Perspective Shift
Orchestras navigate a time of rapid transformation and opportunity
Mexican Composers on the Rise
Youth Orchestras Make Their Mark
Dolly Parton Goes Orchestral
Marian Anderson Hall
Prelude
No matter what your perspective, the pace and volume of policy changes coming out of the federal government since the start of the year have been unprecedented. Shifts in procedures to obtain visas for visiting artists, potential cutbacks at the National Endowment for the Arts, increased scrutiny of initiatives concerning equity, diversity, and inclusion, and more make headlines every day—and directly impact orchestras. As this issue of Symphony went to press, new policies and revised directives continued to arrive hard and fast. Reporting on and analyzing the sheer volume of policy news—and the implications for orchestras—is more than any print publication can keep up with. For that reason, check out (timpani drumroll) symphony.org for ongoing coverage of the latest developments. And be sure to follow the alerts and emails from the League’s advocacy team in D.C.
In this issue of Symphony, we report on the rise in commissions and performances of music by Mexican composers at American orchestras. We catch up with composers—with widely divergent aesthetic profiles—who are making their marks with premieres at orchestras. We explore emerging trends in concert formats, report on the renaming of a concert hall for iconic diva Marian Anderson, and examine the impact and lifelong resonance of the country’s myriad youth orchestras. And we meet a country music divinity: Dolly Parton, who is lately drawn to orchestras. She explains, “I was very humbled by the fact that the symphony wanted to play my songs.” Dolly, no one could say it better.
VOLUME 76, NUMBER 1 / SUMMER 2025
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THE MAGAZINE OF THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS
The Utah Symphony performs in the great outdoors. Photo courtesy of the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera.
2 Prelude by Robert Sandla
6 The Score Orchestra news, moves, and events
12 Conductor, Advocate, Change Agent
Throughout this issue, text marked like this indicates a link to websites and online resources. 62 32 40 24 12 6
Marin Alsop keeps shattering glass ceilings: as an adventurous artist, music director of U.S. and international orchestras, champion of music education for all, and advocate for women conductors. By Simon Woods
16 What’s Up in Utah: The View from the Board
As orchestras across the U.S. face a shifting landscape, board leaders are thinking carefully about how to proceed with purpose. With the League’s National Conference happening in Salt Lake City this year, leaders from orchestras across Utah share their priorities, challenges, and hopes. By Piper Starnes
20 Musician to Financier to Board Chair
Alan Mason, the chair of the League of American Orchestras’ Board of Directors, may just be uniquely suited to lead the national service organization. By Robert Sandla
24 Immersion Versions
“Immersive” concerts of multiple kinds are drawing new and veteran audiences to orchestras, as are performances that seat listeners among musicians. Orchestras are prioritizing artistic fidelity while forging closer connections. By Jeremy Reynolds
32 Revolución : Mexican Composers on the Rise // Revolución: Compositores Mexicanos en Ascenso
More and more orchestras are performing—and commissioning and recording—works by Mexican composers. Here’s a look at just a few of the composers making their mark. // Cada vez más orquestas interpretan, encargan, y graban obras de compositores mexicanos. A continuación, un vistazo de algunos de los compositores que se destacan. By // Por Esteban Meneses
40 Youthful Sounds, Enduring Impact
Youth orchestras support young people across the country with inspiring musical training, creative development, diverse programming, cultural insights, and the joy of music. By Lindsey Nova
48 A Voice. A Name. A Concert Hall.
Marian Anderson was a contralto with a once-in-a-lifetime voice—and she was a formidable defender of civil rights. Now the Philadelphia Orchestra has honored her legacy by naming its home for her. By David Patrick Stearns
54 Influences and Inspirations
Four composers of upcoming and recent works talk about personal expression, forging fresh sonic realms, and writing big new scores for the “irreplaceable heft of the orchestra.” By Heidi Waleson
59 Advertiser Index
60 League of American Orchestras Annual Fund
62 From Rags to Wishes
Dolly Parton has done it all: music, movies, television, Broadway, philanthropy, even her own theme park. Now the country music icon has embarked on what may be the only uncharted territory left: American orchestras. By Ann Lewinson
The Score
Advocating for Orchestras on the Policy Front
In the midst of monumental shifts in the national policy environment, orchestras are engaging their stakeholders in strategic conversations about actions to help them uphold their values, advance their missions, and participate in policy advocacy. The League is taking action in partnership with the wider arts and nonprofit sectors and providing new forms of support and leadership for orchestras. The League has created Resources for Navigating the Changing Landscape at americanorchestras.org/ navigatingthechanginglandscape with messaging guides, legal insights, and policy updates that help each orchestra make decisions that are responsive to its unique circumstances.
The League is providing direct support to member orchestras, answering urgent questions regarding the international artist visa process, federal grant terminations, and other government compliance concerns. In an unprecedented reversal of approved federal support for the arts, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) sent notifications terminating hundreds of awards in progress and withdrawing many offers of FY25 grant awards that had been accepted by applicants, with a second wave of notices delivered a week later. The NEA’s capacity to support the arts sector will also be diminished as eligible personnel at the NEA were encouraged to take early retirement or deferred resignation to meet the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffing reduction targets. As a result, all program directors and many staff have left or will be leaving the NEA over the coming weeks and months. The League is posting updated news about NEA grantmaking procedures at americanorchestras.org/neagrantprocess, and partnering as orchestras speak up to Congress at americanorchestras.org/ contactcongressnea to protect future federal funding.
Michael Tilson Thomas Takes a Final Bow at San Francisco Symphony
A full-house crowd converged on Davies Symphony Hall on April 26 as the San Francisco Symphony celebrated the 80th birthday of Michael Tilson Thomas, its music director from 1995 to 2020. The evening also brought Thomas’s goodbye to performing, a decision he announced in February after the resurgence of brain cancer first diagnosed in 2021. When he walked out to open the evening with Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra , Gabe Meline wrote on KQED. com, “the love in the room was about the strongest I’ve ever seen.” Edwin Outwater and Teddy Abrams, two of many conductors Thomas mentored, shared conducting duties as the honoree watched from a chair flanking the podium. Thomas’ favorite color, blue, gleamed from the musicians’ scarves and neckties, as well as from balloons that cascaded from the
The League is a leader in bipartisan, national coalition efforts to support the nonprofit sector under comprehensive tax reform and to advance arts policies in Congress. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a massive budget and tax reconciliation bill, and the Senate is now crafting its own version. The League’s Tax Policy and Charitable Giving Campaign at americanorchestras.org/contactcongresstaxpolicy has an overview of what was included in the House bill and resources to help orchestras speak up. Significant changes to the tax package are expected as the Senate takes steps over the summer.
In support of all of this action, the League is building the advocacy capacity of orchestras to make their case at the local, state, and federal levels through our online resources and national learning events. The League’s Playing Your Part Guide to Orchestra Advocacy at americanorchestras.org/playingyourpart has been expanded to include an online learning webinar and a session at the League’s National Conference this June.
NOTE: Fundamental new directions, changes, and reversals on federal policies and programs are being made at extraordinary speed, and the information on this page is accurate as of Symphony ’s press time. The League sites listed above are updated on an ongoing basis, so check them for the most recent resources and information, and symphony.org for breaking news.
ceiling and commemorative bandanas given to the audience. The bandanas held Thomas’s words: “There are two key times in an artist’s life. The first is inventing yourself. The second, the harder part, is going the distance.”
Michael Tilson Thomas leads the San Francisco Symphony in the farewell concert that also marked his 80th birthday, Davies Symphony Hall, April 26.
Photo by Stefan Cohen/San Francisco Symphony.
