly so that we get the correct data.

Many people just want to speak directly to someone on the phone, make sure that everything is right at both ends of the survey. There are 1,600-plus data points in the OSR, and it’s not always black and white as to what belongs where.” Accurate information for those data points helps the Knowledge Center answer such member questions as “What is the average ticket price for orchestras of my budget size?”; “How much are orchestras of my size paying for general hall expenses?”; and “What is the ethnic breakdown for orchestral musicians across the industry?”

The most recent Youth Orchestra Survey was a compilation of data from the 200910 season. That report has traditionally been issued every two years, says Morris, but “we skipped 2011-12 because we wanted to revamp the survey, make the data more robust and relevant.” The redesigned survey, which collects data from the 2013-14 season, has been sent to all members of the League’s Youth Orchestra Division, and the Knowledge Center has

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Staff of the League of American Orchestras’ Knowledge Center (from left): Daniel Morris, Mi Ryung Song, and David Bojanowski

Mi Ryung Song, Knowledge Center interim director, is a performing arts omnivore and consultant who has held positions in artistic administration, fundraising, and education at the San Francisco Symphony, New York City Opera, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and The Juilliard School. During her fellowship with the League’s Orchestra Management Fellowship Program (2005-06), she assisted with marketing, operations, and special projects for the Aspen Music Festival and School, Cleveland Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and Baton Rouge Symphony.

Song received a B.M. degree in flute performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Daniel Morris, manager of research and analysis, has been analyzing data for performing arts organizations since 2008. He has worked with the Aspen Music Festival and School, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Kitchen Dog Theater, OK Mozart, and Irving (Tex.) Symphony Orchestra, where he was on the board of directors. Morris holds an M.B.A. and an M.A. in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship from Southern Methodist University and a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Oklahoma.

David Bojanowski, Knowledge Center assistant, is the most recent addition to the staff. He is a 2014 graduate of the League’s Essentials of Orchestra Management seminar, an intensive and highly interactive ten-day course focusing on the challenges of running an orchestra. Bojanowski plays viola with the Chelsea Symphony in New York City. He earned his B.M. degree in Music Business from Crane School of Music at the State University of New York-Potsdam.

To contact the Knowledge Center, email msong@americanorchestras.org, dmorris@americanorchestras.org, or dbojanowski@americanorchestras.org.

28

Chester Lane

Meet the Knowledge Center Team

extended the response deadline to early this summer in an effort to maximize participation.

Surveys are tweaked and updated in response to members’ needs. Song says that the revised survey form sent to youth orchestras “clarifies the questions and reduces the total number of questions asked.” The new survey has 70 questions; they include “How many performances does your orchestra give in a single season?”; “Is your orchestra affiliated with a professional orchestra or independent?”; and “Does your orchestra offer scholarships based on financial need or talent?”

“Several years have gone by since the youth orchestras were last surveyed,” Song says, “and many of them are eager to share and benchmark their progress.” Morris notes that feedback on the new survey “has been overwhelmingly positive. A lot of our focus in the next couple of years will be redesigning other surveys, both to reduce barriers to participation and to make sure we are collecting the right information. We started this with the Youth Orchestra Survey and will try to do it with the OSR; 1,600 data points is too much for one person in a small orchestra to fill out. We want to narrow that down, distill the survey to what orchestras really need to know.”

Tracking Multi-Year Trends

Even as it compiles detailed, seasonspecific reports on orchestra operations and finances, the Knowledge Center is collaborating with other organizations on research that looks at longer-term trends.

One such project is a soon-to-be issued report called The Future of the Subscription Model in Orchestras. Also in the works is Orchestra Facts, an analysis of eleven years of OSR data, from the 2003-04 through 2013-14 seasons. The League hopes to release the latter report in time for the 2016 National Conference in Baltimore.

Strategies for maintaining and enhancing earned income and for cultivating donors are areas of vital concern for orchestras. The balance between subscription and single-ticket sales has shifted dramatically in recent years, with implications for marketing and development. The Future of the Subscription Model in Orchestras report, for which the League received pro bono sersymphony

SPRING 2015

vices from the international management consulting firm Oliver Wyman, addresses those concerns. “It looks at and analyzes subscription trends over the last ten years, and how they link to donor behavior,” says Morris. “It may revolutionize some of the ways that subscriptions are used throughout the performing arts. In the end we hope to have a set of recommendations

“The Future of the Subscription Model in Orchestras looks at and analyzes subscription trends over the last ten years, and how they link to donor behavior,” says Knowledge Center Manager of Research and Analysis Daniel Morris.

“It may revolutionize some of the ways that subscriptions are used throughout the performing arts.” for different strategies to increase patron loyalty and frequency of attendance.”

Orchestra Facts, initially supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, was first prepared for the League by the Urban Institute. “That organization has a history of analyzing nonprofits and looking at a broad spectrum of the nonprofit industry,” says Morris. “We sent data to them about a year ago and have been working with them on refining it. The Urban Institute has developed a methodology to make sure that what we’re putting out is both numerically sound and statistically significant, which will lend legitimacy and credibility to the report.”

As of late January, about 50 pages of the report had been completed.

Morris notes that Orchestra Facts will reveal significant growth in the size of the orchestra field over the years of the study, based on filings of the 990 federal tax form. The Knowledge Center has worked closely with the League’s Washington office—Vice President for Advocacy Heather Noonan and Government Affairs and Education Advocacy Manager Najean Lee—in documenting this growth. americanorchestras.org

Noonan “has been involved in all of our major meetings about Orchestra Facts,” says Morris, “and is helping us develop the messaging around what the data are telling us,” while Lee has “created a map showing the ZIP codes for all orchestras in the 990 filing universe. Orchestras are scattered everywhere, and can be found in 95 percent of the congressional districts.

“Orchestra Facts will chart the increase

in the number of orchestras year by year, broken down by budget size,” Morris says.

“The majority of the growth is among orchestras with budgets of less than a million dollars. What’s really encouraging is not just that all of these orchestras exist, but that new ones are being founded all the time.”

CHESTER LANE is Symphony’s senior editor.

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Friendlier Skies Faced with inconsistent airline policy, Time for Three violinist Zachary De Pue gave an impromptu concert on the tarmac when airline personnel told him he needed to check his 250-year-old violin on a flight—and then let him carry it in the cabin on a following flight.

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We’ve all heard the frightening stories about trouble bringing musical instruments on airline flights.

Now uniform federal regulations governing air travel with musical instruments are finally in place.

symphony

SPRING 2015

Singer/songwriter Dave Carroll’s song and YouTube video “United Breaks Guitars” have racked up more than 20 million views. They describe the fate of his Taylor acoustic guitar at the hands of baggage handlers.

for Musicians

Digital Vision/Thinkstock

by Susan Elliott

W

hen Dave Carroll posted his now-famous “United Breaks Guitars” on YouTube in July 2009, it generated half a million views within three days. By mid-August of 2009, it was at five million views; by early September of 2013 it had reached 13.3 million. By now, the number is well over 20 million, the song—he wrote two more versions of it—has travelled to the top of the charts, and Carroll’s book, United Breaks Guitars, the Power of One Voice in the Age of Social Media, has made him a celebrity on the speaker circuit.

The singer/songwriter’s tale of woe, describing the fate of his Taylor acoustic guitar in the hands of United’s baggage handlers on a flight from Chicago to Omaha, is but one of many horror stories from musicians traveling by air—certainly it’s among the few with such a happy ending. More recent ones include the broken neck of Wu Man’s $50,000 pipa by a US Airways flight attendant, or, on a lighter note, Time for Three violinist and Indianapolis Symphony Concertmaster Zachary De Pue’s impromptu concert on the tarmac when the same airline instructed him to check his 250-year-old violin. He and his instrument were put on a subsequent flight, where he met no resistance at all to carrying his instrument onboard, pointing up another problem: consistency—or lack thereof—of policy from one flight crew to another, not to mention one airline to another. americanorchestras.org

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Help is on the way. Thanks to the combined efforts of the League of American Orchestras, the American Federation of Musicians, Chamber Music America, the Recording Academy, Performing Arts Alliance, and other arts organizations, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued very specific regulations for U.S. air carriers dictating how musical instruments are to be handled. They went into effect on March 6.

The law, part of the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act (P.L. 112-95), has

Now Boarding

F

ind regularly updated information about air travel with musical instruments under Aviation Policy in the Advocacy & Government section of americanorchestras.org. In addition to other useful resources, you’ll find practical tips for traveling by air with instruments, links to airline policies, and information from the Department of Transportation, including the new regulations and underlying law.

In addition to registering complaints with airlines, musicians can contact the Department of Transportation concerning air travel complaints at http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/airtravel-complaint-comment-form.

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actually been on the books for three years.

What took so long? “The law couldn’t go into effect until regulations were in place,” explains League Vice President for Advocacy Heather Noonan. “We’ve known of situations with musicians showing up at the airport with the statute in their hands [to show the airline personnel], but the statute didn’t apply because the regulations hadn’t been published. In partnership with the AFM and other music colleagues, a thoughtful and productive dialogue with the airlines and the Administration ultimately brought about the final action needed.”

A letter last February to DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx, signed by 35 members of Congress, sped up the process considerably.

The League issued an alert to orchestras urging them to ask their members of Congress to sign the letter swiftly. Within just a few days, a bi-partisan group was on board, led

by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN), with additional leadership from the Congressional Arts Caucus co-chairs Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Leonard Lance (R-NJ). “Countless stories have emerged over the years of musicians whose guitars, lutes, flutes, and other musical instruments have been damaged because of a patchwork series of airline policies that put these fragile and valuable instruments in danger,” the letter read. “Musicians arrive to their destinations only to learn their instruments were lost or find their instruments damaged, with little if any time to replace them before a scheduled performance.

Max Whittaker

Wu Man, seen here with the Silk Road Ensemble at UC Davis’s Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, is among the musicians who have faced problems flying with her instrument: the neck of her pipa was broken by a flight attendant. The airline eventually flew her twice to Beijing to consult with the instrument’s maker.

This puts livelihoods at risk. …

We urge you to ensure this rulemaking is a priority.”

Ultimately, the letter had its desired effect. After five months of further prodding on the part of the League, the AFM, the Recording Academy, and other members of the advocacy team, Secretary Foxx and his staff convened a meeting. In addition to the music camp and DOT, attendees included representatives of the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA), Airlines for America (A4A, the airlines trade group), and the AFLCIO. Jennifer Mondie, a violist with the National Symphony Orchestra and a member of the board of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM), joined the meeting to provide the direct perspective of traveling musicians—and she played her viola. “The performance by Jennifer provided an essential reminder of what is at stake, and also acted as an effective ice breaker,” says Noonan.

“It helped to be able to actually show them what we were talking about,” says Mondie. “I played two minutes or so of Bach. They were fascinated, and I think it made them much more appreciative, more understanding of why I needed to bring this specific instrument with me. I can’t just pick up anything” and make the beautiful sounds they had just heard. “We were trying to make them understand that this is what classical musicians carry onboard and this is why it’s important for us to do so.” Guitarist David Pomeroy of the Nashville local AFM brought his guitar to a subsequent meeting and performed.

After multiple conversations, and an additional appeal from Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), whose constituents in the band Deer Tick encountered difficulty boarding a flight with guitars, the DOT issued the long-awaited rules on January 5, 2015, and provided airlines 60 days to prepare to be in compliance.

Rules and Regulations

Essentially there are now three ways to transport a musical instrument on an airplane. The DOT designates them as follows: small musical instruments as carryon baggage; large musical instruments as symphony

SPRING 2015

americanorchestras.org

U.S. Department of Transportation

Scott Suchman

carry-on baggage; and large musical instruments as checked baggage. Each follows the same regulations that govern any luggage of similar size. Thus, if you want to put your violin/viola/flute/whatever in the overhead bin or under the seat, it essentially becomes your second piece of carry-on luggage; if it fits, and if there’s room (board early, even if you have to pay extra), airline personnel are instructed (more on that later) to let you have the space, even if it takes up that of two roller-board suitcases.

“There is a wide array of variables that might make travel with instruments in cabin challenging, even under the new rules,” says Noonan. “Given different airplane sizes and seating configurations, the dimensions of the space available can vary greatly.

We are working closely with the airlines to see how musicians might learn more about the dimensions of various aircraft before traveling. What the new rules ensure is that if space is available, musical instruments may not be indiscriminately banned from coming on board.”

The new regulations do not require every airline to adopt policies that allow passengers to buy an extra seat for a large instrument, such as a cello, but do require those that have such policies to follow through on them once a seat is purchased, so long as all safety requirements are met. Airlines that allow the purchase of a seat for a musical instrument cannot charge more for that seat than the cost of a ticket for a person—and if it is properly encased, weighs no more than 165 pounds, is strapped in adequately, and isn’t blocking seatbelt signs, exits, or views thereof, it should be fine. The DOT encourages airlines that don’t yet allow purchasing a seat for an instrument to adopt new policies allowing musicians to do so. To quote from the prelude to the regulations, since “FAA safety regulations do not mandate that a carrier must allow in their carry-on baggage programs the stowage of a large carry-on item on a passenger seat, we do not require in this final rule that those carriers whose programs do not provide such stowage amend their programs to allow it…. We do, however, encourage these carriers to consider modifying their programs to allow the stowage of large musical instruments at passenger seats, provided that all safety requirements are met.”

Category three—cases in which a large musical instrument must be checked—is

League of American Orchestras Vice President for Advocacy Heather Noonan worked closely with arts groups, government agencies, and policy makers to get uniform federal regulations concerning air travel with musical instruments in place.

National Symphony Orchestra violist and ICSOM board member Jennifer Mondie provided a musician’s perspective in meetings with policy makers about regulations covering air travel with instruments.

“We were trying to make [policy makers] understand that this is what classical musicians carry onboard and this is why it’s important for us to do so,” says Jennifer Mondie, a violist with the National Symphony Orchestra and board member of ICSOM. perhaps the scariest, unless a musician has packed the instrument appropriately and planned in advance to have it travel in the cargo hold. The primary goal of the new rules for carry-on items is to avoid situations in which musicians will be unexpectedly asked to check their instruments just prior to boarding. Musicians have reported that some airline counter personnel have declined allowing musical instruments as checked baggage. Under the new rules, if a musician wants to check an instrument as cargo, the instrument is treated similarly to regular luggage, but some special treatment does apply. An airline must accept an instrument as checked baggage if the sum of the length, width, and height of the item does not exceed 150 inches (including the case), its weight does not exceed 165 pounds, and the item meets the catch-all requirement that “the instrument can be stowed in accordance with the requirements for carry-on baggage or cargo established by the FAA.” Instruments larger than these size and weight limits may still be checked as oversize baggage at the airline’s discretion, but may then be subject to additional “oversize” fees.

“We are relying on musicians for good information about whether the airlines are complying or not,” says DOT General Counsel Katie Thomson. “If they’re not, we encourage them to make a complaint to us.”

What’s Next?

The new regulations were made public on January 5, 2015. “So the next question is, now what?,” says Noonan. “The airlines had 60 days from that final ruling being published to implementation. That means they need to update their policies. The FAA-approved carry-on and checked-baggage policies for each airline need to be updated to be consistent with the new regulations. And they’re expected to train personnel on how to implement their new policy for musical instruments.”

The DOT states that airlines should ensure training is in place for:

• Baggage and gate operations managers • Counter and gate agents • First-line supervisors of these agents • Baggage acceptance clerks and handlers

• Flight attendants All the same, travelers should be well informed and prepared for flying with instruments; clear communication with the airline before flying is important. “The League and its partners are working closely with the major airlines to get a full understanding of how they will implement the new policies, and have crafted detailed tips to help musicians plan to travel with their instrument,” says Noonan. “Properly packing instruments for travel, asking air-

33

lines in advance about any space restrictions of the particular aircraft being flown, boarding flights early, and communicating with flights personnel at every step can smooth the way for successful travel.”

Musicians can expect that it will take time for airlines to completely implement the new rules. “It will be very helpful for airlines to more clearly explain how their policies support travel with musical in-

struments,” says Noonan. “But if airline personnel don’t implement those policies consistently, then musicians are still left in a terribly risky situation. Musicians should experience far better circumstances for travel, but may continue to experience challenges as the airlines adapt. It is very important for musicians to report any problems directly to the airline and to the DOT to ensure forward momentum on

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The DOT designates musical instruments as follows: small instruments as carry-on baggage; large instruments as carry-on baggage; and large instruments as checked baggage.

policy improvements.”

What if a musician encounters resistance from an airline about bringing a small- to medium-sized instrument onboard? “If a musician runs into a problem, he or she can file a complaint with the airline, as has always been the case,” says Noonan.

“The musician should also file a complaint with the DOT. The swiftest response to a case will come by dealing directly with the airline.

Filing a complaint to DOT adds the issue to the tracking system DOT uses to monitor where the patterns of problems are happening, so that the agency can take action when needed.”

The DOT confirms that it is ready and willing to do just that. “We are relying on musicians for good information about whether the airlines are complying or not,” says DOT General Counsel Katie Thomson. “If they’re not, we encourage them to make a complaint to us so we can follow up.

We’ll be doing spot checks as well.”

Asked about how and when action might be taken against an offending airline, Thomson says, “We look for a pattern and practice of violations. If we determine an airline has one, then we pursue an enforcement action and can seek both penalties and corrective action from the airline. Generally that is subject to negotiation.”

Nevertheless, Thomson points out, “Airlines have no requirement to reimburse a musician for a damaged musical instrument.”