Phoenix Symphony’s Holocaust Remembrance
The Phoenix Symphony teamed up with the Phoenix Holocaust Association on April 27 for the latter’s annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. The event, held at Symphony Hall, commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of concentration camps at the end of World War II. The orchestra and former music director Tito Muñoz launched the musical component with Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Weber by Paul Hindemith, one of the artists condemned by the Nazi regime as “degenerate.” The Symphony Chorus and four vocalists then joined in for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, with its “Ode to Joy” envisioning worldwide brotherhood. The event continued with a procession of Holocaust survivors, a candlelight ceremony honoring the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust, remarks by a survivor, and other observances. The orchestra plans to continue the collaboration next year. Among Holocaust events at other orchestras, a November concert by the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra featured Violins of Hope, a collection of restored string instruments that belonged to Holocaust victims. And the New World Symphony mounted a series of concerts and events called “Resonance of Remembrance: World War II and the Holocaust.”
Hartford Symphony Performs Excerpts from Fire Shut Up in My Bones
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra branched out into contemporary opera by showcasing Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones this spring. Based on a memoir by journalist Charles M. Blow, Fire Shut Up in My Bones tells the story of a Black man coming to terms with his painful past. Composer and jazz trumpeter Blanchard blends jazz, gospel, and classical elements in the work, which in 2022 became the first opera by a Black composer to be performed at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan led arias and other excerpts with soloists including Blanchard, soprano Janinah Burnett, baritone Will Liverman, and Blanchard’s jazz ensemble, The E-Collective. The program also featured selections from Blanchard’s scores for films including Malcolm X, Harriet, and BlacKkKlansman. Blanchard drew on his Fire Shut Up in My Bones score to create an orchestral suite that the Philadelphia Orchestra premiered last September.
Protecting Species, Supporting Music
Among the many policy developments underway, significant action is advancing regarding the rules for international travel and trade with musical instruments that contain natural materials protected under international rules. The League partners with global music stakeholders to weigh in on policies regarding the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and provides direct assistance to orchestras navigating permit requirements for musical instruments.
In November 2025, the 185 global parties to the CITES treaty will meet to consider new policy proposals for worldwide implementation. While the full agenda for those negotiations will not be set until later this summer, the League and its partners in the U.S. and globally are going on record about action to support improvements to the CITES Musical Instruments Certificate, sustainability measures for the Pernambuco wood used in crafting many bows for stringed instruments, and other policy measures that can advance urgent conservation concerns while supporting international cultural activity with musical instruments. Musicians can take action by documenting the material in their bows, using the resources in the League’s Know Your Bow Guide for Owners at https://americanorchestras.org/ know-your-bow-tips-forowners-and-users-of-pernambuco-bows/
Loving v. Virginia Opera Debuts
The Richmond Symphony joined forces with Virginia Opera to mount the world premiere of Loving v. Virginia , which tells the human story that led to the 1967 Supreme Court decision striking down bans on interracial marriage. Created by composer Damien Geter and librettist Jessica Murphy Moo, the work was commissioned by Virginia Opera. “As a native Virginian, the historical significance of Loving v. Virginia has remained with me since I was a teenager,” said Geter, who is composer in residence at the Richmond Symphony. Bringing plaintiffs Mildred and Richard Loving and their quest to the stage, he continued, “is important not only for the sake of honoring their legacy, but also for ensuring the future of the art form.” Loving v. Virginia premiered in Norfolk on April 25, with further performances in Fairfax and Richmond. Washington Classical Review critic Charles T. Downey called the work “one of the most successful new operas of the decade,” adding that “Geter’s score alternated between neo-romantic lush harmony and scoring and the pulsating rhythms of minimalism.”
A promotional image for the Hartford Symphony’s concert of excerpts from Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones
Musicians from the Phoenix Symphony gave a preview of the orchestra’s April concert marking Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Virginia Opera Chief Conductor Adam Turner, left, and Damien Geter, composer in residence at the Richmond Symphony, with the score of Geter’s new Loving v. Virginia opera.
Courtesy of Virginia Opera
Spokane Symphony Hires Former Youth Symphony Concertmaster, Age 16
After studying the violin with Spokane Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Mateusz Wolski from age 10, Jessie Morozov shared the stage with him in March—as a new member, at age 16, of the orchestra’s second-violin section. Spokane Symphony Music Director James Lowe told Monica Carrillo-Casas of the Spokesman-Review that he first encountered Morozov when she played in the Spokane Youth Symphony, where she was concertmaster. “There are people for whom an instrument is a thing that they have taken on and learnt,” Lowe said, “and then there are people for whom it is absolutely part of their body ... And that’s how I felt when I first saw Jessie play.” The Ferris High School junior won her spot in the adult orchestra only after a formal blind-audition process that also included adult musicians. Said Morozov, “Knowing that I will be a part of this magic is such a blessing.”
Major Gifts to Orchestras in Jacksonville and Salt Lake City
Fifteen million is a lucky number for the Jacksonville Symphony and Utah Symphony | Utah Opera. An anonymous donor in March pledged $15 million to the Jacksonville Symphony—the largest donation in the orchestra’s history. “This generous gift stands as a testament to the love and support that drives us forward, affirming that our work and presence matter to those we serve,” Steven Libman, the orchestra’s president and CEO, told the Jacksonville Business Journal. The donation, earmarked for the orchestra’s endowment, will help the orchestra attract musicians, commission new works, and offer educational programs. The Jacksonville philanthropy continued in April, when the Terry Family Foundation pledged $3 million to fund the orchestra’s programming as well as improvements in Jacoby Symphony Hall. Meanwhile, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera welcomed a pledge of $15 million from the O.C. Tanner family. That donation, spread over 10 years, will support key leadership positions and “address critical undercapitalization.” The post of president and CEO, currently held by Steven Brosvik, will be dubbed the O.C. Tanner Chair.
Kyiv Symphony Marks Anniversary of Russian Invasion
Conductor Oksana Lyniv and the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with a March 24 performance of Evgeni Orkin’s Five Interrupted Lullabies. Lyniv commissioned the work, a memorial to a group of Ukrainian children lost to a Russian rocket attack on Odessa in March, 2024. Orkin’s website says he was born in Lviv, Ukraine, to a family of musicians, and studied at music colleges in Kyiv; Utrecht, Holland; and Mannheim, Germany. Now a resident of Germany, he’s a composer, conductor, and clarinetist, and his works have been performed by the Deutsche Oper Berlin Orchestra, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Princeton University Orchestra, violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, and others. The Kyiv Symphony’s concert—which also included Orkin’s Requiem for a Poet and works by Beethoven and others—took place in Monheim am Rhein, Germany, where the orchestra has a residency. Lyniv premiered Five Interrupted Lullabies last September in Denmark with the Odense Symphony, and she’ll take the work to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra next January.
New York Philharmonic Premieres Lost Ravel Work
colleagues.
The New York Philharmonic and Music and Artistic Director-Designate Gustavo Dudamel marked the 125th anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birth with the world premiere in March of a work from the composer’s student years: Prélude et Danse de Sémiramis, from a cantata about a legendary queen of Babylon. The only known hearing during Ravel’s lifetime came in a non-public rehearsal by the Paris Conservatory’s student orchestra, said Gabryel Smith, the Philharmonic’s director of archives and exhibits. The score was long presumed lost, but sleuthing led scholars to an unsigned manuscript at the Bibliothèque nationale de France. “It’s a nice view of a composer that’s still discovering his own style,” Smith said. In a review, the New York Times’ Zachary Woolfe describes the five-minute score: “Grave and gloomy, bronzed by the low luster of a gong, the first section rises to the dramatic punch of an opera overture. The music then accelerates into a gaudy Orientalist dance that looks back to the Bacchanale from Saint-Saëns’s ‘Samson et Dalila’ and the ‘Polovtsian Dances’ of Borodin.”
Jessie Morozov, the newest member of the Spokane Symphony.
Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review
Oksana Lyniv.
Photo by Oleh Pavliuchenkov.
An exhibit at the New York Philharmonic’s David Geffen Hall shows a facsimile of Ravel’s “Sémiramis” score as well as other materials from Ravel’s friends and
Photo by Brandon Patoc.
Orchestras and Musicians Build Support for Victims of LA Wildfires
After last winter’s devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area, California orchestras and their musicians got busy helping the region recover.
In late January, the Pasadena Symphony’s first concert after the fires helped kick off an instrument drive to replace those lost by members of the Pasadena Symphony Youth Orchestra. Not only did some students lose their instruments when they had to flee their homes, but several schools in Altadena lost their entire instrument collections.
Members of the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music joined forces in a March concert dubbed “SF Musicians for LA: A Benefit for Fire Relief.” The program, featuring pianist Garrick Ohlsson of the conservatory faculty as soloist, included music by Copland, Rachmaninoff, and Dvořák. Before capping off the concert with “Make Our Garden Grow” from Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, conductor Edwin Outwater addressed the audience. “If you know Voltaire’s novel or Bernstein’s opera, you know it’s about posing a question: How do we endure in a cruel world? … There’s no easy answer, but Leonard Bernstein and Voltaire’s answer is to build a garden and make the garden grow. Work together to build something back.” The orchestra announced on Facebook that the concert raised $118,500 for the Entertainment Community Fund and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic and guests including pop star Christina Aguilera performed a free concert at the Hollywood Bowl on April 1 to thank first responders. The orchestra also collected donations of supplies for survivors, and it donated 5 percent of ticket revenues from its February and March concerts at Walt Disney Hall to support the Los Angeles County Parks Association.
Simply getting back to work heartened the musicians of Orchestra Nova LA, Music Director Ivan Shulman writes on symphony.org. The orchestra’s first post-fire rehearsal began with Shostakovich’s Festive Overture. “When we finished, and the musicians started to look up from their parts, I saw smiles on their faces, smiles which had not been there before we started.”
Wallace Foundation: Well-being and the Arts
The Wallace Foundation has published a report that examines how community-based youth arts programs can support diverse young people. In “Well-being and Well-becoming Through the Arts,” University of Pittsburgh researchers look at what they call culture-centered, community-based youth arts programs. “As fewer and fewer schools offer arts learning opportunities, out-of-school time organizations in many communities have stepped in to fill that space. This is particularly true in neighborhoods with low income and diverse populations, where robust arts programs are least likely to be present in schools,” the summary says. The report identifies key values and goals of programs that yield positive results, while interviews with staff and young people showed that “participants often experience joy, a sense of accomplishment, and a growth in confidence and significance through their engagement in the arts.” Read the report at wallacefoundation.org.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic collected donations of supplies for wildfire survivors at multiple venues, including, in photo, the Beckmen YOLA Center in Inglewood and at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The Los Angeles wildfires destroyed Belmont Music Publishers, which housed thousands of Arnold Schoenberg’s scores and was run by his son Larry Schoenberg. The fires also destroyed Larry Schoenberg’s Pacific Palisades home. (The Schoenberg Center in Vienna, a major repository of the composer’s manuscripts, remains unscathed.)
Courtesy of E. Randol Schoenberg
Ryan Fleur Named President and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Ryan Fleur became president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts in April, after serving on an interim basis since January. A member of the orchestra’s staff since 2012, he played a pivotal role in the orchestra’s merger with the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, now known as Ensemble Arts Philly. Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin saluted Fleur’s “dedication to the musicians, his forward-thinking approach, and his ability to unite diverse communities around the transformative power of music.” Before going to Philadelphia, Fleur was president and CEO of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and held executive positions at Boston Ballet, the New York Philharmonic, and the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston. Fleur earned degrees in economics and business from Boston University, and took part in the League of American Orchestras’ Orchestra Management Fellowship Program, which included stints with the San Francisco Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, and Indianapolis Symphony. Ryan Fleur.
Gary Ginstling Named Executive Director and CEO of Houston Symphony
In January, Gary Ginstling was appointed executive director and chief executive officer of the Houston Symphony. He succeeded John Mangum, who departed to lead the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Ginstling has held several leadership roles at major American orchestras. Most recently, he spent two years at the New York Philharmonic, serving in the roles of executive director and, until July 2024, as president and CEO. Previously, Ginstling was executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC, from 2017 to 2022, and CEO of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra from 2013 to 2017. Prior orchestra leadership positions include general manager of the Cleveland Orchestra; director of communications and external affairs of the San Francisco Symphony; and executive director of the Berkeley Symphony. Under Ginstling’s leadership at the New York Philharmonic, the organization secured a $40 million contribution to its endowment. Ginstling holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University, a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School, and a Master of Business Administration from the Anderson School at UCLA. Ginstling serves on the board of the League of American Orchestras.
Jonathon Heyward Extends Contract at Lincoln Center Festival Orchestra Through 2029
Jonathon Heyward has a contract extension and an expanded title at the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center: his tenure as music director and artistic director of the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center runs through the 2029 season. Building on his 2024 inaugural season as music director, which included commissions from composers Huang Ruo and Hannah Kendall, in 2025 Heyward will lead commissions by three composers whose works will premiere across the next two summers as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City festival. The culminating performance of the orchestra’s 2025 season includes the premiere of a commission by James Lee III, composer in residence with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, where Heyward is also music director.
Chicago Sinfonietta Selects Sidney P. Jackson, Jr. as President and CEO
Sidney P. Jackson, Jr. has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Chicago Sinfonietta. He will succeed Wendy Lewis, who served as interim CEO since December 2024. Jackson will become president and CEO on June 13, 2025, after he concludes projects at the New Jersey Symphony, where he is vice president of development. At the New Jersey Symphony, Jackson led a multi-million-dollar fundraising initiative that expanded donor engagement and long-term support; he also created and launched the orchestra’s centennial campaign. Committed to inspiring communities through the transformative power of music, Jackson has worked in the non-profit arts sector and others, including human services, children and family, anti-poverty, and justice initiatives to benefit diverse communities. Born in Charleston, West Virginia, he grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. Prior to the New Jersey Symphony, Jackson worked in New York City for nonprofit organizations including Helpusadopt.org, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and Harlem School for the Arts.
Robert McGrath Appointed President and CEO of the Cincinnati Symphony
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra named Robert McGrath as president and CEO in February. McGrath succeeded Jonathan Martin, who retired at the end of 2024. McGrath is a 27-year veteran of the orchestra field, including nine years as vice president and general manager and four years as chief operating officer at the CSO. He will lead the CSO and also serve as president of the CSO’s subsidiary, Music and Event Management, Inc., and as president of CSO’s partner organization, the Cincinnati May Festival. McGrath is leading CSO management in the implementation of a strategic plan that establishes concert innovation, learning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion as core areas. Under McGrath’s leadership, the Nouveau program, designed to nurture student musicians from backgrounds underrepresented in orchestral music, has expanded. McGrath is a graduate of the New England Conservatory with a Bachelor of Music in bassoon performance, and is an alumnus of the League of American Orchestras’ Orchestra Management Fellowship Program. Previously, he held senior positions with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, and Chicago’s Music of the Baroque.
Gary Ginstling.
Photo by Melissa Taylor.
Jonathon Heyward leads the Lincoln Center Festival Orchestra.
Photo by Lawrence Sumulong.
Sidney P. Jackson.
Photo by Brenna Falzone.
Robert McGrath.
Photo by Claudia Hershner.