However, in some cases, they have done so. Most airlines spell out in their contracts of carriage the limitations of their liability for damaged, destroyed, or lost items.

US Airways not only covered the cost of a new pipa, it also paid for Wu Man to fly roundtrip to Beijing twice to consult with the instrument’s maker—fortunately the same one who had crafted the original. In an article previewing her first concert with the new instrument, The New York Times described it as “a beauty to look at…. It is also a beauty to hear in Ms. Wu’s hands.”

SUSAN ELLIOTT writes frequently on the arts and is the editor of MusicalAmerica.com.

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MUSE/IQUE

PENNSYLVANIA PHILHARMONIC The main mission of the Pennsylvania Philharmonic is music in the schools.

Startups

LAKE TAHOE SUMMERFEST

National Arab Orchestra founder and conductor Michael Ibrahim, shown here playing the oud.

MUSE/IQUE

NATIONAL ARAB ORCHESTRA

MUSE/IQUE performs a regular series of concerts on the CalTech campus. Most musicians in the orchestra stand up to perform.

A young audience member at a Lake Tahoe SummerFest performance

Rising It’s supposed to be a tough time for the arts.

by Jennifer Melick

36

Along with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, starting a new business is part of the quintessential American Dream. Today, as we slowly pull out of a national recession, startups are everywhere, from the tech sector to retail and service industries. And a healthy amount of new activity is bubbling up at orchestras.

New groups are popping up all over, formed by conductors, music educators, composers, and arts administrators, with several entering the market recently or in the last few years. Motivations vary, but all are the result of conscious decisions to focus on specific missions: some orchestras fill a community niche, some focus on pops and education, some bring forward minority musicians, some focus on neglected or unfamiliar music, some offer completely new hybrids of music, and some aim for a more interactive concert format. What these emphatically are not are just “our city needs an orchestra.”

Here, we take a closer look at eight groups. While each orchestra has a very different story to tell, they share a few things in common. Every person interviewed for this article was at pains to point out that they are trying out new ideas and different approaches, not symphony

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Mike Ledford

At the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra’s June 2014 performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Dell Music Center, Jerrell Jackson (far right) plays side by side with amateur musician Joshua Good, a string teacher in the Philadelphia school district.

GO-GO SYMPHONY

COLOUR OF MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Go-Go Symphony, Capital City Symphony, and Da Originalz dance troupe in a combined performance at Washington, D.C.’s Atlas Performing Arts Center, June 2014

Yet people are launching orchestras everywhere. Why?

SAVANNAH PHILHARMONIC

The Savannah Philharmonic performs fullorchestra concerts throughout the community.

Geoff L. Johnson

g

The horn section performs at the Colour of Music Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.

Jeri Lynne Johnson leads the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Dell Music Center, June 21, 2014.

Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra

In 2008, Philadelphia-based conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson formed Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra. Her goal: to create a “totally diverse” orchestra that would be a “model for the 21st-century orchestra.” In addition to public performances throughout Philadelphia, Black Pearl offers open rehearsals and programs in partnership with the school district of Philadelphia.

“The catalyst for starting Black Pearl was a job audition that I took for music director at an orchestra,” says Johnson, a 2005 recipient of the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship for aspiring women conductors. “I was one of three finalists, and I did not get the job. When I asked why, a member of the search committee said, ‘You just don’t look like what our audience expects a conductor to look like.’

That was 2007. I give this date, because I

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think it was significant in terms of a sort of sea change in America about the image of leadership; at that time Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were the Democratic nominees for president. That began to really change people’s minds about how important diversity is in this country. When I started Black Pearl, it was with that in mind.

“I’m in Philadelphia, so I’ve got access to some of the finest musicians in the country. Why not have a totally diverse orchestra? It’s quite simply good business. Our audience demographic profile is probably 60 percent African American.” The orchestra musicians are a mix of all races and ethnicities.

“One of the things that came out of being told you don’t look like our audience expects you to look, was I decided I’m going to turn everybody into a conductor— everybody looks like a conductor! That’s the foundation of our education outreach.

We put a baton in young people’s hands, and we’re teaching them leadership skills, executive function skills, verbal/non-verbal communication, and self-esteem.

“A few years ago we did iConduct, where we took one piece, Beethoven 5, and we did it at four different locations throughout the city. The simple idea was, let the general public stand up there and wave their arms around. People might say, ‘I don’t like classical music,’ but once they get that baton in their hand, and feel the orchestra actually responding, when they feel that power, they love it. It’s transformative.”

Colour of Music Festival

In 2013 in Charleston, South Carolina, Lee Pringle launched the Colour of Music, a five-day October festival spotlighting black musicians and composers of African heritage. The decision came after a 2012 Charleston Symphony concert Pringle was involved with, featuring the Mozart Requiem and honoring a composer of African ancestry who lived in France during Mozart’s era: Chevalier du Saint-Georges (born Joseph Bologne, 1745-99). “Most people had never heard of Saint-Georges,”

Jonathan Riess

trying to be the next Los Angeles Philharmonic or Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The phrase “making orchestras more accessible” came up repeatedly, unprompted, in multiple conversations. The orchestras’ founders are seasoned professionals whose fiscal approaches all reflect a post-recession caution. In every case, musicians are paid per-service. These orchestras appear determined not to get too big too fast, to program only what they can pay for, and hope to “avoid the pitfall of basically running a nonprofit that’s a bucket with a hole in it,” as the founder of Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra jokingly put it.

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Go-Go Symphony performs a funk/classical hybrid, billed as “music you can dance and party to.”

Go-Go Symphony

Launched in Washington, D.C. in 2013 and marketing itself as a “symphony you can dance and party to,” this group stretches the meaning of “orchestra” well beyond its usual definition. Wanting to try something completely different, founder Liza Figueroa Kravinsky, a composer and violinist, put together her own hybrid ensemble, whose roughly 20 musicians perform a D.C. variety of funk known as go-go, using classically trained musicians alongside musicians from the go-go sphere.

Why blend go-go and classical? “Go-go focuses on the beat, and that can get monotonous,” says Figueroa Kravinsky. “Classical focuses on the melody and harmonies and development of such, but it can use a beat, so people can dance to it. At our first concert at the Smithsonian National Mall in June 2013, kids passing by actually stopped and pulled their parents toward us, because they were attracted to the beat. The beat is a lot like human beatboxing; that syncopated swing beat that you hear all over alternative music and hip-hop is actually from go-go music. Audiences are asked to participate with a call and response, which is part of the go-go culture: an emcee tells the audience how to call and respond. People dance and chant and call and respond and clap, and the beat keeps going, the music never stops. Each song or movement is about as long as a pop song.

“Sometimes we’re a small ensemble that can play in clubs and smaller locations,

and sometimes we team up with a symphony orchestra for the full effect.” The group regularly partners with the community orchestra Capital City Symphony at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in the city’s H Street corridor. “My staff are the members of the ensemble. The production manager for our next show is our guitarist. Our tenor tax player does our publicity. Our librarian—our timpanist—does our videos and photography. Our alto sax player, who also does flute beatboxing, composed about half of our latest set. It’s

Artistic Director Joel Revzen in Incline Village, Nevada, home to Lake Tahoe SummerFest

Chris Talbot

says Pringle. “The concert was a huge hit— many, many people wanted to know more about Saint-Georges.”

Under Pringle and Music Director Marlon Daniel, the festival includes fullorchestra and chamber music concerts as well as lectures and a symposium. “In 2016 we’re planning to do an opera by SaintGeorges, featuring soprano Magali Léger, a native of Guadeloupe, Saint-Georges’ birthplace. This coming fall, opening night will be Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and we’ll also perform Adolphus Hailstork’s Shouting for Joy with brass, timpani and organ—a big piece—as well as Stravinsky’s Symphony No. 4 and a new commission by a black composer. When our patrons see an all-black orchestra onstage, I think they are kind of taken aback. I expected to see our audience makeup to be 70 percent white, 30 percent black. To my surprise, it’s the opposite. That’s “Our goal is to why I know I’m showcase the onto something.

“The Charleston enormous body of work of black Symphony, where I previously served composers,” on the board, has says Lee Pringle, been very supfounder of the portive of what Colour of Music we’re doing. Once Festival. “Until we get a little bit we get the major more established I want to partner orchestras to together. I met program the music, with their CEO, it will continue Michael Smith, to be music that several weeks ago, nobody knows and he has agreed. exists.” I think it would be a win-win for both of us. Our goal is to be an ambassador for our country and showcase the enormous body of work that black composers have put towards this art form. Until we get the major orchestras to program the music, it will continue to be music that nobody knows exists.”

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a lot like being in a band. The age range of the musicians is anywhere from 22 to 65, and the racial diversity is really wide.”

Figueroa Kravinsky says a few other orchestras have contacted her about working with them, and that eventually she’d like “to play with other orchestras around the country or around the world.” Plans are underway for Go-Go Symphony to perform at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas a year from now.

Lake Tahoe is a scenic vacation spot popular with residents of San Francisco, the Silicon Valley, and Reno, Nevada. It has always had lots of outdoorsy, sporting options, but lacked a summer classical music festival. That changed in 2012, when Artistic Director/Conductor Joel Revzen helped launch Lake Tahoe SummerFest, a three-week festival of orchestral and chamber music on the campus of Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, Nevada. Brad Trexell is the festival’s executive director.

“Lake Tahoe SummerFest has by far the best orchestra I’ve ever worked with in my life,” says Revzen, who handpicks the festival’s 44 orchestra members each summer.

“We have seventeen players from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, eight of them principals. The rest are principal players from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Dallas Symphony, New York Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.”

Technically, it’s a pick-up orchestra, but Revzen says “between 98 to 100 percent of the orchestra comes back every summer.”

Revzen is on the conducting staff at the Metropolitan Opera, headed up Berkshire Opera for fourteen years, and has worked at Aspen Music Festival and School and with the London Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Festival programs are a meaty mix of full-orchestra programs (six), chamber concerts (three), and family concerts (one or two). Programs for 2015 feature music

by Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Beethoven, as well as themed evenings like the one featuring Copland’s Music for the Movies, Herrmann’s Psycho Suite, Nino Rota’s Divertimento for Double Bass, and music from Patrick Doyle’s Sense and Sensibility film score.

40

MUSE/IQUE

Lake Tahoe SummerFest

at ten public conerts a year.

They perform outdoors on the CalTech campus, and have also played at factories like Avon’s West Coast distribution center and in the Rose Bowl’s spacious locker rooms.

“Our February event called ‘Liberty Conceived’ focused on music that inspired Abraham Lincoln during his presidency,” says Worby. MUSE/IQUE was joined by a sixteen-voice gospel choir, and actor Courtney Vance narrated Copland’s Lincoln Portrait.

Other programs have featured music by Burt BachaMUSE/IQUE founder rach, and mashups of jazz/ and artistic director Vivaldi and “Latin-infused” Rachael Worby Fritz Kreisler selections, performed with a Latin pop/ The festival has run in the black evjazz/classical quartet called QUATTRO. ery summer since it opened in 2012 and “In year one, we had 1,000 people comis seeing nice ticket sales. It has an aning to music events, and in year three, nual budget just over $800,000. “My goal which just now concluded, we had 10,000 eventually is to have an orchestra of 50,” people,” says Executive Director Brian says Revzen. “But my belief is that as the Colburn. “We’re starting to involve artists finances appear, only then do we expand. in other facets of the organization. One of I’ve had to raise a lot of the money, so I our violinists, Julie Rogers, is also the head know how hard it is to come by.” of our education program for children in residential foster care,” a program known MUSE/IQUE as KIDS/IQUE. “The primary way most Launched in 2011 and based in Pasapeople attend is through membership—an dena, California, MUSE/IQUE is the alternative to traditional ticketing. You buy brainchild of Rachael Worby. A former a membership, we tell you when the events music director of the Pasadena Pops Orchestra whose The Detroit-based other orchestra affiliations National Arab have included the WheelOrchestra (logo ing Symphony Orchestra right) performs (West Virginia), Los Antraditional Arabic music. Founder geles Philharmonic, SpoMichael Ibrahim kane Symphony, and New says he wants to Hampshire Philharmonic establish the “first Orchestra, Worby says, full-time Arab “The driving message of orchestra in the United States.”

MUSE/IQUE is access.

One of the issues so many orchestras face is, how do we take away the barrier between the audience and the orchestra?” The group performs a mix of classical and non-classical music symphony

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National Arab Orchestra

Glenn Ross

are, and you just show up.

Our budget is $1.3 million. We see that growing a bit to $1.6 or $1.7 million over the next few years. Our strategic planning has really just begun in the last year.”

“I curate all the programs,” says Worby. “The orchestra stands up to play.

We don’t ever play from a pre-existing stage. We construct scenes and create a lighting design for each program. We ask our musicians to dress with ‘cocktail exuberance.’ Afterwards at our performances, people come up and say, ‘It was great!’ I love that.”

“The response to our concerts is sometimes even more rapturous from those students who have had no previous exposure to music,” says Michael Butterman, music director of the Pennsylvania Philharmonic. “I hope that when teachers and principals and administrators see this, it will have some impact on the emphasis music is given.”

In 2009, Michael Ibrahim formed the National Arab Orchestra. A SyrianAmerican conductor who trained in the U.S. on bassoon, Ibrahim says his idea has been to “to establish the first full-time Arab orchestra” in the United States, and for it to be as authentic as possible. The Detroitbased group’s members include musicians from Arab and non-Arab backgrounds, and they perform public concerts of traditional Arabic music in the U.S. An affiliated afterschool program teaches Arab music in public schools that serve low-income neighborhoods in Detroit.

“In Arabic music, performance is participatory,” says Ibrahim, who also plays the Middle Eastern oud (lute) and ney (flute). “We talk about the concept of the tarab, musical ecstasy, like in Indian music where they play a cycle for hours on end.

If you want to sing along with chorus, go ahead! If you want to clap, clap. When we say ‘classical’ Arabic music, it’s such a broad area. We’re talking about repertoire that spans over 2,000 years. This music has a lot of influences from North Africa and from Indian music, and it’s really heavily based in Byzantine music. The orchestra is americanorchestras.org

mostly violins, plus a few cellos, traditional Arabic instruments and percussion section, and bass.” In September 2015, NAO will perform a combined concert with the Michigan Philharmonic at Detroit’s Music Hall, with the centerpiece being Hewar, a commissioned work by Kareem Roustom scored for orchestra and takht, an ensemble of Middle Eastern instruments.

“Our concerts are well attended, anywhere between 800 and 1,000 people for a concert,” says Ibrahim. “There is a thirst for this type of music.

And it’s catchy! It’s not just Arabs. People like the energy, the atmosphere. I would love to tour, do a project with, say, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra or New York Philharmonic, where we would have two orchestras back to back, so people can see the difference between Arabic music and Western music by experiencing it firsthand. There are a lot of pieces, such as Carl Nielsen’s Aladdin Suite—how much of that was really influenced by Arabic music?”

Pennsylvania Philharmonic

This ensemble’s main focus is education.

More than half its activity involves bringing the full orchestra of 62 musicians into schools, in an area that covers the eastern portion of the state from Easton to York.

The group’s public launch in October 2014—Ravel/Gershwin concerts with

pianist Simone Dinnerstein—got some splashy media coverage in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The founder and chief executive is M. Scott Robinson, a lifelong resident of Pennsylvania and former executive director of the Lancaster (Pa.) Symphony Orchestra. The music director is Michael Butterman, who also holds conducting posts at the Boulder Philhar-

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Under Music Director Peter Shannon (kneeling at left), musicians from the Savannah Philharmonic regularly perform an abridged Magic Flute for children in the oncology wing at Savannah’s Memorial Hospital.

monic, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, nixville, Pottstown, Boyertown, Oxford, Rochester Philharmonic, and Shreveport and Bethlehem. “At each of those concerts Symphony.

I asked how many people were seeing or “In the 25-plus years that I’ve been in hearing a live orchestra for the first time,” the performing arts industry,” says Robinsays Butterman, “and the number of hands son, “working in the schools and putting that went up was about 80 to 90 percent of music back in students’ lives have been the the auditorium.” most successful pro“One of our prime grams that I’ve seen. considerations is to try All these Our idea is to make to avoid weeks where orchestras are the it easy for schools to our musicians, who are result of conscious say yes. Michael has busy freelance musidecisions to focus been so successful with cians, would be workon specific, targeted the interactive music ing someplace else—so missions. What these education programs they don’t have to make he does at the Rochesa choice,” says Robinson. emphatically are not ter Philharmonic and “We also have a small are just “our city around the country.” team of part-time staffneeds an orchestra.”

“With orchestras doers working behind the ing education concerts scenes doing fundraiswe have an opportunity to create a spark ing, orchestra operations, marketing, and of enthusiasm,” says Butterman. “The reother things. Right now we’re doing this sponse to our concerts is sometimes even all for under a million dollars a year. We’re more rapturous from those students who going to try to grow from there, but not have had no previous exposure to music. until we’re fully funded and secure where I hope that when teachers and principals we are.” and administrators see this, it will have some impact on the emphasis music is Savannah Philharmonic given in the future.” This fall, the PennThe year 2008 saw the emergence of the sylvania Philharmonic performed twelve Savannah Philharmonic “out of the ashes” school concerts in towns such as Phoeof the bankrupt Savannah Symphony. The

42

new group has worked hard to get its finances in order, but just as important, they have made a concerted effort to expand their role in the community. Among their new venues: the waiting room at J.C. Lewis Primary Health Care Center in West Savannah, which serves the homeless population, and the oncology department of Savannah’s Memorial Hospital, where they visit the children’s wing monthly to perform an abridged, slapstick version of Mozart’s Magic Flute.