The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra in Maryland has appointed ERICA BONDAREV RAPACH as executive director. She joined the ASO as interim executive director in 2024.
Boston’s Longwood Symphony Orchestra has appointed HANNAH COLLINS as executive director.
The Wallace Foundation, which supports education and the arts, has appointed JEAN S. DESRAVINES as president.
The Lancaster Festival in Ohio has chosen JOHN DEVLIN as music director. Devlin is also music director of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra in West Virginia.
MICHELLE DI RUSSO has been appointed music director of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. She is in her second season as associate conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Philadelphia’s No Name Pops Orchestra, which will be rebranded as the Philly Pops, has named CHRISTOPHER DRAGON as music director. Dragon also holds conductor positions with the Wyoming Symphony, Colorado Symphony, and Greensboro Symphony in North Carolina.
The San Francisco Symphony has appointed JOSHUA ELMORE as principal bassoon. He was previously principal bassoon at the Fort Worth Symphony.
Musical Chairs
The Cleveland Orchestra has appointed TAICHI FUKUMURA as assistant conductor, JAMES FEDDECK as principal conductor and musical advisor of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, and TYLER TAYLOR as the Daniel R. Lewis Composer Fellow.
The Lexington Philharmonic in Kentucky has selected BRITTANY J. GREEN as its 2025-26 composer in residence.
GABRIELA LARA joined the first-violin section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in January, becoming the first Latina and third Hispanic member in the orchestra. She was a concertmaster in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and a member of the Milwaukee Symphony.
EDUARDO LEANDRO has been appointed music director and principal conductor of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony in Connecticut.
The Oregon Symphony has named JESSICA LEE as associate concertmaster and HARRISON LINSEY as principal oboe, effective with the 2025–26 season.
Connecticut’s Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra appointed ERIC MAHL as music director. Mahl is also music director of the Northport Symphony Orchestra, Geneva Light Opera Company, and the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra.
JOANN FALLETTA will become the Omaha Symphony’s principal guest conductor and artistic advisor with the 2025-26 season. Falletta is music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, a post she will retain.
WENDY FANNING has been appointed executive director of the Fort Collins Symphony in Colorado. She succeeds Mary Kopco, who has retired.
MARC FELDMAN has joined the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra as chief executive. Feldman previously led the Orchestre National de Bretagne and California’s Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra.
MARTIN MAJKUT, music director of the Rogue Valley Symphony in Ashland, Oregon, and the Queens Symphony Orchestra in New York, has been appointed music director of the Oregon Coast Music Festival.
The Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra in Massachusetts appointed KARA E. MCEACHERN as executive director. She has worked at the Plymouth Philharmonic since 2017.
MONICA MEYER BEALE has been named senior vice president and chief development officer at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Colorado’s Longmont Symphony Orchestra named SARA PARKINSON as executive director. Parkinson was previously executive director and director of education and community engagement at the Boulder Philharmonic.
GRACIE POTTER has joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as principal trombone. Potter was previously acting principal trombone of the Richmond Symphony in Virginia.
Oregon’s Eugene Symphony has appointed ALEX PRIOR as music director; he will take the helm in the fall. Prior has served as assistant conductor of the Seattle Symphony and music director of the Edmonton Symphony.
JANET REIHLE has been named president and executive director of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra.
HUANG RUO has been appointed composer in residence at the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
CALEB QUILLEN has joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra as principal bass. He replaces Edwin Barker, who retires after 48 years as principal bass. Third horn MICHAEL WINTER has been promoted to BSO associate principal horn as well as principal horn of the Boston Pops.
The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra has appointed SULIMAN TEKALLI as concertmaster.
The Minnesota Orchestra has appointed JAMES VAUGHEN as principal trumpet. He succeeds Manny Laureano, who retired from the principal trumpet post after 44 years in the orchestra.
California’s Santa Rosa Symphony has appointed JACO WONG as conductor for the Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra. Virginia’s Richmond Symphony has named TREVOR WORDEN as director of leadership and planned giving.
JEAN-MARIE ZEITOUNI will join Canada’s Edmonton Symphony as music director at the start of next season.
Forward Thinking Conductor, Advocate, Change Agent
Marin Alsop has shattered glass ceilings as an adventurous artist, a music director of U.S. and international orchestras, a passionate champion of music education for all, and a tireless advocate for women conductors. This summer, as she receives the Gold Baton award from the League of American Orchestras, Alsop assesses her career—and the state of the art.
By Simon Woods
Marin Alsop’s resume is almost impossible to summarize briefly. She was music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 2007 to 2021 and principal conductor of the São Paulo State Symphony in Brazil from 2012 to 2019. Currently she is chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra; artistic director and chief conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony; principal guest conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London; principal guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra; chief conductor
of the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, and music director of the National Orchestral Institute and Festival at the University of Maryland. It’s a stellar, remarkable career.
It has also been a journey of advocating for classical music, of supporting young people, and—especially—of working tirelessly for women in our profession. It is for all of those reasons—her artistry, her advocacy, and her history as a change leader—that this year we are thrilled to give her the highest honor of the League and the orchestra profession, the Gold Baton.
Marin Alsop.
Photo by Nancy Horowitz.
Marin follows in the footsteps of many amazing conductors who have received the Gold Baton over the decades, including Leonard Bernstein, Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormondy, Pierre Boulez, Michael Tilson Thomas, Thomas Wilkins, and— appropriately, given that the League’s National Conference is in Salt Lake City this year—Maurice Abravanel, the longtime music director of the Utah Symphony.
SIMON WOODS: I want to start this discussion with Maurice Abravanel. Most people probably don’t realize that there’s a personal connection between you and Abravanel and the Utah Symphony.
MARIN ALSOP: There’s a deep personal connection, because my dad was from Murray, Utah. He played violin, flute, clarinet, and saxophone, and Maurice Abravanel gave him his first job, playing violin. But he also doubled on bass clarinet in the Utah Symphony. He told me, “Well, if it’s a big bass clarinet solo. I play bass clarinet that week, and if they need violins, I play violin.” It was Maurice who told him, “You’re too talented to stay here. You have to go to New York and pursue a career.” That prompted my Dad to study in New York, and he became concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra. He followed my mother, whom he had met at a summer music festival. I grew up in the orchestral world with my parents. My mother was a cellist, and they belonged for couple of seasons to the Tulsa Symphony, and then the Buffalo Philharmonic. They did get around a bit before settling in New York.
I think that U.S. orchestras are without a doubt the great orchestras of the world. It saddens me that there aren’t more Americans as music directors of the great American orchestras. But it’s always a joy for me to work with American orchestras. My relationship with the Philadelphia Orchestra goes back many years—they gave me one of my very first subscription concert engagements when I was 30, and they’ve always believed in me. It’s very nice to come full circle with that relationship.
WOODS: Is there anything specific that distinguishes American orchestras? You’ve worked a lot in Europe. You had a long relationship with the São Paulo orchestra. What is it that makes American orchestras American?
ALSOP: There’s an independence of spirit. There’s a very high level of technical proficiency. Go to an audition for one of these orchestras, and you’re blown away by the candidates—the level of auditionees is so high and so competitive. It’s technical and artistic excellence that really defines American orchestras. I wouldn’t limit that to the top orchestras; you can go to small cities and find very proficient, very competent, and very engaged orchestras. I think back to my first music director position, at the Eugene Symphony in Oregon. That was one of the most rewarding artistic experiences I had. They were wonderfully enthusiastic and supportive. Sometimes it’s the smaller community orchestras that exhibit this kind of passion.
WOODS: The League has 650 orchestra members, and you’ve got to go pretty far down that list before you stop finding orchestras that can turn in superb performances of major repertoire works. Do you find yourself adapting when working with orchestras in different continents in different styles, or do you show up as who you are, with your own personal way of working?
ALSOP: It’s a little bit of both. I am who I am, so I don’t try to affect any kind of change in that, but for me it’s important to at
least understand the trajectory of an orchestra, the work, pace, the run-up to a concert. Whether I go to Vienna, where I have substantial rehearsal time, or to London, where I have much less rehearsal time, I try to adapt. Instead of going into an orchestra and trying to impose something, I find it, at least for me, much more successful to try to identify where their strengths are and build on those.
WOODS: The role of the conductor is essentially the same, whichever continent you’re on. The role of the music director, however, is definitely not the same. Can you talk about the difference between being music director or principal conductor in, say, Vienna, to being music director of an orchestra like the Baltimore Symphony? American orchestras demand way more from their music directors beyond the stage.
ALSOP: It’s a completely different experience and far different level of responsibility and engagement. I hope that my positions in Europe and Brazil benefited from my experience in the United States, because as music director, I’m a very hands-on, deeply committed community person. That is not expected at all, I would say, in Europe or South America. It emanates, probably, from the fundamental funding differences. As music director, we really need to be the ambassador for the orchestra in terms of donors and sponsors and gifting, because we’re dependent on that, whereas in Vienna it’s a government-subsidized orchestra. Same in São Paulo, although this is now shifting a bit. I think I’ve been able to help all of the orchestras adapt a bit more toward the American model, although thankfully they won’t have to go full force in that direction.
WOODS: That seems like a good pivot to talk about the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. One of the most remarkable things in Baltimore is the OrchKids program, which you are very passionate about. In this country, we’re simply not able to rely on music education in schools, especially not for those in underprivileged communities. Could you talk about what led to OrchKids?
ALSOP: I’ve always been struck by the lack of diversity in American orchestras, probably in orchestras worldwide. Is it about access? Is it about talent? Is it about opportunity? Cultural reference? What is the reason behind that?
When I took over in Baltimore, which is a predominantly African American city, I was struck by the fact that there’s one Black musician in the orchestra. She’s a wonderful cellist. She’s been there for 40 years. So I proposed that we do
Marin Alsop with Leonard Bernstein, one of her mentors, and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra at Tanglewood, 1989.
Photo by Walter Scott.
an experiment, which led to OrchKids. Starting a program like this requires a lot of funding, and the organization was rightfully nervous about having to fundraise in a huge way for another program. Luckily, I won the MacArthur Fellowship and came into some money that I didn’t expect. I thought, Okay, this is why I won it. And this is what I can use my money for. I was able to give the seed money to start the OrchKids program, and that immediately generated matching funds from several wealthy individuals and wonderful friends of mine in the community. I started with one small school in West Baltimore with 30 first-graders, and it became quickly clear to us that the music was not going to be the main obstacle in these environments—the kids didn’t have healthy food to eat. We immediately pivoted and got some organic meals served every day to the kids. And that continues. Schoolwork was a problem, so we started a mentoring program with some of the corporations in Baltimore. And that continues today. What became immediately clear was that for the kids, music was going to be a route to a whole-child approach to studying an art form.
Growing up, it wasn’t until I found the violin that I became absorbed and passionate about music. So I wanted every kid in the program to pick their own instrument and not to have it imposed on them. For six weeks they try each different family of instrument until they find one they like. We got some instruments donated, and we brought in some basses. I’ll never forget this young man, Tyrone—he just ran over to the bass like it was his long-lost brother or something. He knew immediately: this is my instrument.
I’m passionate that all musicians should know how to improvise, how to compose, and should have as broad a music education as possible. All the OrchKids compose and know how to improvise, and this is wonderful to see. I couldn’t have anticipated in 2008 when we started the program that some of those 30 kids that we started with would graduate from high school, go to university, and study music. The program, while of course it is about music, was a haven for the kids after school, a safe place. It was a place of community, where they were heard and applauded. It gave them opportunities to travel, to be seen. They need to be recognized for the unique individuals that they are.
I always thought every kid is born a genius, and somehow society just sucks it out of them. This is a manifestation of that, that these kids are all extraordinary young people, and they’re succeeding in music and other realms. They’ve taken the skills that they’ve learned in OrchKids—how to motivate themselves, how to budget your time, how to work under stress, how to listen to others. All of these things come into play in other disciplines. I think that they’re going to become the leaders of tomorrow.
I always know an OrchKid right away, because they call me Miss Marin. I fully expect to go to a doctor in five years, and she’ll say, ‘Hello, Miss Marin.’ I see kids as leaders.
WOODS: What are the components of OrchKids? Is it lessons as well as coming together in ensembles and an orchestra?
ALSOP: There are all kinds of ensembles, ranging from jazz band to orchestral and bucket band for percussion. There’s choir and all kinds of opportunities. We try to give them as broad an introduction and education as possible. We keep them really busy. Last time I was chatting with Nick Skinner, who’s the wonderful executive director of OrchKids, they play upwards of 50 concerts a year, in the community and around, and they travel far and wide. Several of the kids have been to Europe.
It’s the gift of imagination. Without imagination, what do you have? It’s a pretty dull outlook if we don’t invest in our children’s imaginations.
WOODS: The other area where you’ve had such an extraordinary impact is all your advocacy for the roles that women play, particularly as conductors. On the one hand, we have a very long way to go. On the other hand, it is tremendously inspiring to see this current generation of young women conductors who are coming to fruition. It’s a whole different level in the public eye than we would have had even a decade ago, and honestly, I cannot imagine that it would have happened without you and all the work you put into your Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship program.
ALSOP: I’m thrilled to see the incredible talent that’s coming up through the ranks as guest conductors, as music directors, as chief conductors, assistant conductors. Conducting is unlike being an instrumentalist, because you can’t practice your instrument unless you’re given an opportunity. With so few opportunities in
Marin Alsop with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, where she was music director from 2007 to 2021, and made history as the first woman music director of a major American orchestra.
Marin Alsop leads an OrchKids concert, the free program she founded at the Baltimore Symphony for children from the city’s marginalized communities.
the past, it was very difficult for women to achieve their highest personal level. But what’s happening is that women are being given and taking opportunities. That is reflected in their skill set, because the more you do something, the more experience you get; the more you have a chance to fail at something, the better you get at it. Between our awardees and our mentees, we have over 60 women conductors from 40 different nationalities, and they now have their own community. This is extremely impactful. They are able to talk about the challenges of being conductors, the challenges of raising a family while traveling, the challenges of which cuts to do in a score. Twenty-nine of them are music directors, and they are in positions to be able to engage each other and interact. It’s been incredibly moving to watch that community grow.
These women are not only super talented, the vast majority of them are also committed to their communities in very deep ways. They’ve started tens of initiatives, all kinds of different projects. They’re all about connecting orchestra to community, and I think that’s really the way of the future.
WOODS: When you look back at what you experienced yourself as a young artist, and some of the things you’ve talked about around prejudice and discrimination, do you think things have gotten better?
ALSOP: Oh, yes! Hugely.
WOODS: To what extent does that cohort of amazing women conductors still face some of those same things that you faced? I’m assuming that you believe this is not completed work.
ALSOP: Look at the rosters of the orchestras of the world, and you realize the work has barely even started. That’s a fact. But I’m very encouraged when a young woman will say, ‘I don’t feel any hesitation in going into this field. I don’t feel that I’m being discriminated against.’ That is more the position of young women today. That said, it’s surprising for them when they suddenly hit a wall of the old world that has rather archaic reservations about what women can and can’t do. Sometimes they’re more shocked than I am, because they haven’t experienced it. Things change; things stay the same. I hope we’ve passed the tipping point to progress, and I hope we can lock arms and move forward, especially through these difficult times.