“Savannah is a historical place, and it’s got a lot of culture,” says Artistic Director Peter Shannon. He says he remembers thinking to himself when he first arrived, “How hard can it be to awaken interest in an orchestra here? When I first arrived, people literally would hang up the phone when we would contact them. ‘I’ve given to an organization I don’t know how many times, and lost money, and I don’t want to hear about you guys anymore.’ We are still dealing to a certain extent with a burntearth syndrome. The main thing is that the artistic and financial side are now being run well. The artistic side of it is very important, but we can only do those things with money.” The orchestra now has dedicated, restricted funding for its education programs and the J.C. Lewis and Memorial Hospital programs, and has regained corporate sponsors for the classical music concert season.

Shannon notes that 2008 was “probably the worst time in recent history to start something like an orchestra! But there also was fertile ground. There were people who really wanted an orchestra back in Savannah. The difficult part was just getting their trust. David [Pratt, the orchestra’s executive director, who departed in March 2015 to become executive director of the Santa Barbara Symphony] has said, you’ve got to be the tightrope walker who goes across five or six times. Once isn’t enough.

Then when you go back, you’ve got to do a triple backwards somersault without a net, and then you’ve got to do a back flip, and then you’ve got to do a backwards somersault again. He used that metaphor to illustrate that it’s going to take time to win these people back, it’s going to take time to win trust.”

JENNIFER MELICK is managing editor of Symphony.

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1930 s

Festival Grant Park Music

Summer Music Festivals:

val Music Festi Grant Park

1954

1975

Music Grant Park

Festival

Then&

W 44

Philip Groshong

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

hen the Grant Park Concerts started in downtown Chicago in July of 1935, air conditioning was nonexistent, radio was the cool new technology, and the country was reeling from the Great Depression. There was a magic to hearing live orchestral music in the summer air, and what started as an effort by the Chicago Federation of Musicians to give unemployed musicians work grew over time into a treasured summertime tradition. ◗ Today, the Grant Park Music Festival gleams— literally. In 2004, the festival moved into a shiny concert pavilion designed by Frank Gehry that makes the Starship Enterprise look like an Edsel. The structure trumpets the festival’s ambitions, the caliber of its musicians, and its valued role in the life of its hometown. And from the start to today, the price was right: free. ◗ The growth of Grant Park might serve as a trope for what’s happened with summer music festivals as a whole in this country.

Now When the Cincinnati May Festival (right) was launched in 1873, it did not have much company. But today nearly every self-respecting town has some sort of live orchestral music series in the summer months. The festivals make music a mainstay of the season, enliven the economies of entire regions, and spotlight the consummate artistry Then of orchestras. But whether they take place in rustic bandstands or fancy new digs, festivals keep pace with the times, innovating within the classical tradition.

Some things do change: those ghostly flickers of light you see on the lawn are not fireflies—they are cellphones. ◗ What hasn’t changed is the experience of enjoying live orchestral music in the summer air.

The stars aren’t just in the sky, but much nearer: right there on stage. symphony

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At Chicago’s Grant Park Music Festival (opposite page, from top): the first band shell, in the 1930s; a Rodgers and Hammerstein Night in 1954; Leonard Slatkin conducts opening night of the 1975 festival.

This page: Jay Pritzker Pavilion, current home to the Grant Park Music Festival in Millennium Park.

At left: Cincinnati’s May Festival, founded in 1873 and dedicated to choral music in the tradition of the city’s heavily Germanic population, prompted the building of Music Hall, seen here at its Grand Opening in 1878. Music Hall is now home to both the festival and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, established in 1895—an unusual case of a festival venue becoming the permanent abode of an orchestra. In the color photo, a performance of Mahler’s 8th Symphony on May 17, 2014, featured the CSO, May Festival Chorus, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Cincinnati Children’s Choir, and eight vocal soloists led by May Festival Music Director James Conlon.

Grant Park Music Festival

Now

A look at how summer music festivals have changed—and sometimes stayed the same.

Chautauqua archives

Then

The Hollywood Bowl is one of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000. A comparison of photos from 1947 (black and white) and 2014 (color) shows that, even with enhancements and improvements over the years, the venue is largely unchanged since 1922, when it became the official summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Sometimes architects get it right at the start.

Now

Then

The Music Center Archives/Otto Rothschild Collection

Eric Shea

Under its first music director, the St. Louis-born, Germantrained Albert Stoessel, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra in upstate New York performed the concert in the black-and-white photo a few years after its founding in 1929. America’s changing demographics are reflected in the photo from August 9, 2012, when the Taiwanese-American conductor Mei-Ann Chen, music director of the Memphis Symphony and Chicago Sinfonietta, led the orchestra and pianist Ian Parker in the same amphitheater.

In 1947, the Music Academy of the West was founded in Santa Barbara, California with the goals of advancing the development of the next generation of classical musicians and cultivating adventurous audiences.

The Academy keeps growing, but the up-close connection forged between the students (called Fellows) and established artists continues. That’s composer Arnold Schoenberg, a faculty artist, at the Academy’s Main House circa 1948, and a group of Fellows in the same area today.

Now 46

Music Acad emy of the West

Music Academy of the West

Then

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Courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association

Now

Now Founded in 1972, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival opened the following summer with cellist Pablo Casals as honorary president, presenting concerts in Santa Fe and other New Mexico and Arizona communities. The festival, currently under the artistic leadership of composer/pianist Marc Neikrug, is proud of its history of commissioning new chamber music—some 70 new works so far. In 1981 (above left), composer John Harbison (standing) is shown with cellist Timothy Eddy (now with the Orion String Quartet) and violinist Ani Kavafian, rehearsing his Piano Quintet. In 2014 (above), soprano Tony Arnold joined the Orion String Quartet for Brett Dean’s String Quartet No. 2 at the St. Francis Auditorium in Santa Fe.

When the New York Philharmonic launched its Parks Concerts 50 years ago this summer, 70,000 people flooded Central Park to hear Beethoven’s Ninth. One ad called it “the night Beethoven outdrew the Beatles,” who had just played to 55,000 screaming teens at Shea Stadium. Parks Concerts are still going strong, hitting all five NYC boroughs with regular stops in the metro region. One young fan was Alan Gilbert, seen at right a few decades ago with his sister Jennifer at a Parks Concert rehearsal; their father, Michael Gilbert, played violin in the orchestra. Alan Gilbert grew up to be the Philharmonic’s music director, and he’ll lead a concert in Central Park this summer to celebrate the Parks Concerts’ 50th anniversary.

New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives

Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival

Santa Fe Chamber Music

Festival

Then

Then

New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives

Now

americanorchestras.org

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With breathtaking views of Trail Creek Canyon, Dollar Mountain, and Baldy Mountain as a backdrop, Idaho’s Sun Valley Summer Symphony presents free outdoor orchestra and chamber music concerts in July and August at the Sun Valley Pavilion (color photo), under Music Director Alasdair Neale. Founded in 1985 as the Elkhorn Music Festival (black-and-white photo, with founder Carl Eberl conducting), the festival describes itself as the largest privately funded freeadmission symphony in America.

Then

Now

Marco Borggreve

Now

Constantine Manos

Then

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Did Tanglewood put the Berkshire Hills on the map? Hard to say, but for decades the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home has given a massive seasonal jolt to the region’s economic and cultural life. This summer marks the 75th anniversary of the Tanglewood Music Center, the BSO’s academy for advanced musical study, with celebrations including performances of more than 30 newly commissioned works. The photos at left show that while fashions may have changed, the intense focus of the young musicians hasn’t wavered: Charles Munch conducts a Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra concert in the Koussevitzky Music Shed circa 1955, and current Boston Symphony Orchestra Music Director Andris Nelsons with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra.

symphony

SPRING 2015

Then

Buttoned-down patrons mingle in the Spanish Courtyard of Caramoor Festival’s campus in Katonah, New York, during the summer of 1951. On June 28, 2014, a far more casual—and seasonably dressed— crowd found shady spots on the lawn near Rosen House for the Social Music Hour at Caramoor’s American Roots Music Festival.

Gabe Palacio

ction sen colle Lucie Ro

Now

The Fort Worth Symphony launched Concerts in the Garden—a month of concerts in June and July at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden—in 1992 under Music Director John Giordano (photo below). These days (bottom photo), performances range from a Star Wars with laser-light show to Classical Cowtown to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, complete with fireworks. It being Texas in the summer, shorts and sandals are de rigueur—onstage and off.

JULY 3

Vadim Gluzman violin

JULY 7

Katie Van Kooten soprano

JULY 11

Alexander Hanna bass

2015 SEASON JULY 3 - 19

Then

MICHAEL PALMER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

& the Renowned Festival Orchestra and Chorus w w w. b e l l i n g h a m fes t i v a l.o rg fa c e b o o k .c o m / b e l l i n g h a m fes t i v a l

Now

Brian Luenser

JULY 12

Calidore String Quartet

JULY 15

Arnaldo Cohen piano

JULY 19

Ilana Davidson soprano

SUMMER FESTIVALS

Al as k a

Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Fairbanks, AK July 12 to July 26 A unique and multi-disciplinary study-performance festival offers workshops and performances with inspiring guest artists. Festival includes orchestra, string amateurs, chamber music, composer premieres, opera workshop, and full orchestra with chorus.

Artistic Direction: Terese Kaptur Festival Conductor: Robert Franz Festival Artists: Lisa Dowling, Paul Sharpe, bass; George Rydlinski, bassoon; Charley Akert, cello; Kay DeCorso, Ted DeCorso, clarinet; Stephen Lias, composer; Domenica Fossati, flute; Marcia Dickstein, harp; Susan Glowa Hurley, Cheryl Pierce, horn; Sharman Piper, Candy Rydlinski, oboe; Owen Weaver, percussion; Ian Scarfe, piano; Christopher Sweeney, trombone; Keith Karns, Linn Weeda, trumpet; Jennifer Drake, Bryan Hall, Maureen Heflinger, Lisa Ibias, Andie Springer, violin Featured Groups: Chugach Brass, Concert Black, FSAF String Trio Orchestra Affiliation: Festival Orchestra For Information: Terese Kaptur, director Post Office Box 82510 Fairbanks, AK 99708 907 474 8869 info@fsaf.org fsaf.org Sitka Summer Music Festival Sitka, AK June 5 to June 28

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2015 RR Jones

At the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in California, trumpeters Lauren Eberhart and Andrew Gignac warm up at Mission San Juan Bautista.

Since 1972, the Sitka Summer Music Festival has brought world-class musicians to one of the world’s most beautiful places.

Artistic Direction: Zuill Bailey Festival Artists: Matt Fields, bass; Zuill Bailey, Melissa Kraut, Cecily Parnas, cello; Matt Zebroski, drums; Thom Moore, oboe; Yulia Gorenman, Matt Herskowitz, Navah Perlman, David Wiley, piano; Martin Sher, viola; Madalyn Parnas, Dmitri Sitkovetsky, violin Featured Groups: Arianna String Quartet, Matt Herskowitz Trio For Information: Kayla Boettcher, executive director Post Office Box 3333 Sitka, AK 99835 907 747 6774 877 900 1158 (fax) director@sitkamusicfestival.org sitkamusicfestival.org

A rkans as

Artosphere Festival Fayetteville, AR June 16 to June 27 A performing/visual arts festival connecting arts, nature, and sustainability. A Trail Mix Concert tour of music placed along hiking and biking trails in Northwest Arkansas. The Artosphere Festival Orchestra features musicians from around the world performing orchestra and chamber works.

Artistic Direction: Corrado Rovaris Festival Conductor: Corrado Rovaris Festival Artists: Jayme Stone, banjo; Pietro de Maria, piano Featured Groups: Alonzo King Lines Ballet, The Dover Quartet For Information:

Jason Howell Smith Post Office Box 3547 Fayetteville, AR 72702 479 571 2731 jsmith@waltonartscenter.org artosphere.com

California

Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music Santa Cruz, CA August 2 to August 16 The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music presents its 53rd season, with an award-winning orchestra led by internationally renowned conductor Marin Alsop. The Festival is dedicated to works for orchestra by living composers, and offers access to the creative process at many levels.

Artistic Direction: Marin Alsop Festival Conductor: Marin Alsop Festival Artists: Matt Haimovitz, cello; Mason Bates, Sebastian Currier, Philip Glass, Charles Halka, Ana Lara, Hannah Lash, David T. Little, Missy Mazzoli, James MacMillan, Nico Muhly, Jonathan Newman, Christopher Rouse, Huang Ruo, Sean Shepherd, Nathaniel Stookey, Joby Talbot, composer; Colin Currie, percussion; Wu Wei, sheng; Tine Thing Helseth, trumpet; Tim Fain, violin Featured Groups: Kronos Quartet For Information: Ellen M. Primack, executive director 147 South River Street, Suite 232 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 831 426 6966 info@cabrillomusic.org cabrillomusic.org

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Festival Mozaic San Luis Obispo, CA July 16 to July 26 Festival Mozaic is celebrating its 45th anniversary of presenting beautiful music in spectacular venues on California’s central coast. The Festival features world-class musicians performing chamber and orchestral music in historic missions, private homes, outdoor venues, and state-of-the-art concert halls.

Artistic Direction: Scott Yoo Festival Conductor: Scott Yoo Festival Artists: Susan Cahill, double bass; Alice K. Dade, Katrina Walter, flute; Noam Elkies, harpsichord; Anne Marie Gabriele, oboe; Robert Walters, oboe d’amore; John Novacek, piano; Kristin Lee, Emily Daggett Smith, Serena McKinney, Jason Uyeyama, Scott Yoo, violin Featured Groups: Bach Collegium San Diego, Colcannon, Portland Cello Project For Information: Bettina Swigger, executive director Post Office Box 311 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 805 781 3009 805 7871 3011 (fax) bettina@festivalmozaic.com festivalmozaic.com FOOSA Festival/Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy Fresno, CA June 12 to June 28 An intensive orchestral immersion program on the Fresno State campus, the FOOSA Festival offers side-by-side training for young musicians, precollege through pre-professional.

Festival Artists: Catherine Marchese, bassoon; Leo Kim, Thomas Landschoot, Thomas Loewenheim, Siwon Park, cello; Guy Yehuda, clarinet; Bruce Bransby, double bass; Mihoko Watanabe, flute; Kristy Morrell, horn; Rong Huey Liu, oboe; Matthew Darling, percussion; Edmund Cord, trumpet; Meidad Yehudayan, viola; Francisco Caban, Yulee Seo, Limor Toren-Immerman, violin Orchestra Affiliation: Youth Orchestras of Fresno For Information: Thomas Loewenheim, artistic director 444 West Shaw Avenue Fresno, CA 93704 559 275 6694 office@youthorchestrasfresno.org foosamusic.org Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, CA June 20 to September 27 One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the Hollywood Bowl has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922.

Festival Conductors: Lionel Bringuier, Gustavo Dudamel, Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla, Sarah Hicks, Bramwell Tovey, Thomas Wilkins, and more to be announced Festival Artists: TBA Featured Groups: Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and more to be announced Orchestra Affiliation: Los Angeles Philharmonic americanorchestras.org

For Information: Gail Samuel, chief operating officer 2301 North Highland Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90068 323 850 2000 info@laphil.org hollywoodbowl.com Music Academy of the West Santa Barbara, CA June 15 to August 8 The Music Academy’s eight-week summer festival includes some 200 public events, including performances by faculty, visiting artists, and fellows; masterclasses; orchestra and chamber music concerts; and a fully staged opera.

Festival Conductors: Christoph von Dohnányi, Alan Gilbert, Courtney Lewis, Nicholas McGegan, Jayce Ogren, Larry Rachleff, Osmo Vänskä Festival Artists: Benjamin Kamins, Dennis Michel, bassoon; David Geber, Alan Stepansky, cello; Richie Hawley, clarinet; Nico Abondolo, double bass; Timothy Day, Jim Walker, flute; JoAnn Turovsky, harp; Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida, Eugene Izotov, oboe; Edward Atkatz, Michael Werner, percussion; John Churchwell, Jeremy Denk, Jonathan Feldman, Hiromi Fukuda, Conor Hanick, Martin Katz, Natasha Kislenko, Jerome Lowenthal, Margaret McDonald, piano; Ralph Sauer, trombone; Mark H. Lawrence, trombone & tuba; Barbara Butler, Charlie Geyer, Paul Merkelo, trumpet; Heidi Castleman, Karen Dreyfus, Donald McInnes, Richard O’Neill, Cynthia Phelps, viola; Stephen Bryant, Glenn Dicterow, Jorja Fleezanis, Peter Salaff, Philip Setzer, Alexander Treger, Kathleen Winkler, violin; Marilyn Horne, voice program director Featured Group: Takács Quartet For Information: Tim Dougherty, communications manager 1070 Fairway Road Santa Barbara, CA 93108 805 969 4726 805 969 0686 (fax) festival@musicacademy.org musicacademy.org Music in the Mountains SummerFest Nevada City, CA June 19 to July 5 Music in the Mountains SummerFest stretches its wings in 2015, bringing contemporary and classical together in a two-week-long celebration of community, art, and music.