It’s not only about women, but also about American conductors. We have to remind ourselves that the American orchestral business was formed by European emigrees, and we still haven’t really escaped that. We could also talk about repertoire. I go to some orchestras, and they say they haven’t played any American music since the last time I was there. As an American, there’s some reverence that I have or at least I had for America and for American music, and maybe someday that will come back.
WOODS: You alluded to the complexities of this moment. Without straying too far into political territory, it feels like the elephant in the room is that there are big question marks about our public life, freedom of expression in the arts, and federal support. What role does music have in a very turbulent time?
ALSOP: The great thing for me about music is that it’s nonpartisan, that I can sit with a friend who has a completely different political viewpoint, and we can both listen to a piece of music and come away changed. Maybe we have completely differing opinions of it. But they’re all valid.
Music is a great connecting point. As human beings, we’re born hot-wired for music, and that’s something we share innately. Music can offer respite and refuge in difficult times, so it serves many purposes, but I think as soon as it becomes part of a political drama it loses some of its greatness. I understand about making a stand and all of those things, and I make my own stands in my own way, but I try not to do them using the music as that vehicle.
WOODS: We’ve talked about what you’ve done as an agent of change. But I don’t want to lose track of the fact that first and foremost, you’re an artist. When you think about your own conducting trajectory, what remains still to be done for you? I’m not so much thinking here about career, I’m thinking musically. What musical Everests still lie ahead that you haven’t yet conquered?
ALSOP: Some of the musical mountains that have come to me have been sudden and surprising. In my work in Brazil, I discovered a whole repertoire. I had no knowledge of Brazilian classical music or Brazilian popular music—and it’s amazing stuff. I had a swing band for 20 years, and I love a lot of crossover music, this blending of popular and “serious” music. Brazil was a treasure trove on that front. My work in Vienna through the radio orchestra brought me into contact with a lot of contemporary Austrian and German repertoire, which is a language that I wasn’t that facile in and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know. Now I’m working in Poland, and there’s a whole cadre of composers whose names I know, and maybe I had done a piece here or there, but it’s absolutely fantastic music. I have to say, the musical mountains come up naturally and it’s really a great joy. I would probably like to do a little bit more opera in the future. But I’m so happy with my career and the ability to work with great musicians and great orchestras and do the repertoire I want to do. There’s so much out there, and so much to be experienced and explored. I don’t think I’ll be bored a single day in my life.
SIMON WOODS is the President and CEO of the League of American Orchestras.
Marin Alsop takes a bow with the New York Philharmonic at a recent concert at David Geffen Hall.
Photo by Brandon Patoc.
What’s Up in Utah: The View from the Board
As orchestras across the U.S. face shifting economic conditions, changing audience behaviors, and increased scrutiny of institutional values, board leaders are thinking carefully about how to lead with purpose. The year, the League of American Orchestras’ National Conference takes place in Salt Lake City, so we asked leaders from orchestras across Utah to share their priorities, challenges, and hopes for the future of orchestral music and how their boards are evolving to meet the moment.
By Piper Starnes
Against a backdrop of economic pressure, cultural change, and a national search for connection and clarity, orchestras remain powerful platforms for music, reflection, dialogue, and joy. In Utah, orchestras are not only cultural cornerstones but also community hubs where creativity, tradition, and civic life intersect.
From fundraising and education to programming and governance, these leaders are focused on helping their orchestras thrive, ensuring that music continues to inspire, comfort, and bring people together across generations. Their comments provide insight into their day-to-day programs, pending projects, and long-term initiatives.
Erik R. Anderson,
President, Murray Symphony
What is your philosophy of governance for nonprofits like orchestras? How involved should boards of directors be in day-to-day operations?
The board of directors of a nonprofit organization, such as a community symphony, is responsible for managing the essential administrative and operational tasks necessary to sustain the organization. By handling these responsibilities, the board enables members to engage in whatever capacity they choose. In essence, a dedicated board of directors allows members to focus on their passions without the burden of bureaucratic duties.
What do you see as your orchestra’s role in your community? How does your board support that work?
Our community continues to support us because we have cultivated an identity that reflects their values, interests, and needs. As the Murray Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, we take pride in our long-standing tradition of providing high-quality, family-friendly, and affordable performances to the Utah community. Some of our members and patrons have been with us for over 35 years, a testament to the enduring impact of our organization.
The Murray Symphony Board is committed to upholding and refining this identity to ensure it remains relevant and meaningful. Our process begins with evaluating the experiences of our own members—how can we strengthen their sense of belonging, even for those who live farther away? What measures can we
take to ensure they feel valued and heard? Equally important is assessing how our efforts resonate with our patrons. Do adjustments need to be made to better align with our mission?
“Our community continues to support us because we have cultivated an identity that reflects their values, interests, and needs.”
– Erik R. Anderson, President, Murray Symphony
What are the most pressing issues and opportunities facing your orchestra right now? For orchestra in general?
A key challenge for the Murray Symphony is selecting music that resonates with both our community and our musicians. Our repertoire must be engaging, appropriately challenging, and appealing to audiences.
To achieve this, we formed the Music Selection Committee, a volunteer group representing all symphony sections. This committee curates our season’s repertoire, balancing artistic excellence with audience appeal. By incorporating feedback from members and the community, we ensure our selections align with our mission and enrich the concert experience.
Patty Bartholomew, Executive Director & Board President, Cache Youth Orchestra
What are the most pressing issues and opportunities facing your orchestra right now? For orchestras in general?
We are finishing up our 3rd year and have four main difficulties right now.
1. Funding: As a new nonprofit, this has been difficult to spearhead. During our first year, we didn’t qualify for many grants because we didn’t have a track record. We had about 60 students during our first year, and most of our funding came from tuition and a few fundraisers and private donations. We have since found an affordable grant writer and have successfully written grants to help fund our program.
2. Recruiting woodwinds, brass, and percussion: This is the first year we have had a full orchestra with woodwinds, brass, and percussion. In our community, string students typically start in 4th or 5th grade. Band students start in the public schools in 6th or 7th grade. This creates an interesting challenge in varying levels between our string and band students. Marching band is also prevalent in our community, and we are trying to navigate the challenge of collaborating with local high schools’ marching band programs so students can successfully participate in our youth orchestra.
3. Artistic vision: As a newer organization, we are constantly trying to improve and fine-tune the artistic
vision and quality of our program. This is a difficult balance; we need numbers (especially in our Philharmonic Orchestra), and we also want to raise the quality. Finding the right conductors and staff has been crucial here.
4. Strategic and active board: Organizing board duties and finding invested board members has been a challenge. As the executive director and board president, it’s been difficult for me to manage both (along with working full-time as a financial advisor and conducting an adult beginning/ intermediate orchestra). Eventually, it would be best to separate those duties and have one person be the executive director and someone else be the board president.
“Playing in an ensemble can impact students academically, increase self-esteem and belonging, and give students a way to express themselves in a beautiful and transformative way.”
– Patty Bartholomew, Executive Director & Board President, Cache Youth Orchestra
What is the value of music and arts education—beyond gaining potential new audiences? Does exposure to orchestral music have a transformative impact? If so, how?
I believe it is vital to our communities. Participating in a youth orchestra (community or school) creates connection and promotes creativity and innovation like nothing else. Our students form life-long relationships with friends and fellow orchestra members. Some of my middle and high school orchestra friends remain some of my closest friends to this day. Playing in an ensemble can impact students academically, increase self-esteem and belonging, and give students a way to express themselves in a beautiful and transformative way. Many of our students will continue to play and perform on their instruments. Our community has orchestra opportunities for every stage of life—from childhood
to retirement—serving all levels at every age. Music unites us and promotes acceptance and empathy.