Artistic Direction: Peter Nowlen, artistic advisor Festival Conductors: Constantine Kitsopoulos, Ryan Murray, Daniel Stewart Festival Artists: Conrad Tao, piano Featured Groups: Cirque de la Symphonie, Classical Revolution, Left Coast Ensemble, Storm Large, Vince Gill and the Time Jumpers Orchestra Affiliation: MIM Festival Orchestra For Information: Cristine Kelly, executive director 530 Searls Avenue Nevada City, CA 95959 530 265 6173 cristine@musicinthemountains.org musicinthemountains.org

Music@Menlo Atherton, CA July 17 to August 8 Led by founding artistic directors David Finckel and Wu Han, Music@Menlo is renowned for exceptional thematic concerts performed by a roster of world-class artists, a Chamber Music Institute for pre-professional musicians, and audienceengagement events designed to deepen listeners’ understanding and enjoyment of music.

Artistic Direction: David Finckel, Wu Han Festival Artists: Nikolay Borchev, baritone; Scott Pingel, bass; Peter Kolkay, bassoon; Dmitri Atapine, David Finckel, Clive Greensmith, Dane Johansen, Laurence Lesser, Keith Robinson, cello; Alexander Fiterstein, José González Granero, clarinet; Kevin Rivard, horn; Sara Couden, mezzosoprano; Inon Barnatan, Gloria Chien, Wu Han, Jeffrey Kahane, Gilbert Kalish, Hyeyeon Park, Juho Pohjonen, Gilles Vonsattel, piano; Joélle Harvey, soprano; Sunmi Chang, Pierre Lapointe, Paul Neubauer, Arnaud Sussmann, viola; Benjamin Beilman, Aaron Boyd, Erin Keefe, Sean Lee, Philip Setzer, Arnaud Sussmann, Danbi Um, violin Featured Groups: Dover Quartet, Escher String Quartet For Information: Edward Sweeney, executive director 50 Valparaiso Avenue Atherton, CA 94027 650 331 0202 650 330 2016 (fax) info@musicatmenlo.org musicatmenlo.org Ojai Music Festival Ojai, CA June 10 to June 14 Music Director Steven Schick curates an explosive and immensely playful festival focusing on music of the 20th and 21st centuries and a celebration of Pierre Boulez’s 90th birthday with a special event and concerts devoted to Boulez’s music and musical influences.

Artistic Direction: Thomas W. Morris Festival Conductor: Steven Schick Festival Artists: Maya Beiser, cello; Joshua Rubin, clarinet; Claire Chase, flute; Peabody Southwell, mezzo-soprano; Gloria Cheng, Jacob Greenberg, Joseph Pereira, Steven Schick, percussion; Vicki Ray, Sarah Rothenberg, piano; Wu Man, pipa; Peter Evans, trumpet Featured Groups: CalArts musicians, Calder Quartet, red fish blue fish, Renga Orchestra Affiliation: International Contemporary Ensemble For Information: Janneke Straub, executive director Post Office Box 185 Ojai, CA 93024 805 646 2094 info@ojaifestival.org ojaifestival.org The San Diego Mainly Mozart Festival San Diego, CA June 6 to June 20 Mainly Mozart produces an annual summer festival that features the finest musicians from the nation’s top orchestras performing together as an

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all-star orchestra and in small ensembles.

Artistic Direction: Michael Francis Festival Conductor: Michael Francis Festival Artists: Jeffrey Khaner, flute; Jon Kimura Parker, piano; Benjamin Beilman, Simone Lamsma, William Preucil, violin Featured Groups: San Diego Master Chorale Orchestra Affiliation: Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra For Information: Nancy Laturno Bojanic, executive director 444 West Beech Street, Suite 220 San Diego, CA 92101 619 239 0100 619 233 4292 (fax) nlaturno@mainlymozart.org mainlymozart.org

C ol or a d o

Aspen Music Festival and School Aspen, CO July 2 to August 23 America’s premier classical music festival, presenting more than 300 events during its eight-week season. The world’s top musicians come each summer for an unparalleled combination of performances and music education.

Artistic Direction: Robert Spano, music director Festival Conductors: Joshua Bell, Johannes Debus, Jane Glover, Jeffrey Kahane, Kirill Karabits, Hannu Lintu, George Manahan, Jun Märkl, Nicholas McGegan, Ludovic Morlot, Stephen Mulligan, Rafael Payare, Larry Rachleff, David Robertson, Robert Spano, Michael Stern, Patrick Summers, Osmo Vänskä, Joshua Weilerstein, Hugh Wolff Festival Artists: David Finckel, Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Sharon Isbin, Stanley Jordan, Romero Lubambo, guitar; Inon Barnatan, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Lise de la Salle, Vladimir Feltsman, Marc-André Hamelin, Steven Hough, Vijay Iyer, Jeffrey Kahane, Choong Mo Kang, Vadym Kholodenko, Hae-Jeon Lee, Jan Lisiecki, Nikolai Lugansky, Anton Nel, John O’Conor, Steven Osborne, Orli Shaham, Conrad Tao, Shai Wosner, Wu Han, Joyce Yang, Yundi, piano; Roberto Díaz, viola; Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, Augustin Hadelich, Daniel Hope, Stefan Jackiw, Fabiola Kim, Jennifer Koh, Robert McDuffie, Simone Porter, Gil Shaham, Joseph Swensen, violin; Sasha Cooke, Isabel Leonard, Susanna Phillips, vocalists Featured Groups: American Brass Quintet, American String Quartet, Emerson String Quartet, Jupiter Quartet, Pacifica String Quartet, Takács Quartet For Information: Laura Smith, VP of marketing and communications 225 Music School Road Aspen, CO 81611 970 925 9042 970 925 3802 (fax) jszabo@aspenmusic.org aspenmusicfestival.com Bravo! Vail Vail, CO July 1 to August 6 Three of the world’s finest orchestras present programs of great classics, plus jazz and pops. In addition, world-renowned chamber music artists perform in several diverse and eclectic chamber music series.

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Artistic Direction: Anne-Marie McDermott Festival Conductors: Stéphane Denève, Alan Gilbert, Cristian Măcelaru, Robert Spano, Bramwell Tovey, Jeff Tyzik, Jaap van Zweden, Joshua Weilerstein Festival Artists: Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Alessio Bax, Anne-Marie McDermott, Garrick Ohlsson, Christopher O’Riley, Jon Kimura Parker, piano; Cynthia Phelps, viola; Benjamin Beilman, James Ehnes, Augustin Hadelich, Midori, Sheryl Staples, Pinchas Zukerman, violin; Julia Bullock, vocalist Featured Groups: Attacca String Quartet, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Donald Sinta Saxophone Quartet, Dover String Quartet, National Repertory Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Roomful of Teeth, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Zukerman Trio For Information: Eden Badgett, content & communications manager 2271 North Frontage Road West, Suite C Vail, CO 81657 970 827 5700 970 827 5707 (fax) info@bravovail.org bravovail.org Colorado College Summer Music Festival Colorado Springs, CO June 7 – June 27 Celebrating its 31st anniversary, the festival brings international faculty and advanced student musicians together to participate in small chamber ensembles, orchestra, master classes, concerto readings, and private lessons. Concert series includes four festival orchestra concerts and numerous small ensemble performances.

Artistic Direction: Susan Grace Festival Conductor: Scott Yoo Festival Artists: Michael Kroth, bassoon; Bion Tsang, David Ying, cello; Bil Jackson, clarinet; Susan Cahill, double bass; Elizabeth Mann, flute; Stewart Rose, Michael Thornton, horn; Anne Marie Gabriele, Elizabeth Koch Tiscione, oboe/ English horn; Jon Nakamatsu, John Novacek, Orion Weiss, piano; John Kinzie, timpani/percussion; John Rojak, trombone; Kevin Cobb, trumpet; Toby Appel, Phillip Ying, viola; Virginia Barron, viola/associate director; Steven Copes, Mark Fewer, Stefan Hersh, Stephen Rose, violin; Scott Yoo, violin/conductor For Information: Karin Henriksen, assistant director of college and community events Colorado College 14 East Cache La Poudre Street Colorado Springs, CO 80903 719 389 6552 festival@coloradocollege.edu coloradocollege.edu/musicfestival Colorado Music Festival Boulder, CO July 1 to August 9 A classical music festival in Colorado presenting an annual summer season of concerts in Boulder’s historic Chautauqua Auditorium. Performances include those by the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra as well as visiting artists and ensembles.

Artistic Direction: Jean-Marie Zeitouni Festival Conductors: Jean-Marie Zeitouni, Steve Hackman Festival Artists: Julie Albers, Desmond Hoebig, cello; Ana Vidovic, guitar; Marc-André Hamelin, Olga Kern, Terrence Wilson, piano; Calin Lupanu, Alexandra Soumm, violin; Gabor Bretz, MarieNicole Lemieux, Krisztina Szabo, vocalist Featured Groups: Igudesman & Joo, Storm Large & Le Bonheur For Information: Andrew Bradford, executive director Boulder, CO 80302 303 665 0599 hohman@comusic.org comusic.org Music in the Mountains Durango, CO July 12 to August 2 A classical music festival and conservatory: three weeks of world-class music in a variety of unique venues at Durango Mountain Resort and around town in churches, parks, concert halls, and more.

Artistic Direction: Gregory Hustis Festival Conductors: Guillermo Figueroa, conductor; Karina Canellakis, Richard Kaufman, Carl Topilow, guest conductors Festival Artists: David Korevaar, Petronel Malan, piano; Matt Albert, viola; Elmar Oliveira, Philippe Quint, violin For Information: Angie Beach, executive director 1063 Main Avenue Durango, CO 81301 970 385 6820 info@musicinthemountains.com musicinthemountains.com National Repertory Orchestra Breckenridge, CO June 13 to July 31 The National Repertory Orchestra performs two full orchestra concerts each week in beautiful Breckenridge, Colorado. This summer’s festival presents 88 talented young musicians from top music schools around the country.

Artistic Direction: Carl Topilow Festival Conductors: JoAnn Falletta, Mark O’Connor, Michael Stern, Carl Topilow For Information: Douglas Adams, CEO/COO 111 South Main Street, Unit C7 Post Office Box 6336 Breckenridge, CO 80424 970 453 5825 970 453 5833 julie@nromusic.com nromusic.com Strings Music Festival Steamboat Springs, CO June 15 to August 15 The 560-seat music pavilion presents 65+ performances of classical music, jazz, rock, country, bluegrass, world rhythms, and more every summer and throughout the winter season. Artists include Grammy Award winners, major competition winners, and principal players from the most renowned orchestras.

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Artistic Direction: Michael Sachs Festival Conductor: Michael Sachs Festival Artists: Tim Pitts, bass; Mark Kosower, Joel Noyes, cello; Mark Nuccio, clarinet; Jason Vieaux, guitar; Julie Coucheron, Olga Kern, piano; Massimo LaRosa, trombone; Michael Sachs, trumpet; Joanna Patterson-Zakany, Robert Vernon, viola; Martin Chalifour, David Coucheron, Jun-chin Lin, violin Featured Groups: Catalyst Quartet, C-Street Brass Band Orchestra Affiliation: Strings Festival Orchestra For Information: Cristin Frey, marketing director 900 Strings Road Post Office Box 774627 Steamboat Springs, CO 80122 970 879 5056 970 879 7460 (fax) strings@stringsmusicfestival.com stringsmusicfestival.com

Florida

Sarasota Music Festival Sarasota, FL June 1 to June 20 A distinguished faculty of international artists and outstanding students from the United States and around the world present concerts in a picturesque setting on Florida’s West Coast. The Sarasota Music Festival is an intense three-week experience of chamber music, master classes, and concerts.

Artistic Direction: Robert Levin Festival Conductors: Nicholas McGegan, Larry

Rachleff, Hugh Wolff Festival Artists: Timothy Eddy, Ralph Kirshbaum, cello; Charles Neidich, clarinet; Carol Wincenc, flute; Julie Landsman, horn; Nancy King, oboe; John Perry, piano; Robert Vernon, Barbara Westphal, viola; Ani Kavafian, Alex Kerr, Joseph Silverstein, violin Orchestra Affiliation: Sarasota Orchestra For Information: RoseAnne McCabe, administrative director 709 North Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34236 941 487 2730 941 953 3059 (fax) smf@sarasotaorchestra.org sarasotamusicfestival.org

Idah o

Sun Valley Summer Symphony Sun Valley, ID July 26 to August 19 The Sun Valley Summer Symphony has presented free-admission orchestra and chamber ensemble concerts for 31 years. Performances are at the Sun Valley Pavilion.

Artistic Direction: Alasdair Neale, music director Festival Conductors: Ankush Kumar Bahl, assistant conductor; Andy Einhorn, Steven Reineke, guest conductor Festival Artists: Thomas Hampson, baritone; Garrick Ohlsson, piano; Audra McDonald, soprano;

Andrew McCandless, trumpet; Gil Shaham, violin; Tony DeSare, Montego Glover, vocalist Featured Groups: Time for Three; ZOFO, piano duet For Information: Jennifer Teisinger, executive director Post Office Box 1914 Sun Valley, ID 83353 208 622 5607 208 622 9149 (fax) info@svsummersymphony.org svsummersymphony.org

Illinois

Grant Park Music Festival Chicago, IL June 17 to August 22 Thirty spectacular concerts in Millennium Park, featuring the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus led by Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Carlos Kalmar and Chorus Director Christopher Bell. All concerts are free.

Artistic Direction: Christopher Bell, chorus director; Carlos Kalmar, principal conductor Festival Conductors: Karina Canellakis, Thierry Fischer, Paul Gemignani, Christopher Konig, Ward Stare, Allen Tinkham, Emmanuel Villaume, Thomas Wilkins Festival Artists: Kurt Elling, jazz vocals; Natasha Paremski, Yevgeny Sudbin, Andrew von Oeyen, Terrence Wilson, piano; Caitlin Lynch, soprano; Roberto Diaz, viola; James Ehnes, violin; Elizabeth Stanley, vocals Featured Groups: Anima Young Singers, CYSO’s

Photo: J.D. Scott

GR AND TETON MUSIC F E S T I VA L i n J AC K S ON HOL E

C OM E F OR T H E MO U N TA I N S S T AY F O R T H E M U S I C J U LY 1 - A U G U S T 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 T i c k e t s a t G T M F. o r g / 3 0 7. 7 3 3 . 1 1 2 8

americanorchestras.org

Maestro Donald Runnicles, Music Director

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Symphony Orchestra Orchestra Affiliation: Grant Park Orchestra For Information: 205 East Randolph Street Chicago, IL 60601 312 742 7638 312 742 7662 (fax) patronservices@gpmf.org gpmf.org Maud Powell Music Festival Peru, IL June 13 to July 19 The Maud Powell Music Festival brings topquality performances and educational opportunities to the Midwest. Special events include a children’s music theater camp and a three-state recital tour by festival staff.

Artistic Direction: Kevin McMahon Festival Conductors: David Leibowitz, Kevin McMahon, Shawn Weber McMahon Festival Artists: Tony Memmel, composer; Kevin McMahon, composer/violin; Li Shan Hung, Mary Schallhorn, piano; Dave Weber, singer/songwriter; Carol Shamory, soprano; Shawn Weber McMahon, stage director/soprano; James Younger, tenor Featured Groups: Maud Powell Children’s Chorus, Maud Powell Quartet, Maud Powell Trio For Information: Kevin McMahon, artistic director Post Office Box 501 Peru, IL 61354 815 638 2495 mpmf@hughes.net powellfest.com

Ravinia Highland Park, IL June 15 to September 14 Ravinia celebrates James Conlon in his final season as music director of the Chicago Symphony residency with over 120 events including Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, Zemlinsky’s The Mermaid, and works by Mahler, Mozart, and Shostakovich.

Artistic Direction: James Conlon, Welz Kauffman Festival Conductors: James Conlon, Justin Freer, Scott Hall, Pablo Heras-Casado, Bobby McFerrin; David Alan Miller, Rafael Payare, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Steve Reineke, Ted Sperling, Terry Woodson, Nikolaj Znaider Festival Artists: Thomas Hampson, baritone; Kristinn Sigmundsson, bass; Greer Grimsley, bassbaritone; Nicholas Canellakis, Frans Helmerson, Gary Hoffman, Eleanor Horton, Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Michelle DeYoung, Ronnita Miller, Laurie Rubin, Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano; Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, Cyrus Chestnut, Lise de la Salle, Cipa Dichter, Misha Dichter, Joel Fan, Vladimir Feltsman, Frank Fernández, Leon Fleisher, Richard Glazier, Itamar Golan, Alon Goldstein, Lance Horne, Peter Jablonski, Jeffrey Kahane, David Kaplan, Stanislav Khristenko, Igor Levit, Ramsey Lewis, Nikolai Lugansky, Joseph Moog, Kevin Murphy, Anna Polonsky, Garrick Ohlsson, Jorge Federico Osorio, Peter Serkin, Dubravka Tomšič, Orion Weiss, Llyr Williams, Shai Wosner, Ingolf Wunder, Joyce Yang, Yundi,

piano; Kevin Cole, piano/vocalist; Karita Mattila, Amber Wagner, soprano; Simon O’Neill, Matthew Plenk, tenor; Atar Arad, Paul Biss, Lawrence Dutton, viola; Miriam Fried, Augustin Hadelich, Jennifer Koh, Midori, Itzhak Perlman, Mark Peskanov, Simone Porter, Maxim Vengerov, Carolin Widmann, Nikolaj Znaider, Pinchas Zukerman, violin; Alan Cumming, Brian d’Arcy James, Maria Friedman, Sylvia McNair, Spider Saloff, vocalists Featured Groups: Chicago Chorale, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Concert Dance Inc., Emerson String Quartet, Fine Arts Quartet, Igudesman & Joo, Juilliard String Quartet, Lincoln Trio, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, Sybarite5, The Lakeside Singers, The Piano Guys, Turtle Island Quartet Orchestra Affiliation: Chicago Symphony Orchestra For Information: Welz Kauffman, president and CEO 200 Ravinia Road Highland Park, IL 60035 847 266 5100 847 266 0641 (fax) tickets@ravinia.org ravinia.org Southern Illinois Music Festival Carbondale, IL June 11 to June 28 The 11th annual Southern Illinois Music Festival features three dozen performances in an informal and inviting atmosphere. This year’s festival, “From Moscow to Rome,” includes two orchestral concerts, two beautiful Russian ballets, and Puccini’s opera Tosca.

Artistic Direction: Edward Benyas Festival Conductor: Edward Benyas Festival Artists: Charles Shapera, bassoon; Bill Cernota, cello; David Tuttle, clarinet; Lionel Semiatin, composer; Chris Leverenz, double bass; Kelly Sulick, flute; Ben Melsky, harp; Kurt Civilette, horn; James Ryon, oboe; Josh Shaw, opera director (from Pacific Opera Project); Kara Benyas, David Lyons, piano; Brian Cheney, Robert Norman, tenor; Jacob Tews, viola; Michael Barta, Kiril Laskarov, Josh Schlachter, violin Featured Groups: New Arts Jazztet, New Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Southern Illinois Children’s Chorus, Southern Illinois Music Festival Adult Chorus, Southern Illinois Music Festival Dance Company Orchestra Affiliation: New Chicago Chamber Orchestra For Information: Edward Benyas, artistic director 1000 South Normal Avenue, MC 4302 Carbondale, IL 62901 618 53 MUSIC benyas@siu.edu sifest.com

Indiana

Marsh “Symphony on the Prairie” Fishers, IN June 15 to August 31 The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra presents its annual Marsh “Symphony on the Prairie” series, including a lineup of classical and pops outdoor concerts as well as special presentations. This sea-

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SPRING 2015

son, the ISO presents Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, a tribute to John Williams, a patriotic concert weekend, and more.

For Information: Jessica DiSanto, director of communications 13400 Allisonville Road Fishers, IN 46038 317 229 7082 jdisanto@indianapolissymphony.org indianapolissymphony.org South Shore Summer Music Festival Munster, IN July 18 to August 8 Join the Northwest Indiana Symphony for the ninth annual festival, offering free concerts in communities across Lake and Porter counties and performing a mix of patriotic, classical, and contemporary music, perfect for the whole family.

Artistic Direction: Kirk Muspratt Festival Conductor: Kirk Muspratt Orchestra Affiliation: Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra For Information: Tammie Miller, marketing coordinator 1040 Ridge Road Munster, IN 46321 219 836 0525 info@nisorchestra.org nisorchestra.org

Maine

Bar Harbor Music Festival Bar Harbor, ME June 28 to July 26 Hailed as “Maine’s premier music festival,” now in its 49th season in a spectacular setting, highights will include Rossini’s La Cenerentola and the 32nd Annual “New Composers” Concert, “Our Voice: American Art Songs from the Beginning of the Twenty-First Century” featuring Daniel Neer, lyric baritone.

Artistic Direction: Francis Fortier Festival Conductors: Francis Fortier, conductor, Bar Harbor Music Festival String Orchestra; Cara Chowning, music director, Bar Harbor Music Festival Opera Theatre Festival Artists: Jimmy Mazzy, banjo; Keith Harris, Daniel Neer, Chad Sloan, baritone; Clara Yang, cello; John Clark, clarinet; Taylor Brook, Edmund Cionek, Eric Ewazen, composer; Allison Kiger, flute; Gerard Reuter, oboe; Cara Chowning, Steven Graff, Antonio Galera López, Marijo Newman, Ross Petot, Phillip Silver, piano; Janinah Burnett, soprano; Fenlon Lamb, stage director; Janey Choi, Jeffrey Ellenberger, violin Featured Groups: Ardelia Trio, Bar Harbor Festival String Orchestra, Bar Harbor Music Festival Opera Theatre, Brass Venture, Ensemble Tremblay, Wolverine Jazz Band Orchestra Affiliation: Bar Harbor Festival String Orchestra For Information: Deborah Swanger Fortier Before June 15th: 741 West End Avenue, Suite 4-B New York, NY 10025 212 222 1026 212 222 3269 (fax) americanorchestras.org

After June 15th: The Rodick Building 59 Cottage Street Bar Harbor, ME 04609 207 288 5744 207 288 5886 (fax) info@barharbormusicfestival.org barharbormusicfestival.org

M assachus et t s

Landmarks Concerts at the DCR’s Hatch Shell Boston, MA July 15 to August 26 Boston Landmarks Orchestra offers free outdoor concerts at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Hatch Shell, frequently featuring collaborations with other performing, educational, and social service organizations.

Artistic Direction: Christopher Wilkins Festival Conductor: Christopher Wilkins Featured Groups: Back Bay Chorale, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA), Longwood Symphony Orchestra Orchestra Affiliation: Boston Landmarks Orchestra For Information: Jo Frances Meyer, executive director Boston, MA 617 987 2000 617 987 0195 info@landmarksorchestra.org landmarksorchestra.org Tanglewood Lenox, MA June 19 to September 7 The 2015 Tanglewood season boasts an abundance of musical riches with concerts by the incomparable Boston Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras, the Tanglewood Music Center, and internationally acclaimed guest artists from the worlds of classical, jazz, the American Songbook, Broadway, pop rock, dance, and film, as well as performances spotlighting special anniversaries, thematic programming, and theatrical presentations.

Festival Conductors: Stefan Asbury, Stéphane Denève, Charles Dutoit, Asher Fisch, Jaques Lacombe, Keith Lockhart, Sir Neville Marriner, Ken-David Masur, Ludovic Morlot, Andris Nelsons, David Newman, Michael Tilson Thomas, Bramwell Tovey, Christoph von Dohnányi, John Williams, Christian Zacharias Festival Artists: Matthias Goerne, baritone; Bryn Terfel, Kyle Ketelsen, John Relyea, bass-baritone; Mark Morris, choreographer; Mike Block, Gautier Capuçon, Monika Leskovar, Yo-Yo Ma, Giovanni Sollima, cello; Lioba Braun, Sarah Connolly, Jane Henschel, Renée Tatum, mezzo-soprano; Jessye Norman, narrator; Cameron Carpenter, organ; Emanuel Ax, Leon Fleisher, Kirill Gerstein, Markus Hinterhäuser, Katherine Jacobson, Paul Lewis, Garrick Ohlsson, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano; Tony Bennett, Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, Lady Gaga, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, Bernadette Peters, James Taylor, popular artists; Basil Twist, puppeteer; Awet Andemicael, Julianna Di Giacomo, Christine Goerke, Kristine Opolais,

Sondra Radvanovsky, Erin Wall, soprano; Paul Groves, Nicholas Phan, Klaus Florian Vogt, tenor; Håkan Hardenberger, trumpet; Steven Ansell, viola; Joshua Bell, Renaud Capuçon, Vadim Gluzman, Leonidas Kavakos, Baiba Skride, Christian Tetzlaff, Pinchas Zukerman, violin Featured Groups: American Boychoir, Apollo’s Fire: The Cleveland Baroque Orchestra, A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, Blue Devils, Boston Cello Quartet, Boston Crusaders, Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Boston Pops Orchestra, Boston Symphony Chamber Players, Boston Symphony Orchestra, BUTI Chorus, Cirque de la Symphonie, Emerson String Quartet, Huey Lewis and the News, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Mark Morris Dance Group, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Tanglewood Music Center Fellows, Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, The Knights, The Piano Guys Orchestra Affiliation: Boston Symphony Orchestra For Information: Tony Fogg, artistic administrator 297 West Street Lenox, MA 01240 888 266 1200 customerservice@bso.org tanglewood.com

Minnes ot a

Minnesota Beethoven Festival Winona, MN June 28 to July 19 The ninth annual Minnesota Beethoven Festival, held in the beautiful bluff country of Winona, Minnesota, includes nine different concerts showcasing orchestral, choral, and chamber music performed by some of the great artists of our time.

Artistic Direction: Ned Kirk Festival Conductor: Dale Warland Festival Artists: Yolanda Kondonassis, harp; Vadym Kholodenko, Garrick Ohlsson, piano; Dawn Upshaw, soprano Featured Groups: Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Minnesota Beethoven Festival Chorale, Minnesota Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Takács Quartet For Information: Caroline Kirk, marketing and PR director Post Office Box 1143 Winona, MN 55987 507 474 9055 info@mnbeethovenfestival.org mnbeethovenfestival.org

Mont ana

Festival Amadeus Whitefish, MT August 3 to August 9 Festival Amadeus is a weeklong celebration of “Mountains by Day - Music by Night” near Montana’s Glacier National Park featuring worldrenowned classical musicians in chamber and full orchestra concerts.

Artistic Direction: John Zoltek Festival Conductor: John Zoltek Festival Artists: Ann Francis Bayless, Adrian Daurov, cello; Douglas Lora, João Luiz, guitar; Spencer Myer, Andrew Staupe, piano; Bradley Ottesen,

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viola; Yevgeny Kutik, Rebecca McFaul, Robert Waters, violin Featured Groups: Brasil Guitar Duo, Fry Street Quartet, The KDM Trio Orchestra Affiliation: Glacier Symphony and Chorale For Information: Alan Satterlee, executive director 600 East Second Street Whitefish, MT 59937 406 407 7000 info@gscmusic.org gscmusic.org

N e w H a m p s h i re

New Hampshire Music Festival Plymouth, NH July 5 to August 8 Summer music festival honoring the tradition of classical music while exploring new artistic paths. In its 63rd year, NHMF connects the NH Mountain and Lakes Region with an engaging, immersive festival experience through world-class performances, collaborations with community partners, and educational programs.

Artistic Direction: Donato Cabrera Festival Conductors: Donato Cabrera, music director; Dan Perkins, principal guest conductor Festival Artists: Nico Muhly, composer; Joseph Horowitz, presenter, Dvořák in America project; Charles Dimmick, Yulia Iglinova, violin Featured Groups: New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra & Chorus For Information: Deborah Kosits, executive director 7 Main Street Plymouth, NH 03264 603 238 9007 888 797 1558 (fax) info@nhmf.org nhmf.org

N e w J er s ey

NJSO Edward T. Cone Composition Institute Newark, NJ July 14 to July 18 Hear world premieres from emerging composers.

Institute Director Steven Mackey and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra mentor composers selected from an international pool of candidates, then premiere their works.

Artistic Direction: Steven Mackey, institute director Orchestra Affiliation: New Jersey Symphony Orchestra For Information: Amanda Fischer, artistic operations coordinator New Jersey Symphony Orchestra 60 Park Place, 9th Floor Newark, NJ 07102 973 735 1711 clevin@njsymphony.org njsymphony.org/institute

N e w M ex i c o

Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival Santa Fe, NM July 19 to August 24 The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival presents world-renowned musicians performing 42 concerts in the natural beauty of Santa Fe. Artist-in-Resi-

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dence Alan Gilbert conducts Messiaen’s “From the Canyons to the Stars.”

Artistic Direction: Marc Neikrug Festival Artists: Kristen Bruya, bass; Nancy Goeres, Toni Lipton, Theodore Soluri, bassoon; Felix Fan, Clive Greensmith, Joseph Johnson, Eric Kim, Keith Robinson, Camden Shaw, Ronald Thomas, Kajsa William-Olsson, cello; Alan Gilbert, conductor; Marc Dubac, Katherine Kohler, Todd Levy, Michael Rusinek, clarinet; Tara Helen O’Connor, Bart Feller, John McMurtery, Joshua Smith, flute; Łukasz Kuropaczewski, guitar; Julie Landsman, Philip Myers, Leelanee Sterrett, Scott Temple, horn; Kathleen McIntosh, harpsichord; Robert Ingliss, Liang Wang, oboe; Daniel Druckman, Joseph Ferraro, Angela Gabriel, Robert Klieger, Greg Koyle, Jeffrey Milarsky, David Tolen, percussion; Inon Barnatan, Ran Dank, Kirill Gerstein, MarcAndré Hamelin, Soyeon Kate Lee, Anne-Marie McDermott, Jon Kimura Parker, Haochen Zhang, piano; Andrew Chappell, Peter Ellefson, Mark Fisher, trombone; Ethan Bensdorf, Christopher Stingle, Bill Williams, trumpet; Lily Francis, Kimberly Fredenburgh, Hsin-Yun Huang, Scott Lee, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Daniel Phillips, Steven Tenenbom, viola; Martin Beaver, Benjamin Beilman, Kathleen Brauer, Harvey de Souza, Lily Francis, Jennifer Gilbert, L.P. How, Benny Kim, Soovin Kim, Bryan Lee, Joel Link, Daniel Phillips, William Preucil, Cathy Meng Robinson, violin Featured Groups: Dover Quartet, FLUX Quartet, Johannes String Quartet, Miami String Quartet, Miró Quartet, Montrose Trio, Orion String Quartet For Information: Steven Ovitsky, executive director Post Office Box 2227 Santa Fe, NM 87504 505 983 2075 505 986 0251 (fax) sovitsky@sfcmf.org santafechambermusic.com

Ne w York

Bard SummerScape and Bard Music Festival Annandale-on-Hudson, NY June 25 to August 16 The Bard Music Festival: Chávez and His World, Ethel Smyth’s opera The Wreckers, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Pam Tanowitz Dance and FLUX Quartet, and Fernando Rubio’s Everything By My Side.

Artistic Direction: Leon Botstein Festival Conductor: Leon Botstein Festival Artists: Michael Mayes, Louis Otey, Peter van Derick, baritone; Kendra Broom, Katharine Goeldner, mezzo-soprano; Thaddeus Strassberger, opera director; Ieva Jokubaviciute, Jorge Federico Osorio, Anna Polonsky, Orion Weiss, piano; Sky Ingram, soprano; Neal Cooper, Dennis Petersen, tenor; Daniel Fish, theater director Featured Groups: Daedalus Quartet, FLUX Quartet, Pam Tanowitz Dance Orchestra Affiliation: American Symphony Orchestra For Information:

Post Office Box 5000 Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504 845 758 7900 fishercenter@bard.edu fishercenter.bard.edu Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival New York, NY July 28 to August 23 BCMF’s distinctive programs highlighting chamber music masterworks, contemporary repertoire, and regular commissions are performed by worldrenowned musicians in stunning surroundings. In its 32nd Season, BCMF is lauded as Long Island’s premier music festival.

Artistic Direction: Marya Martin Festival Artists: Jeffrey Beecher, Donald Palma, bass; Peter Kolkay, bassoon; Carter Brey, Nicholas Canellakis, Clive Greensmith, Michael Nicolas, Peter Stumpf, Paul Watkins, cello; Romie de Guise-Langlois, Stephen Williamson, clarinet; Marya Martin, flute; Bridget Kibbey, harp; Kenneth Weiss, harpsichord; Stewart Rose, horn; John Snow, oboe; Gilles Vonsattel, Orion Weiss, Joyce Yang, piano; Ian David Rosenbaum, percussion; David Krauss, trumpet; Demian Austin, trombone; Ettore Causa, Beth Guterman Chu, Richard O’Neill, Cynthia Phelps, viola; Jennifer Frautschi, Frank Huang, Ani Kavafian, Kristin Lee, Anthony Marwood, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Arnaud Sussmann, Cindy Wu, violin For Information: Michael Lawrence, executive director 850 Seventh Avenue, Suite 700 New York, NY 10019 212 741 9073 212 741 9403 (fax) michaellawrence@bcmf.org bcmf.org Bronx Arts Ensemble SummerMusic 2015 Bronx, NY July 4 to September 15 Free outdoor Friday evening concerts in Pelham Bay Park and Sunday afternoon concerts in Van Cortlandt Park and at Fordham University in the Bronx.

Artistic Direction: William Scribner Festival Artists: William Scribner, bassoon; Mitchell Kriegler, clarinet; Theresa Norris, flute; Sharon Moe, horn; Marsha Heller, oboe; Veronica Salas, Sally Shumway, viola; Jorge Avila, Francisca Mendoza, violin Featured Groups: Bronx Arts Ensemble For Information: Maggie Krupka, publicist 80 Van Cortlandt Park South, Suite 7D01 Bronx, NY 10463 718 601 7399 718 549 4008 (fax) info@bronxartsensemble.org bronxartsensemble.org Caramoor Summer Music Festival Katonah, NY June 20 to August 2 Find your inspiration here! Now in its 70th year, Caramoor’s Summer Festival brings the best in symphonic, chamber, opera, jazz, American roots, and more together among 90 acres of Italianate

symphony SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO SYMPHONY

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beauty.