Blanka Bednarz,
What is your philosophy of governance for nonprofits like orchestras? How involved should boards of directors be in day-to-day operations?
Our common belief is that everything we do needs to be in service of education, operations, and artistic quality. Any ticket revenue or donation we receive goes entirely towards the program, including equipment, artistic content, advertising, paying clinicians, facility rentals, or taxes and legal fees. Not a single dollar is spent on anything else.
We are a small but extremely efficient board. Everyone has five jobs and wears a lot of hats. We’ve unfortunately lost some board members—some moved away, left for a higher-paying or other job, retired, or passed away in the last couple of years—so we are certainly looking for more members who share the symphony’s vision of serving the community, educating young musicians, and collaborating with area entities.
“An orchestra is a very safe environment for young people to experiment. It’s a part of life for them to learn and discover who they are.” – Blanka Bednarz, Executive Director, Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra; Cheung Chau, Artistic Director, Utah Valley Symphony Orchestra
Executive Director, Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra Cheung Chau, Artistic Director, Utah Valley Symphony Orchestra
What is the value of music and arts education—beyond gaining potential new audiences? Does exposure to orchestral music have a transformative impact?
An orchestra is a very safe environment for young people to experiment. It’s a part of life for them to learn and discover who they are. If they make a mistake, nobody will get hurt, like in the medical field. Usually, by the end of the year, everybody is much more expressive, open, and courageous, and it really affects the quality of the music. It always sounds better and more beautiful when they are not afraid to communicate. Empathy and awareness of other people couldn’t be more important in today’s volatile world. We foster a supportive and collaborative attitude within our students so that they can truly listen to and learn from each other.
What are the most pressing issues and opportunities facing your orchestra right now? For orchestras in general?
Rising costs. Even mundane things such as [renting] a Post Office box have risen almost 100%. We’ve been extremely lucky to receive donations from parents and friends of the orchestra, and that has helped us remain here.
Though we try to keep tuition as low as possible, we’ve had to raise our tuition minimally. We are all on pins and needles to provide what we can without burdening the families, but we would love to be able to offer scholarships for students in the future. We always tell the parents that it’s cheaper than babysitting for three hours, and here, they are at the dinner table with Bach, Beethoven, Berlioz—you name it! It’s time well spent.
Alyce Stevens Gardner, Chair, Southwest Symphony
What do you see as your orchestra’s role in your community? How does your board support that work?
The Southwest Symphony has been the cultural heart of an expanding and vibrant arts mecca in Southern Utah since 1980. Collaborative, innovative, and education-focused, the symphony
seeks to fulfill its mission to inspire and enrich audiences through the transformative power of symphonic music. We work together with community partners to share this beauty through educational and entertaining performances.
“We work together with community partners to share the beauty of symphonic music through educational and entertaining performances.”
– Alyce Stevens Gardner, Chair,
Southwest Symphony
Recently, the Southwest Symphony partnered with Utah Tech University to provide funding to renovate the Cox Auditorium on campus and transform it into a new performing arts center. Hundreds of generous community donors, including Southern Utah citizens, corporations, Washington County, and the Utah State Legislature contributed to the effort to raise $40 million. The renovated performing arts center will provide a home for the symphony, but more importantly, the new performing arts center will impact generations with state-of-the-art technology, employment, entertainment, and educational opportunities. This project would not have been possible without the leadership, fundraising, and dedication to the arts in our community by the Southwest Symphony board and staff. Their vision and work propelled the project forward, turning a dream into a reality. This project illustrates the impact we can have when we collaborate with our community partners to achieve a common goal.
Brian Greeff, Chair, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera
What do you see as your orchestra’s role in your community? How does your board support that work?
Our mission is to bring our community together for great live music. In a world where every influence and sensation is increasingly digitized or synthesized as
a digital facsimile, ours is one of the last truly “authentic” forms of human interaction. And it happens in a live group setting. There has never been a more vital role for bringing communities together for great live music.
How do you view your organization in light of the growing movement for orchestras to reflect the communities they serve?
We recruit and hire the best, most qualified, and talented people for every role and orchestra seat, and we see that as entirely complementary to reflecting our community.
What qualities make a good board member? How do you build more inclusive boards?
Great board members merge their circles of social influence with the circles of impact of our orchestra. It’s not about donations and fundraising. It’s about deep human connections to mission, purpose, and impact.
“Great board members merge their circles of social influence with the circles of impact of our orchestra.” – Brian Greeff, Chair, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera
What is your philosophy of governance for nonprofits like orchestras? How involved should boards of directors be in day-to-day operations?
Boards should not be in day-to-day operations. Their role is to make deep personal connections across the community...to bring the orchestra into their social spheres and to bring their social spheres into the orchestra. What would you want to tell someone who is new to orchestral music? What cliches would you like to dispel, and what positive impact and pleasures would you point out?
Great music is great music. Period. Every genre of music (and art, generally) is surrounded by cliches. Country, rap, R&B, jazz...all ensconced in untrue and shallow cliches. And every one of them rewards those who listen past the prejudice. What is the value of music and arts education—beyond gaining potential new audiences? Does exposure to orchestral music have a transformative impact?
I believe the entire experience of live orchestral music is what transforms. It is
live, unadulterated, and unamplified by any inorganic means. And it is experienced firsthand by a group of people in that moment for the very first time and the very last time...ever. It is a truly unique and shared experience. That communal experience can be emotionally and spiritually transformational.
Barbara Scowcroft, President, Utah Youth Symphony Orchestra
What do you see as your orchestra’s role in your community?
As the first established youth orchestra in the state, our role is to keep the musical climate healthy, challenging, fun, and positive. UYS musicians go on to have their own private studios, become music educators, and become important patrons of the arts. Many alumni continue their love of music into adulthood and play in Utah’s numerous community orchestras. What qualities make a good board member?
Our board is comprised of parents of Utah Youth students, UYS alumni, Utah Symphony musicians, university professors, and community members. Qualities that make a good board member include:
1. Being in love with classical and contemporary music and the musicians who make it.
2. Having an attitude of openness and learning without a personal agenda to cloud vision, the process, and the progress.
3. Being aware of the diversity of those around us who can contribute to our mission—even if they have no musical training—and giving them space to learn, grow, and test out creativity in alignment with our mission.
“As the first established youth orchestra in the state, our role is to keep the musical climate healthy, challenging, fun, and positive.” –
Barbara Scowcroft, President, Utah Youth Symphony Orchestra
What’s your vision for the orchestra field?
Building on the great tradition of classical music, welcoming new works, and not being afraid to experiment with a concert format will bode well for the future of the symphony orchestra and welcome more people to attend. We are family-friendly and user-friendly. We will continue to remind the public that we are not an elite entity. This strengthens our audience base and shows them that they have a 50% ownership in every concert. The musicians on stage are the other 50%. Together we make a great concert. What is your philosophy of governance for nonprofits like orchestras? How involved should boards of directors be in day-to-day operations?
We are so grateful for the devotion and time of our board members. As they have their own businesses and responsibilities in their personal lives, I think being involved in day-to-day workings of a youth orchestra or professional orchestra is too much to ask and not realistic. You have to live the life of the musician to understand it. It’s not fair to expect someone to understand the nuances and needs of a working musician. What would you want to tell someone who is new to orchestral music? What cliches would you like to dispel, and what positive impact and pleasures would you point out?
Trust! Come into the hall and you will have an immediate understanding of why you should come back. You don’t have to wear specific clothing; you can even fall asleep—it’s a compliment to us as musicians that you’re comfortable with us in our space. Music heals us and expands us. It changes our cells and our souls.
community. Our role is to make orchestral music accessible, meaningful, and connected to the lives of the people we serve—from lifelong concertgoers to students hearing a symphony for the first time.