Artistic Direction: Paul Rosenblum, managing director Festival Conductors: Will Crutchfield, Curt Ebersole, Pablo Heras-Casado, Nicholas McGegan, Peter Oundjian Festival Artists: Stephen Powell, baritone; Jeffrey Beruan, bass; Daniel Mobbs, bass-baritone; Jennifer Feinstein, Jennifer Larmore, Clementine Margaine, mezzo-soprano; Hélène Grimaud, piano; Jennifer Check, Sarah Coburn, Hei-Kyung Hong, soprano; Noah Baetge, Scott Quinn, tenor; Carolina Eyck, theremin; Jennifer Koh, violin Featured Groups: Collegiate Chorale, Music from Copland House, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Westchester Symphonic Winds Orchestra Affiliation: Orchestra of St. Luke’s For Information: Jeffrey P. Haydon, chief executive officer 149 Girdle Ridge Road Katonah, New York 10536 914 232 1252 boxoffice@caramoor.org caramoor.org Chautauqua Institution Chautauqua, NY June 27 to August 30 Founded in 1874 as a lifelong learning center for the arts, education, religion, and recreation, Chautauqua Institution presents symphony, opera, dance, theater, chamber music, folk, rock, jazz, country, the visual arts, continuing education classes, and lectures.

Artistic Direction: Marty W. Merkley Festival Conductors: Rossen Milanov, music director; Karina Canellakis, Stuart Chafetz, Grant Cooper, Cristian Macelaru, Timothy Muffitt, Case Scaglione Festival Artists: Amit Peled, cello; Owen Lee, double bass; Antonii Baryshevskyi, Alexander Gavrylyuk, Horacio Gutierrez, Roberto Plano, piano; Dawn Upshaw, soprano; Nicola Benedetti, Timothy Fain, Brian Reagin, Daniel Bernard Roumain, violin Featured Groups: Abaca String Band, Ahn Trio, Brass Band of Columbus, Charlotte Ballet, Chautauqua Chamber Winds, Chautauqua Dance, Chautauqua Opera, Chautauqua Quartet, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Chautauqua Theater Company, Festival Faculty Quartet, Rose Ensemble, Vienna Piano Trio Orchestra Affiliation: Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra For Information: Marty W. Merkley, vice president & director of programming Post Office Box 28 Chautauqua, NY 14722 716 357 6217 716 357 9014 (fax) mmerkley@ciweb.org ciweb.org Lake Placid Sinfonietta 2015 Lake Placid, New York July 2 to August 9 Now in its 98th season in the Adirondacks, this chamber orchestra of top musicians from around the country presents six weeks of concerts in a americanorchestras.org

spectacular mountain setting.

Artistic Direction: Ron Spigelman, music director Festival Conductor: Ron Spigelman, music director Festival Artists: Devin Howell, bass; Gregory Quick, bassoon; Ann Alton, Jonathan Brin, cello; Daniel Szasz, concertmaster; Anne Harrow, flute; Adam Pandolfi, David Pandolfi, horn; Anna Petersen, oboe; Tony Oliver, percussion; Navah Perlman, piano; David Greenhoe, trumpet; Julia DiGaetani, Denise Cridge, viola; Amanda Brin, Karl Braaten, Anna Gendler, Anne Pandolfi, Marius Tabacila, violin For Information: Deborah Fitts, executive director Post Office Box 1303 17 Algonquin Drive Lake Placid, NY 12946 518 523 2051 info@lakeplacidsinfonietta.org lakeplacidsinfonietta.org Mostly Mozart Festival New York, NY July 25 to August 22 Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival—now in its 49th season—features concerts by the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, chamber music, contemporary music, and late-night recitals with the world’s best artists.

Artistic Direction: Jane Moss, Ehrenkranz artistic director; Louis Langrée, Renée and Robert Belfer music director Festival Conductors: George Benjamin, Edward Gardner, Alan Gilbert, Louis Langrée, Cristian Măcelaru, Andrew Manze, Cornelius Meister Festival Artists: Christopher Purves, baritone; Brindley Sherratt, bass; Sol Gabetta, cello; Jean Johnson, clarinet; Tim Mead, countertenor; Susan Bickley, Victoria Simmonds, mezzo-soprano; Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Emanuel Ax, Jeremy Denk, Steven Osborne, Lars Vogt, piano; Barbara Hannigan, Erin Morley, Hila Plitmann, Sarah Tynan, soprano; Robert Murray, Andrew Staples, tenor; Joshua Bell, Alina Ibragimova, violin Featured Groups: Academy of Ancient Music, Danish String Quartet, Emerson String Quartet, International Contemporary Ensemble, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra Orchestra Affiliation: Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra For Information: 70 Lincoln Center Plaza New York, NY 10023 212 721 6500 mostlymozart.org 50th Anniversary of New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Presented

by Didi and Oscar Schafer New York, NY June 17 to June 23 The New York Philharmonic celebrates 50 years of Concerts in the Parks with free performances in all five New York City boroughs from June 17–23, 2015.

Festival Conductors: Alan Gilbert ( June 17, 22, 23),

Charles Dutoit ( June 18, 19) Festival Artists: Julia Bullock, soprano; Joshua Bell, Renaud Capuçon, violin Orchestra Affiliation: New York Philharmonic For Information: 212 875 5656 212 875 5717 (fax) pr@nyphil.org nyphil.org/parks50 The Philadelphia Orchestra Concert Series at Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga Springs, NY August 5 to August 22 The Philadelphia Orchestra performs three weeks of concerts in Upstate New York featuring renowned conductors and artists.

Festival Conductors: Stéphane Denève, Cristian Măcelaru, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Steven Reineke, Bramwell Tovey, Festival Artists: Emanuel Ax, Megan Hilty, David Kim, Yo-Yo Ma, Johannes Moser, New York City Ballet, Jean-Yves Thibaudet Orchestra Affiliation: The Philadelphia Orchestra For Information: One South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 518 584 9300 518 584 0809 (fax) spac.org philorch.org

N ort h Carolina

Brevard Music Center Brevard, NC June 19 to August 2 Brevard Music Center presents more than 80 performances over seven weeks. BMC students and faculty perform free and paid concerts, featuring internationally acclaimed conductors and soloists.

Artistic Direction: Keith Lockhart Festival Conductors: Matthias Bamert, Rune Bergmann, JoAnn Falletta, Christoph Konig, Ken Lam, Keith Lockhart, Jerome Shannon Festival Artists: Johannes Moser, Cicely Parnas, cello; Xavier Foley, double bass; Courtney Miller, mezzo-soprano ; Yefim Bronfman, Gleb Ivanov, Norman Krieger, Andrew von Oeyen, André Watts, Ilya Yakushev, piano; Noah Bendix-Balgley, Ye-Eun Choi, Stefan Jackiw, Arnaud Sussman, Stephen Waarts, violin Featured Groups: International Contemporary Ensemble, Shanghai Quartet For Information: Jason Posnock, director of artistic planning and educational programs 349 Andante Lane Post Office Box 312 Brevard, NC 28712 828 862 2100 828 884 2036 (fax) jposnock@brevardmusic.org brevardmusic.org Rex Healthcare Summerfest at Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre Cary, North Carolina May 23 to July 11 Join the North Carolina Symphony for outdoor summer concerts that feature celebrated guest artists and talent from close to home. Since its debut in 1984, this engaging series has been an annual

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tradition.

Artistic Direction: William Henry Curry Festival Conductors: William Henry Curry, David Glover Featured Programming: Rhapsody in Blue and Dvořák’s New World Symphony; a two-night Russian festival featuring Scheherazade; Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto; Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2; Symphony Sorcery: The Music of Harry Potter; Tribute to the ‘80s; plus more Orchestra Affiliation: North Carolina Symphony For Information: Joe Newberry, NCS director of communication 8003 Regency Parkway Cary, NC 27518 919 462 2052 jnewberry@ncsymphony.org ncsymphony.org

O hi o

Blossom Music Festival Cuyahoga Falls, OH July 2 to September 6 Blossom Music Center, which opened in 1968 as the summer home of The Cleveland Orchestra, is located 25 miles south of Cleveland just north of Akron, Ohio.

Festival Conductors: Stéphane Denève, Edo de Waart, William Eddins, Jack Everly, James Feddeck, Gustavo Gimeno, Richard Kaufman, Michael Krajewski, Jahja Ling, Nicholas McGegan, Brett Mitchell, Loras John Schissel, Franz Welser-Möst, Thomas Wilkins Festival Artists: Dashon Burton, bass-baritone; Mark Kosower, cello; Franklin Cohen, clarinet; mezzo-soprano; Paul Lewis, Garrick Ohlsson, piano; Tamara Wilson, soprano; Stuart Skelton, tenor; Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; James Ehnes, Mark Simone Lamsma, Nancy Maultsby, Gil Shaham, violin; Michael Feinstein, Storm Large, Shem von Schroeck, vocalists; Harold Summy, xylophone Featured Groups: Blossom Festival Band, Blossom Festival Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Kent/Blossom Chamber Orchestra Orchestra Affiliation: The Cleveland Orchestra For Information: Justin Holden, director of public relations 1145 West Steels Corners Road Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223 800 686 1141 webpatrons@clevelandorchestra.com clevelandorchestra.com/plan-your-visit/blossom-music-center Lancaster Festival Lancaster, OH July 23 to August 1 The Lancaster Festival is a ten-day celebration of music and the arts held in Lancaster, Ohio, every July. It features a full symphony orchestra, downtown bandstand, and ArtWalk.

Artistic Direction: Gary Sheldon Festival Conductor: Gary Sheldon Orchestra Affiliation: Lancaster Festival Orchestra For Information: Joseph M. Piccolo, executive director 117 West Wheeling Street Lancaster, OH 43130

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740 687 4808 740 687 1980 (fax) lanfest@lanfest.org lancasterfestival.org May Festival Cincinnati, OH May 22 to May 30 Since 1873, this music tradition is the oldest, greatest choral festival in the world, featuring the May Festival Chorus, Youth Chorus, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Artistic Direction: James Conlon Festival Conductor: James Conlon Festival Artists: Roderick Williams, baritone; Mikhail Kolelishvili, Kristinn Sigmundsson, bass, Rebecca Evans, Amanda Woodbury, soprano; Barry Banks, Ben Bliss, tenor Featured Groups: May Festival Chorus, May Festival Youth Chorus, Vocal Arts Ensemble Orchestra Affiliation: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra For Information: Meghan Berneking, director of communications 1241 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 513 621 1919 contact@mayfestival.com mayfestival.com

O klahoma

OK Mozart International Festival Bartlesville, OK June 6 to June 13 In addition to its nationally acclaimed classical and chamber music concert series, the OK Mozart Festival presents a variety of performing arts, as well as a full week of related cultural events including daytime mini-concerts, talks, and tours.

Artistic Direction: Constantine Kitsopoulos Festival Conductor: Constantine Kitsopoulos Festival Artists: Jon Kimura Parker, piano; Chad Hoopes, Louise Owen, violin Featured Groups: Aeolus String Quartet, Bartlesville Choral Society, Canadian Brass Orchestra Affiliation: Amici New York Orchestra For Information: Dr. Randy Thompson, executive director 415 South Dewey Avenue Bartlesville, OK 74003 918 336 9900 918 336 9525 (fax) lkeller@okmozart.com okmozart.com

O re g on

Britt Classical Festival Medford, OR July 27 to August 15 Music Director Teddy Abrams leads the Britt Festival Orchestra in three weekends of concerts under the stars in Britt’s beautiful outdoor setting in scenic southern Oregon.

Artistic Direction: Teddy Abrams Festival Conductor: Teddy Abrams Festival Artists: Hugh Russell, baritone; Jeremy Kittel, fiddle; Celena Shafer, soprano; Javier Abreu, tenor; James Ehnes, violin; Morgan James, Aoife

O’Donovan, vocalists Featured Groups: Dover Quartet For Information: Mark Knippel, orchestra manager 216 West Main Street Post Office Box 1124 Medford, OR 97501 541 779 0847 541 776 3712 (fax) marketing@brittfest.org brittfest.org Chamber Music Northwest Summer Festival Portland, OR June 22 to July 26 For the 45th anniversary season CMNW will present nearly 80 acclaimed artists and ensembles in 36 concerts over five weeks making it one of the most ambitious, entertaining, and expansive chamber music festivals in the Northwest.

Artistic Direction: David Shifrin Festival Artists: Fred Sherry, Peter Wiley, cello; David Shifrin, clarinet; Curtis Daily, double bass; Tara Helen O’Connor, flute; Heidi Lehwalder, harp; John Cox, Melissa Robinson, horn; Peter Schickele, narrator; Allan Vogel, oboe; Inon Barnatan, Yekwon Sunwoo, André Watts, piano; Kenji Bunch, Paul Neubauer, viola; Augustin Hadelich, Ida Kavafian, Jennifer Koh, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violin Featured Groups: Dover Quartet, Emerson String Quartet, Igudesman & Joo, Jasper String Quartet, Miró Quartet For Information: Rachael Smith, communications & marketing director 522 South West Fifth Avenue, Suite 920 Portland, OR 97204 503 223 3202 503 294 1690 (fax) smith@cmnw.org cmnw.org Sunriver Music Festival Sunriver, OR August 7 to August 19 Sunriver Music Festival Orchestra brings together musicians from around the world for a two-week concert series. Performances are held at the historic Great Hall in Sunriver and at the Tower Theatre in Bend. Concerts include four classical concerts, a pops concert, and a solo piano concert.

Festival Conductor: George Hanson Festival Artist: Sean Chen (2013 Van Cliburn Winner) For Information: Sunriver Music Festival Executive Director Post Office Box 4308 Sunriver, OR 97707 541 593 9310 541 593 6959 (fax) tickets@sunrivermusic.org sunrivermusic.org

Penns ylvania

Endless Mountain Music Festival Wellsboro, PA July 24 to August 8 Surrounded by magnificent scenery and smalltown charm, the festival offers sixteen days featuring a lineup of renowned musicians and

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world-class performances in Northern PA and the Finger Lakes Region of NY. Experience orchestra performances on the weekends and chamber music during the week!

Artistic Direction: Stephen Gunzenhauser Festival Conductor: Stephen Gunzenhauser Festival Artists: Corky Seigel, blues harmonica; Gita Ladd, cello; Bram Wijnands, piano; Robert Bokor, Michael Ludwig, violin Featured Groups: Festival Brass, Quin-tango For Information: Cynthia Long, executive director 130 Main Street Wellsboro, PA 16901 570 787 7800 info@endlessmountain.net endlessmountain.net Mann Center for the Performing Arts Philadelphia, PA June 23 to July 25 The Mann presents The Philadelphia Orchestra and features performances of an All-Russian Evening, The Godfather and Fellowship of the Ring with film, Diana Krall, and Beethoven’s Fifth.

Artistic Direction: Catherine M. Cahill Festival Conductors: Justin Freer, Cristian Măcelaru, Ludwig Wicki Orchestra Affiliation: The Philadelphia Orchestra For Information: Foster Cronin, director of programming and marketing operations 5201 Parkside Avenue Fairmount Park Philadelphia, PA 19131 215 546 7900 fcronin@manncenter.org manncenter.org Philadelphia International Music Festival, featuring members of The Philadelphia Orchestra Bryn Mawr, PA June 20 to July 3 Featuring members of The Philadelphia Orchestra, with program options for high school and college students. Includes private lessons, chamber music, orchestra, master classes, solo performance, and competition opportunities.

Artistic Direction: Kimberly Fisher, principal second violin, The Philadelphia Orchestra Festival Conductors: Cristian Măcelaru, conductorin-residence, The Philadelphia Orchestra Festival Artists: Over 40 members of The Philadelphia Orchestra. For a full faculty listing, please visit philadelphiamusicfestival.org/faculty For Information: Sandy Marcucci, president Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 856 875 6816 info@pimf.org philadelphiamusicfestival.org

Te x a s

Concerts In The Garden Fort Worth, TX June 5 to July 5 Celebrating 25 years, Fort Worth Symphony americanorchestras.org

Orchestra’s summer music festival, Concerts In The Garden, has grown to be one of the most successful outdoor festivals of its kind in Texas.

Artistic Direction: Andrés Franco Festival Conductors: Andrés Franco, Miguel HarthBedoya Festival Artists: Pink Martini, Classical Mystery Tour, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Luke Wade, The Texas Tenors Featured Programming: Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, The Music of U2, The Music of the Eagles, Video Games Live, The Music of Journey, ABBACADABRA: The Ultimate ABBA Tribute, Star Wars and Beyond: A Laser Light Spectacular, Old-Fashioned Family Fireworks Picnic Orchestra Affiliation: Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra For Information: Tamara Clement, vice president of marketing Fort Worth Botanic Garden 3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard Fort Worth, TX 76107 fwsymphony.org/concerts/citg_main.asp Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival Houston, TX June 6 to June 27 Texas’s premier orchestral training program features the Festival Orchestra, led by distinguished conductors with important soloists. TMF presents nearly 50 public events/concerts throughout the Houston area featuring the Festival Orchestra, faculty chamber music, student chamber music, and concerts by component institutes for Bel Canto opera, high school piano and jazz, and new in 2015, The Informed Flutist.

Artistic Direction: Alan Austin Festival Conductors: Josep Caballé-Domenech, Franz Anton Krager, Rossen Milanov, Lavard Skou-Larsen Festival Artists: Richard Beene, Elise Wagner, bassoon; Norman Fischer, Lachezar Kostov, Brinton Averil Smith, cello; Thomas LeGrand, Michael Webster, clarinet; Paul Ellison, Eric Larson, Dennis Whittaker, double bass; Leone Buyse, Aralee Dorough, flute; Paula Page, harp; Robert Johnson, William VerMeulen, horn; Ted Atkatz, Matthew Strauss, percussion; Jeffrey Cohen,Timothy Hester, Tali Morgulies, Brian Suits, piano; Allen Barnhill, Phillip Freeman, trombone; David Kirk, tuba; Robert Atherholt, Jonathan Fischer, oboe; Mark Hughes, Thomas Siders, Jim Vassallo, trumpet; Wayne Brooks, James Dunham, Ralph Fielding, viola; Emanuel Borok, Glenn Dicterow, Andrzej Grabiec, Zuo Jun, Lucie Robert, Kirsten Yon, violin Orchestra Affiliation: Houston Symphony For Information: Alan Austin, general and artistic director 120 School of Music UH Moores School of Music Houston, TX 77204 713 743 3167 713 743 3166 (fax) tmf@uh.edu tmf.uh.edu

Round Top Festival Institute Round Top, TX May 31 to July 12 A summer festival for orchestra, chamber music, and solo performance study.

Artistic Direction: James Dick Festival Conductors: Christian Arming, Vladimir Kulenovich, Linus Lerner, Eiji Oue, Dietrich Paredes, Mariusz Smolij, Perry So, Ransom Wilson Festival Artists: Benjamin Kamins, Kristin WolfeJensen, bassoon; Stephen Balderston, Emilio Colon, cello; Kenneth Grant, Pavel Vinnitsky, clarinet; Brett Shurtliffe, James VanDemark, double bass; Gretchen Pusch, Ransom Wilson, Carol Wincenc, flute; Paula Page, harp; Michelle Baker, Eric Reed, horn; Pedro Diaz, Erin Hannigan, Nicholas Stovall, oboe; Thomas Burritt, Tony Edwards, percussion; Eteri Andjaparidze, James Dick, John Owings, Vladimir Valjarevic, piano; John Kitzman, Brent Phillips, Lee Rogers, trombone; Tom Booth, Raymond Riccomini, Marie Speziale, trumpet; Justin Benavides, tuba; Brett Deubner, Susan Dubois, viola; Andrés Cárdenes, Erica Kiesewetter, Nicholas Kitchen, Espen Lilleslatten, Stephen Milenkovich, Regis Pasquier, violin For Information: Alain G Declert, program director 248 Jaster Road Round Top, TX 78954 979 249 3129 979 249 5078 (fax) info@festivalhill.org festivalhill.org Soluna International Music & Arts Festival Dallas, TX May 4 to May 24 Anchored by Dallas Symphony Orchestra performances led by Music Director Jaap van Zweden, the three-week festival will showcase internationally-acclaimed guest soloists, artists, and ensembles in visual and performing arts along with the leading ensembles in the Dallas Arts District and beyond.

Festival Conductors: Karina Canellakis, Jaap van Zweden Festival Artists: Cynthia Nott, Terrie PreskittBrown, director of Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas; Joshua Habermann, director of Dallas Symphony Chorus; Alice Coote, mezzo-soprano; Ronald Guttman, narrator; Kelley Nassief, soprano; Conrad Tao, piano and DSO artist-in-residence; Pipilotti Rist, video; Liza Ferschtman, violin Featured Groups: The Amernet String Quartet, Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas, Musicians of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Orchestra Affiliation: Dallas Symphony Orchestra For Information: Kerri McLeroy, marketing manager 214 692 0203 mydso.com/solunafestival

Vermont

TD Bank Summer Festival Tour Burlington, VT July 1 to July 12 The Vermont Symphony Orchestra proudly presents picnicking and music under the stars during its annual summer tour performing musical magic

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in beautiful venues throughout Vermont. Join us for spooky sounds and sorcery, and as always the 1812 Overture, marches, and fireworks conclude the show.

Artistic Direction: Anthony Princiotti Festival Conductor: Anthony Princiotti Festival Artist: Vermont Symphony Orchestra Orchestra Affiliation: Vermont Symphony Orchestra For Information: Amy Caldwell, marketing director 2 Church Street, 3B Burlington, VT 05401 802 864 5741 amy@vso.org vso.org

Vi rgi n i a

Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival Harrisonburg, VA June 14 to June 21 Orchestral, choral, chamber music. Nine concerts, Leipzig Service, Baroque workshop, Road Scholar, and youth programs. Works by Bach, Haydn, Gershwin, Still, Jenkins, and more. Vocal and instrumental soloists.

Artistic Direction: Kenneth J. Nafziger Festival Conductor: Kenneth J. Nafzgier Festival Artists: John Fulton, baritone; Carol Marsh, Baroque dance; Mark Rimple, countertenor; Joseph Gascho, Arthur Haas, harpsichord; Marvin Mills, organ; Anne Timberlake, recorder; Veronica Chapman-Smith, soprano; Joel Ross, tenor; Martha McGaughey, viola da gamba; Linda Quan, violin Featured Groups: Baroque Workshop Faculty, Festival Chamber Musicians, Festival Choir, Festival Orchestra For Information: Mary Kay Adams, executive director 1200 Park Road Harrisonburg, VA 22802 540 432 4652 540 432 4622 (fax) mary.adams@emu.edu emu.edu/bach Virginia Arts Festival Norfolk, VA April 10 to May 30 Virginia Arts Festival spring 2015 season includes Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle, Attacca String Quartet, Handel & Haydn Society, and Nicholas McGegan with Virginia Symphony Orchestra.

Artistic Direction: Rob Cross Featured Groups: Attacca String Quartet, Handel & Haydn Society, Nicholas McGegan with Virginia Symphony Orchestra Orchestra Affiliation: Virginia Symphony Orchestra For Information: Virginia Arts Festival, Public Relations Director 440 Bank Street Norfolk, VA 23510 757 828 2800 and 877-741-2787 ccarterwest@vafest.org vafest.org Wolf Trap Vienna, VA May 22 to September 13 Wolf Trap’s Filene Center is a 7,028-seat outdoor

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amphitheater that showcases a diverse array of artists from May to September. It has been the summer home of the National Symphony Orchestra since it opened in 1971.

Festival Conductors: Emil De Cou, Grant Gershon, Andrew Litton, Stephen Lord, Steven Reineke Festival Artists: Scott Hendricks, baritone; Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano; Emanuel Ax, piano; Audra McDonald, Marjorie Owens, soprano; Carl Tanner, tenor Featured Groups: National Symphony Orchestra, Wolf Trap Opera Orchestra Affiliation: National Symphony Orchestra For Information: Kim Witman, senior director, Wolf Trap Opera & Classical Programming 1551 Trap Road Vienna, VA 22182 703 255 1900 classicalprogramming@wolftrap.org wolftrap.org

Wash ingt on

Bellingham Festival of Music Bellingham, WA July 3 to July 19 The Bellingham Festival of Music features world-famous guest artists and an orchestra whose members all hold artistically prestigious positions elsewhere. Many are principal players in major North American symphonies.

Artistic Direction: Michael Palmer Festival Conductor: Michael Palmer Festival Artists: Morris Robinson, bass; Laura Ardan, clarinet; Alex Hanna, double bass; Todd Skitch, Christina Smith, flute; Arnaldo Cohen, piano; Ilana Davidson, Maria Valdes, Katie Van Kooten, soprano; Richard Clement, John Tibbets, tenor; Vadim Gluzman, violin Featured Groups: Calidore String Quartet For Information: Robert D. Lynch, chairman, Board of Directors Post Office Box 818 Bellingham, WA 98227 360 201 6621 robertdlynch@aol.com bellinghamfestival.org Marrowstone Music Festival Seattle, WA July 26 to August 9 Marrowstone is a two-week intensive orchestral training program for students 14-25, featuring three full orchestras, full-ride fellowships, and internationally acclaimed faculty-artists from highly distinguished conservatories, orchestras, and schools of music.

Artistic Direction: Stephen Rogers Radcliffe Festival Conductors: Dale Clevenger, Ryan Dudenbostel, Stephen Rogers Radcliffe Festival Artists: Diana Gannett, double bass; Kenny Grant, clarinet; Jill Felber, flute; Dale Clevenger, French horn; Roy Poper, trumpet; Hal Grossman, violin Orchestra Affiliation: Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra

For Information: Coltan Foster, Marrowstone coordinator 11065 5th Avenue North East Seattle, WA 98125 206 362 2300 206 361 9254 (fax) marrowstone@syso.org marrowstone.org Seattle Chamber Music Society Seattle, WA July 6 to August 1 Each year, Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS) presents a twelve-concert summer festival at the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall, featuring chamber music masterpieces by world-renowned musicians. Every concert features a free 30-minute pre-concert recital.

Artistic Direction: James Ehnes Festival Artists: Jordan Anderson, bass; Seth Krimsky, bassoon; Julie Albers, Edward Arron, Ani Aznavoorian, Efe Baltacigil, Robert deMaine, Andres Diaz, Johannes Moser, Ronald Thomas, Bion Tsang, cello; Anthony McGill, Sean Osborn, clarinet; Demarre McGill, flute; Jeffrey Fair, horn; Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano; Ben Hausmann, oboe; Andrew Armstron, Inon Barnatan, Jeremy Denk, Adam Neiman, Jeewon Park, Anna Polonsky, Orion Weiss, Joyce Yang, piano; Nicholas Phan, tenor; Che-Yen Chen, Yura Lee, Richard O’Neill, Cynthia Phelps, Jonathan Vinocour, viola; Nurit Bar-Josef, Benjamin Beilman, Ray Chen, James Ehnes, Augustin Hadelich, Jun Iwasaki, Erin Keefe, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Stephen Rose, Alexander Velinzon, Andrew Wan, violin For Information: Seneca Garber, director of marketing 10 Harrison Street, Suite 306 Seattle, WA 98109 206 283 8808 206 283 8826 (fax) info@seattlechambermusic.org seattlechambermusic.org

Wis cons in

Birch Creek Music Performance Center Egg Harbor, WI July 2 to July 11 Advanced teen musicians are mentored by day and perform evenings with esteemed faculty in 80-member Birch Creek Symphony Orchestra for six public concerts in a unique, inviting concert barn.

Artistic Direction: Ricardo Castañeda Festival Conductor: Brian Groner Festival Artists: Jodie DeSalvo, piano; Renée-Paule Gauthier, violin For Information: Alan Kopischke, executive director Post Office Box 230 3821 County Highway Eeast Egg Harbor, WI 54209 920 868 3863 920 868 1643 (fax) russ@birchcreek.org birchcreek.org Peninsula Music Festival Ephraim, WI August 4 to August 22 Nine different symphony concerts in three weeks on the beautiful Door Peninsula of Wisconsin. The

symphony SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO SYMPHONY

SPRING 2015

INDEX

ADVERTISER 63rd season is a musical celebration of Maestro Victor Yampolsky’s thirty years as music director and conductor. Tickets start at $30. Students/children just $10.

Artistic Direction: Victor Yampolsky, music director and conductor Festival Conductors: JoAnn Falletta, David Wroe Festival Artists: Anna Burden, cello; Chelsea Chen, organ; Pavel Gintov, Lilya Zilberstein, piano; Anna Lee, Amy Sims, violin; vocal soloists TBA Featured Groups: Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra For Information: Sharon Grutzmacher, executive director Post Office Box 340 10347 North Water Street, Unit B Ephraim, WI 54211 920 854 4060 920 854 1950 (fax) sharon@musicfestival.com musicfestival.com

Wy om i n g

Grand Teton Music Festival Wilson, WY July 1 to August 15 Each summer in stunning Jackson Hole the Grand Teton Music Festival (GTMF) re-unites a celebrated orchestra of musicians. Led by Maestro Donald Runnicles, GTMF is seven weeks of classical music bliss!

Artistic Direction: Donald Runnicles Festival Conductors: Donald Runnicles, conductor; Edo de Waart, Cristian Măcerlaru, Osmo Vänskä, guest conductors Festival Artists: Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Gregory Raden, clarinet; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Bezhod Abduraimov, Denis Kozhukin, piano; Jane Archibald, soprano; Simon O’Neill, tenor; James Ehnes, violin Featured Groups: Mark O’Connor, Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues, Pablo Villegas & Tango Song & Dance For Information: Susan Scarlata, director of marketing 4015 North Lake Creek Drive, #100 Wilson, WY 83014 307 733 3050 gtmf@gtmf.org gtmf.org

I n t er n a t i on a l Canada

Young Artists Program Ottawa, Ontario June 3 to June 27 The National Arts Centre Young Artists Program identifies and fosters young, exceptional musical talent through intensive individual and chamber music instruction led by Artistic Director Pinchas Zukerman and an internationally renowned faculty.

Artistic Direction: Pinchas Zukerman Festival Artists: Christopher Millard, bassoon; Hans Jorgen Jensen, Carole Sirois, cello; Yosuke Kawasaki, Nicholas Mann, chamber music; Kimball Sykes, clarinet; Joel Quarrington, double bass; Joanna G’froerer, flute; Lawrence Vine, horn; Charles (Chip) Hamann, oboe; Patricia Palmer, physiotherapy; Jean Desmarais, Judy Ginsburg, americanorchestras.org

Tatiana Goncharova, piano; Dr. Renee Epstein, psychologist; Cong Wu, viola; Shmuel Ashkenasi, Elaine Klimasko, violin; Grigory Kalinovsky, Patinka Kopec, Pinchas Zukerman, violin/viola; Benita Valente, voice Orchestra Affiliation: National Arts Centre Orchestra For Information: Christy Harris, manager, Summer Music Institute 53 Elgin Street Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5W1 613 947 7000 x 568 or 302 yap-pja@cna-nac.ca nac-cna.ca/en/summermusicinstitute/youngartists

F r an ce

Etchings Festival 2015 Auvillar, France July 5 to July 12 ECCE Ensemble’s executive director, composer John Aylward, and trusted collaborators at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts began the Etchings Festival in 2009. Their wish for an international program that would further their mission of arts advocacy was met with John’s desire to create a positive environment for young emerging composers.

Artistic Direction: Wei-Chieh Lin, Serafim Smigelskiy Festival Artists: Armenian Duduk, bagpipes/percussion; Serafim Smigelskiy, cello; Vasko Dukovski, clarinet/saxophone; John Aylward, composer; WeiChieh Lin composer/piano; Doug Balliett, double bass; Catherine Gregory, flute; Nicholas Isherwood, guest performer; Melanie Genin, harp; Mike Truesdell, percussion; Ashleigh Gordon, viola; Diamanda La Berge Dramm, Karen Kim, violin For Information: John Aylward, executive director eccensemble.com

Advantage Rent-A-Car........................... 2 American Modern Recordings.............. 43 Bellingham Festival of Music................ 49 CHL Artists, Inc....................................c4 Classical Movements, Inc.......................c2 Coda Bows International...................... 25 Grand Teton Music Festival.................. 53 JRA Fine Arts....................................... 29 Dan Kamin Comedy Concertos............ 11 Ronnie Kole.......................................... 34 League of American Orchestras............15, 17, 19 Naxos..................................................... 43 OK Mozart........................................... 54 Schiedmayer Celesta............................... 1 The Wallace Foundation........................ 23 Word Pros, Inc. ..................................... 41 Yamaha Corporation of America.......... 35 Corrections In the 2015 winter issue of Symphony magazine, the Emerging Artists paid listing for Quinton Morris on page 39 should have read, “Career highlights include concerto appearances with the Seattle Symphony and three consecutive sold-out performances at Carnegie Hall.”

In “Fine Tuning,” the article starting on page 64 in the same issue, the name of Ayden Adler, senior vice president and dean at the New World Symphony, was misspelled. On page 66, the founder of the San Francisco Symphony’s Feldenkrais classes was Anat Baniel; Mary Spire has taught the classes for many years. A caption on page 67 misidentified the location of the photo it accompanied, and should have read, “Lori Schiff teaches the Alexander Technique to Julie Pilant, assistant principal horn of the Metropolitan Opera, at a studio in New York City.”

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LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS With the support of our valued donors, the League continues to have a positive impact on the future of orchestras in America by helping to develop the next generation of leaders, generating and disseminating critical knowledge and information, and advocating for the unique role of the orchestral experience in American life before an ever-widening group of stakeholders.

We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the following donors who contributed gifts of $600 and above in the last year as of January 31, 2015. For more information regarding a gift to the League, please visit us at americanorchestras.org/donate, call 212.262.5161, or write us at Annual Fund, League of American Orchestras, 33 West 60th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10023. $150,000 and above

Booth Ferris Foundation, New York, NY Bruce and Martha Clinton, on behalf of The Clinton Family Fund, Chicago, IL Peter D. and Julie Fisher Cummings, Palm Beach Gardens, FL † The Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation, Grand Rapids, MI Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, San Francisco, CA The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, New York, NY Sargent Family Foundation Cynthia Sargent, Chicago, IL

$50,000 – $149,999

Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm Brown, Winston-Salem, NC Fidelity Foundation, Merrimack, NH Marjorie S. Fisher Fund of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Detroit, MI John and Marcia Goldman Philanthropic Fund, San Francisco, CA Shirley Bush Helzberg, Shawnee Mission, KS † Mrs. Martha R. Ingram, Nashville, TN Daniel R. Lewis, in honor of Lowell J. Noteboom and Bruce Clinton, Coral Gables, FL † National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, DC The Negaunee Foundation, Northbrook, IL Walter P. Pettipas Revocable Trust, Jersey City, NJ Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, New York, NY The Wallace Foundation, New York, NY

$25,000 – $49,000

American Express Foundation, New York, NY Richard and Kay Fredericks Cisek, North Oaks, MN The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, New York, NY Catherine and Peter Moye, Spokane, WA New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York, NY Connie Steensma and Rick Prins, New York, NY Sakana Foundation, San Francisco, CA

$10,000– $24,999

Mr. David C. Bohnett, Beverly Hills, CA Hal and Diane Brierley, Plano, TX Mrs. Trish Bryan, Cincinnati, OH † Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, Winter Park, FL Melanie Clarke, Princeton, NJ Cornell Family Foundation, New York, NY The Fatta Foundation, Buffalo, NY † Douglas and Jane Hagerman, Milwaukee, WI JPMorgan Chase Bank, Chicago, IL Mark Jung, Menlo Park, CA Camille and Dennis LaBarre, Cleveland Heights, OH Ellen and James S. Marcus, New York, NY Alan and Maria McIntyre, Darien, CT Lowell and Sonja Noteboom, Minneapolis, MN Steve and Diane Parrish, Westport, CT

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Mary Carr Patton, Orange Park, FL Robert A. Peiser, Houston, TX Patricia A. Richards, Salt Lake City, UT David Rockefeller, in memory of Peggy Rockefeller, New York, NY Barry Sanders, Beverly Hills, CA Drs. Helen S. and John P. Schaefer, Tucson, AZ † Mrs. Helen P. Shaffer, Houston, TX Penelope and John Van Horn, Chicago, IL Geraldine Warner, Cincinnati, OH Robert Wood Revocable Trust, Grover Beach, CA

$5,000 – $9,999

Burton Alter, Woodbridge, CT Brent and Jan Assink, San Francisco, CA Mr. and Mrs. William G. Brown, Hobe Sound, FL Janet and John Canning, Westport, CT Ms. Nicky B. Carpenter, Wayzata, MN † Margarita and John Contreni, Lafayette, IN Phillip William Fisher Fund, Detroit, MI Francis Goelet Charitable Lead Trusts, New York, NY John and Paula Gambs, Tiburon, CA The CHG Charitable Trust, Philadelphia, PA † Jim Hasler, Oakland, CA Mr. John Hayes, Highlands Ranch, CO † The Hyde and Watson Foundation, Warren, NJ Stephen H. Judson, New York, NY Lori Julian, Chicago, IL Jim and Kay Mabie, Northfield, IL † Shirley D. McCrary, Mooresville, AL † Michael and Noemi Neidorff, Saint Louis, MO New York State Council on the Arts, New York, NY Richard P. Simmons, Sewickley, PA Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Houston, TX Steve Turner, Nashville, TN Miller-Worley Foundation, Conshohocken, PA

$2,500 –$4,999

The Alfred and Jane Ross Foundation, New York, NY The Amphion Foundation, New York, NY Richard J. Bogomolny and Patricia M. Kozerefski, Gates Mills, OH The Brown Foundation, Inc., Houston, TX Laurie and Richard Brueckner, Bedminster, NJ Charles W. Cagle, Franklin, TN † NancyBell Coe, Santa Barbara, CA Martha and Herman Copen Fund of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, New Haven, CT Bruce Coppock, Mendota Heights, MN Gloria dePasquale, Narberth, PA D.M. Edwards, in honor of Laura Hyde, Helen Shaffer and Polly Kahn, Tyler, TX James M. Franklin, Inverness, IL † Marian A. Godfrey, Richmond, MA Lyndia and C.Y. Harvey, Denver, CO A.J. Huss, Jr., Saint Paul, MN

THE LOWELL NOTEBOOM FUND Created in recognition of former League Board Chair Lowell Noteboom and his longstanding commitment to improving governance practice in American orchestras, the Noteboom Fund supports the work of the League’s Orchestra Governance Center. We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the following donors who have made commitments to the Fund.

Richard and Kay Fredericks Cisek, North Oaks, MN Melanie Clarke, Princeton, NJ Bruce and Martha Clinton, on behalf of The Clinton Family Fund, Chicago, IL Marcia and John Goldman, San Francisco, CA Daniel R. Lewis, Coral Gables, FL The Steve and Diane Parrish Foundation, Westport, CT Sargent Family Foundation Cynthia Sargent, Chicago, IL Penelope and John Van Horn, Chicago, IL Anonymous (2) James D. Ireland, Cleveland, OH * Paul R. Judy, Northfield, IL IMN Solutions, Inc., Arlington, VA John A. and Catherine M. Koten Foundation, Hinsdale, IL † A. Michael and Ruth C. Lipper, Summit, NJ Dr. Hugh W. Long, New Orleans, LA Mr. and Mrs. Phillip N. Lyons, Newport Beach, CA Jesse Rosen, New York, NY Ms. Deborah F. Rutter, Washington, DC † Mr. Alan D. Valentine, Nashville, TN Kathleen M. van Bergen, Naples, FL Sally and Nick Webster, New York, NY Anonymous (1)

$1,000–$2,499

Douglas W. Adams, Breckenridge, CO Tiffany Ammerman, Marshall, TX Alberta Arthurs, New York, NY Ms. Cathy Barbash, in memory of Seymour Rosen, Ardmore, PA • Beracha Family Charitable Gift Fund, Ladue, MO William P. Blair, III, Canton, OH † Deborah Borda, Los Angeles, CA † Elaine Amacker Bridges, San Angelo, TX Fred and Liz Bronstein, Baltimore, MD • Wayne S. Brown and Brenda E. Kee, Detroit, MI † The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Chicago, IL Robert D. Conrad, Cleveland, OH Trayton M. Davis, in honor of Bob Wagner, Montclair, NJ

symphony

SPRING 2015

Emma E. Dunch and Elizabeth W. Scott, New York, NY • Aaron Dworkin, Detroit, MI Susan Feder and Todd Gordon, Irvington, NY Drs. Aaron and Cristina Stanescu Flagg, Easton, CT The Fleischmann Foundation, Cincinnati, OH † Henry and Fran Fogel, River Forest, IL † Michele and John Forsyte, Long Beach, CA • David V. Foster, New York, NY † Catherine French, Washington, DC † Laurence Mills-Gahl and Karen Gahl-Mills, Cleveland Heights, OH Adele and Willard Gidwitz Family Foundation, New York, NY † Edward B. Gill, La Jolla, CA † Gary Ginstling and Marta Lederer, Carmel, IN Joseph B. Glossberg and Madeline Condit, Chicago, IL Nancy Greenbach, Atherton, CA Patty Hall, Seattle, WA Mark and Christina Hanson, Houston, TX • Daniel and Barbara Hart, Amherst, NY • Ian Harwood, Milwaukee, WI • Mr. Jay L. Henderson, Northfield, IL Howard Herring, Miami Beach, FL Dr. and Mrs. Claire Fox Hillard, Albany, GA Lauri and Paul Hogle, Grosse Pointe Park, MI Houston Symphony Society Board of Directors, Houston, TX Laura Hyde, Tyler, TX † The Jurenko Foundation, Madison, AL Polly Kahn, New York, NY Joseph P. and Nancy F. Keithley Foundation, Shaker Heights, OH Mr. Michael Kerr, Corona Del Mar, CA Mr. R. Lawrence Kirkegaard, Chicago, IL Peter Kjome, Grand Rapids, MI Joseph H. Kluger, Gladwyne, PA Robert Kohl & Clark Pellett, Chicago, IL Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred J. Larson, Naples, FL † Mr. Robert Levine, Glendale, WI Stephen Lisner, New York, NY Sandi Macdonald, in honor of Polly Kahn, Raleigh, NC Alex Machaskee, Cleveland, OH Stacy and Lee Margolis, Brooklyn, NY Jonathan Martin, Dallas, TX Steve and Lou Mason, Dayton, OH † Mattlin Foundation, Columbus, OH Debbie McKinney, Nichols Hills, OK Paul Meecham, Baltimore, MD Zarin Mehta, Chicago, IL † Mrs. LaDonna Meinders, Oklahoma City, OK David Alan Miller, Slingerlands, NY Steven Monder, Cincinnati, OH † Michael Morgan, Oakland, CA † Diane and Robert Moss, Key Biscayne, FL James Nicholson, Detroit, MI Aaron J. Nurick, Boston, MA John and Farah Palmer, Tucson, AZ † Anne Parsons and Donald Dietz, Detroit, MI • Mr. Michael Pastreich, St. Petersburg, FL • Peter Pastreich, Sausalito, CA † Daniel Petersen, Seattle, WA Henry Peyrebrune and Tracy Rowell, Cleveland Heights, OH americanorchestras.org

The Rice Family Fund, Rochester, NY Barbara S. Robinson, Cleveland, OH Susan L. Robinson, Sarasota, FL Stanley Romanstein, Atlanta, GA Barbara and Robert Rosoff, Queensbury, NY Don Roth, Davis, CA † Mary Jones Saathoff, Lubbock, TX Roger Saydack and Elaine Bernat, Eugene, OR † Jo Ellen Saylor, Edina, MN Fred and Gloria Sewell, Minneapolis, MN Rita Shapiro, Kensington, MD Dr. Gordon and Carole Mallett, Zionsville, IN Thomas and Dee Stegman, Cincinnati, OH Linda S. Stevens, in honor of Polly Kahn, Seattle, WA + Mr. David Tierno in honor of Melanie Clarke, Princeton, NJ Rae Wade Trimmier, Mountain Brook, AL † Marylou and John D. Turner, Kansas City, MO Dr. Jane M. Van Dyk, Billings, MT † Matthew VanBesien and Rosie Jowitt, New York, NY • Allison Vulgamore, Philadelphia, PA •† Tina Ward, Saint Louis, MO •† Linda and Craig Weisbruch, Charlotte, NC Jane and Dobson West, Minneapolis, MN Paul R. Wiggin, Chicago, IL Camille Williams, Little Rock, AR Donna M. Williams, Oakland, CA Simon Woods and Karin Brookes, Seattle, WA Anonymous (1)

$600 – $999

Gene and Mary Arner, Boise, ID Sandra Sue Ashby, Jacksonville, FL Janet F. and Dr. Richard E. Barb, Indianapolis, IN Mr. Robert A. Birman, Port Townsend, WA Nancy Blaugrund, Albuquerque, NM David R. Bornemann, Scottsdale, AZ Dr. Misook Yun and Mr. James William Boyd, New Orleans, LA • Mr. J. Scott Chotin, Lacombe, LA Mrs. Judy Christl, Bonita Springs, FL † Katy Clark, New York, NY • Scott Faulkner and Andrea Lenz, Reno, NV † Mrs. John Fazli, Indianapolis, IN David C. Ferner, Ponte Vedra, FL Courtney and David Filner, Naples, FL • Firelands Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors, Sandusky, OH Jack M. Firestone, Miami, FL GE Foundation, Fairfield, CT Mr. Kareem A. George, Franklin, MI • Mr. Bill Gettys, Weaverville, NC Gary Good, in honor of Rick Lester, Santa Ana, CA Richard and Mary L. Gray, Chicago, IL Mr. André Gremillet, Melbourne, Australia Carrie Hammond, Farmington, CT Ms. Janice Hay, Philadelphia, PA Marilyn P. and Joseph W. Hirschhorn Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Cincinnati, OH Patricia Howard, Cazenovia, NY + Helena Jackson and Doug Dunham, Duluth, MN Mrs. JoAnne A. Krause, Brookfield, WI † Andrea Laguni, Tujunga, CA Carolyn and Wayne Landsverk, Portland, OR

HELEN M. THOMPSON HERITAGE SOCIETY The League of American Orchestras graciously recognizes those who have remembered the League in their estate plans as members of the Helen M. Thompson Heritage Society.

W. Curtis Livingston, co-chair, Nantucket, MA Nina C. Masek, co-chair, Sonoita, AZ Janet F. and Dr. Richard E. Barb Family Foundation, Indianapolis, IN Wayne S. Brown and Brenda E. Kee, Detroit, MI John and Janet Canning, Westport, CT Richard and Kay Fredericks Cisek, North Oaks, MN Martha and Herman Copen Fund of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, New Haven, CT Myra Janco Daniels, Naples, FL Samuel C. Dixon, Morrow, GA Henry and Frances Fogel, River Forest, IL Susan Harris, Ph.D., Ann Arbor, MI Louise W. Kahn Endowment Fund of The Dallas Foundation, Dallas, TX Steve and Lou Mason, Dayton, OH Lowell and Sonja Noteboom, Minnetonka, MN Charles and Barbara Olton, New York, NY Peter Pastreich, San Francisco, CA Rodger E. Pitcairn, Rockville, MD Robert and Barbara Rosoff, Glens Falls, NY Robert J. Wagner, Boonton, NJ Tina Ward, Saint Louis, MO Mr. and Mrs. Albert K. Webster, New York, NY Robert Wood Revocable Trust, Grover Beach, CA Anonymous (1) David Loebel, Lebanon, NH Evans Mirageas and Thomas Dreeze, Cincinnati, OH J.L. Nave III and Paul Cook, Fort Wayne, IN • Ms. Brenda S. Nienhouse, Spokane, WA • Tresa Radermacher, Dyer, IN Jane B. Schwartz, Augusta, GA Richard L. Sias, Oklahoma City, OK † David Snead, New York, NY Barbara J. Smith-Soroca, Stamford, CT Mary Tunstall Staton, Charlotte, NC Laura Street, Amarillo, TX Melia and Mike Tourangeau, Salt Lake City, UT Jeff Tsai, Geneva, IL • Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock, AR Robert Wagner, Boonton, NJ Doris and Clark Warden, Sausalito, CA † Mark and Terry White, Amarillo, TX Melinda Whiting Burrows and John Burrows, Riverton, NJ Paul Winberg and Bruce Czuchna, Chicago, IL Rebecca and David Worters, Raleigh, NC •

† Directors Council (former League Board) • Orchestra Management Fellowship Program Alumni + Includes Corporate Matching Gift * Deceased

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Josh Mauser / Kertis Creative

CODA

Since Teddy Abrams arrived as music director of the Louis­ville Orchestra in September, he has become one of the city’s most visible presences. In addition to conducting the orchestra’s classical concerts, the 27-year-old can be found playing in jazz clubs, working with young audiences, and jamming on the front porch of his house. He’s also the star of a YouTube series called Music Makes a City Now, trailed by a camera crew seemingly everywhere. It’s just one of the ways the orchestra is connecting with the Louisville community, as Abrams explains here.

Josh Mauser / Kertis Creative

YouTube Maestro

As seen on TV: For a YouTube series launching Teddy Abrams as music director of the Louisville Orchestra, videographers tracked Abrams in rehearsal with the orchestra (top) and as he moved instruments into his new home in Louisville (above).

religiously show up to follow their favorite band or favorite artist. Even if it’s on a mass level, like an enormous o be successful rock star, there is this simulatoday—probably tion of a personal connection in any field, but that encourages a powerful definitely in an bond. I haven’t seen that haporchestra—you have pen in symphony orchestras. to be innovative and forwardSimply playing music is not in thinking with current media. and of itself creative enough.

Video is certainly not new, but If you are an arts organization, the way we consume media is you are expected to be a leader changing, and the people who in the culture. And that requires use media in intelligent and a big-picture kind of creativity creative ways are achieving beyond simply executing art. great success in connecting with The videos could help bridge audiences. And connecting with that gap and give people an audiences is at the core of what Camera-ready: Abrams talks about his work as music director of the immediate connection to the a symphony is supposed to do. Louisville Orchestra. orchestra itself, to the people It’s a connecting organization, in the orchestra, person to person, in it binds together the different people who Music Makes a City, was sponsored by an artistically excellent way.

Artists get reflect the diversity of one’s community.

Owsley Brown III, whose family has a hung up on questions about marketing The videos are part of the experimentalong history of supporting the arts. Owsand whether they’re being true to their tion going on at the Louisville Orchestra. ley thought that short videos lasting from art when doing self-promotion.

For me, The goal of the orchestra is to reach the one to six minutes could capture the new it’s about doing whatever it takes to get 1.2 million people in Louisville who energy at the Louisville Orchestra. I had great music—to get the great artistry of should be part of the orchestra’s comto get used to the videographers following this orchestra—to people.

I don’t have any munity, because this music belongs to me around as I moved into my new house, particular desire for status and celebrity. everyone. Beyond that, I think that if we played at a jazz club, and rehearsed with But if it helps the orchestra, I’ll do whatare innovative and creative with our media the orchestra. They give a real look at what ever it takes. So let the cameras follow strategy and with our programming and it takes to bring classical music to life. me around. If that’s the entry point for musical strategy, then we can be a great People support the art they feel concoming to hear the orchestra, that’s great, beacon for the town. nected to. I play a lot of styles of music because we just discovered a way of conSeveral years ago a documentary about other than classical, and when I look at necting with people. That’s what we’re in the Louisville Orchestra’s extraordinary jazz artists and indie-rock bands, there the business of doing. history of commissioning new music, is a personal connection for people who Josh Mauser / Kertis Creative

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SPRING 2015

MAY 27-29 | CLEVELAND, OHIO

2015 Conference HOSTED BY

Join us in Cleveland for the League’s Annual Conference May 27-29, 2015 Members from around the country meet to learn, share ideas, and exchange information during our extensive array of meetings, seminars and informal gatherings – along with our with a variety of concerts and activities offering additional chances to network with your colleagues.

Visit our site americanorchestras.org/conference2015 for complete details and registration information.

Come early for these Pre-Conference seminars: • Outcome-Based Planning and Evaluation • Patron Growth, 2015 Edition • Seminar for New Executive Directors • Boards on Fire!

• Building a Culture that Values People, Place, and Purpose

Register now and take advantage of our Early Registration Rate

americanorchestras.org/conference2015 HOSTED BY