“In a rural region like ours, the orchestra offers more than performances—it brings people together and creates shared experiences that strengthen community ties.” – Harold Shirley, President, Orchestra of Southern Utah
In a rural region like ours, the orchestra offers more than performances—it brings people together and creates shared experiences that strengthen community ties. Programs like our annual Messiah performance, the high-energy Rock Gold concert, and our youth artist features highlight the talent within our region, while the Children’s Jubilee and educational outreach events help us inspire the next generation.
Whether it’s a formal concert or a hands-on family event, our goal is always the same: to inspire, connect, and enrich our community through the power of live music. If you’re new to orchestral music, or if you’re curious, come and give it a try. You’ll find that every performance is an invitation to discover something new, to feel deeply, and to connect with others.
Music and arts education enrich lives far beyond the concert hall. Exposure to orchestral music fosters creativity, empathy, discipline, and connection—skills that strengthen individuals and communities alike. For many, especially in rural areas, it can be a transformative source of inspiration, healing, and belonging.
Harold Shirley, President, Orchestra of Southern
Utah
What do you see as your orchestra’s role in your community? How does your board support that work?
We see the Orchestra of Southern Utah as one of the cultural anchors of our
PIPER STARNES is a writer whose words have been published by Opera America, Syracuse.com, Rochester City, and Charleston City Paper. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University in performing arts for keyboard instruments and a master’s degree from Syracuse University in Arts Journalism and Communications. She currently works for the Los Angeles Philharmonic as a creative copywriter in the Marketing Department.
Musician to Financier to Board Chair
Alan Mason, the chair of the League of American Orchestras’ Board of Directors, may just be uniquely suited to lead the national service organization.
It’s not everyone who forges the kind of path that Alan Mason has taken. He started as a young oboe player in love with classical music while in a youth orchestra; earned several impressive music degrees at several universities; morphed into a professional oboe and English horn player at the Waco Symphony Orchestra and the Louisville Symphony, and then swerved into a “temporary” summer job at BlackRock, the multinational investment management firm, where he stayed for 33 years. All along, he’s been devoted to supporting the work of American orchestras, serving on the boards of California’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Santa Rosa Symphony, and Oakland Symphony, and as board president of the Association of California Symphony Orchestras.
In June of 2024, Mason was elected chair of the League of American Orchestras’ Board of Directors, having been a member of the League’s board for several years. That’s not his only current service to orchestras: he’s also on the board of the Monterey Symphony. Mason brings energy, enthusiasm, and curiosity to his activities; it’s hard to believe that he retired (as a managing
director) from BlackRock a couple of years ago. But Mason has always been busy. He earned a BM degree from Baylor University, summa cum laude, an MA degree in musicology from the University of Louisville with honors, and an MA degree in ethnomusicology from University of California Berkeley. He also taught undergraduate music courses in Louisville and Berkeley. At BlackRock, Mason served on the Global Diversity Steering Committee and was a founding member and global sponsor for the company’s LGBT+ employee network. Mason makes it all look easy; he’s an understated overachiever.
ROBERT SANDLA: What do you view as the roles and responsibilities of an orchestra’s board of directors? What makes a great board great?
ALAN MASON: An orchestra board is like a lot of other nonprofit boards: it has to be deeply committed and engaged with the mission of the organization. Of course, there’s fiduciary oversight, which most boards do well, and I think the League board is particularly good and efficient at that. The other thing that’s really important, and what makes a great board, is a sense of being an
Alan Mason speaks at the League of American Orchestras’ 2024 National Conference in Houston.
Photo by Melissa Taylor.
advocate and ambassador for the communities we serve. When you think about the League, it has a broad constituency across the country of large and small communities that are served by our orchestras—as well as communities that could be served by orchestras. Another great element of a board is that it really represents the full constituency of those you hope to serve. With the League board, that means large and small orchestras, geographical diversity, demographic diversity, age diversity, all sorts of things that create a greater sense of inclusive advocacy for all the constituencies that we should be serving, not just today, but in the future.
There’s not a nonprofit in the arts that is without some kind of financial challenges, so the philanthropic advocacy and ambassadorship are very important for the board. It’s important for the Board to help build engagement with those who care about what the organization is doing and hopes to do in the future. When we do that very well, financial support follows, and financial stability for the change we hope to create in the world is supported.
SANDLA: Your phrase “the change we hope to create in the world” stood out. Could you delve into that?
MASON: One of the things that we did in the League’s Strategic Framework that we’re implementing is that we went back to our mission. We hope to serve our member orchestras without question, and that’s a tall order, because they have different needs depending on their size, where they are located, and their financial situation. But we also recommitted to leading change boldly, because if we want orchestras to be vibrant in the future and to have relevance for the total communities that they serve, then we are all going to
What makes a great board is a sense of being an advocate and ambassador for the communities we serve.
have to do some things differently. We’ve been talking about that for a long time, but the action has to be there, and it’s around innovation and inclusion and a real future orientation to make what we do on the stage more relevant to the communities we serve and to a broader set of communities. Having leaders on the board who believe in that vision and are willing to be aligned around it in good times and in challenging times is very important.
I’ve been reflecting on this a lot because, as somebody who led a financial services team during the financial crisis, I was part of a company that was inventing the future of what needed to happen in financial services—things like target date funds for retirement and making it simpler for people to invest for their retirement and have better outcomes; things like exchange-traded funds that made it sort of a more democratic way of people getting exposure to markets. I was part of a company that was doing all kinds of innovative things, and then the financial crisis came. Not only were the financial markets upended, and revenue and expenses were in chaos, but our company had a new owner. The reason I tell that story is because leaders who can stick to the vision of innovation and what’s needed for the future, are the leaders we need right now in our orchestras. We need people who are not going to be overly concerned with market instability, political change, and are going stick to the vision we have for the future of the orchestra field. We need that kind of alignment and commitment. We have it with our League board and League staff and with our members. It’s not always easy. There are times when the culture of alignment and support is challenged because there are things in the macro environment we can’t control—and we are either committed to our vision despite the things we can’t control, or we aren’t.
The League serves the field, and the field needs to be vibrant. I don’t think that there’s one answer for what resilience and vibrancy look like at the local level. What I think we do together is collaborate, support one another, and ask the
right questions. We advocate for policies that enable everyone to do that at the local level. The League is not telling the field what to do, the League is serving the field. Hopefully, it’s also a catalyst for a broad variety of strategies that make the field more vibrant in local areas.
In the Strategic Framework, we talked about the importance of youth. If we want younger people in this country to engage with what we do, then we’re going to have to do some things differently. We know that, but there’s no single right answer to what that looks like.
SANDLA: Related to that is the topic of board diversity and inclusion. The statistics concerning board diversity and inclusion have remained pretty stubborn in much of the nonprofit world. What steps can boards take to become more welcoming to a variety of people of different backgrounds, no matter how you define background?
MASON: I think board diversity is critical. Again, it’s not the same answer for every community, because the composition of a community vis-a-vis what it means to be engaged in that community is different from place to place. There has to be a commitment to the function of nomination or governance, because there has to be a real focus on what voices and perspectives we need to represent. Not just who’s involved with us today, but who might be involved with us in the future.
I’m proud of what the League Board has done in that area, because the League Board represents a variety of functions. We have composers, musicians, board members, have orchestra administrators. We have that geographically; we have that demographically. As a result, the dialogue about how we support our members, and how we convene our members to think about important things in the future, is richer.
It’s very important. It’s the same argument that goes to what happens on stage. If people don’t see themselves represented in governing bodies, in senior leadership roles on the administration side, and on stage, it’s not the same kind of welcome invitation to people to engage with what we do.
Alan Mason with his treasured Lorée oboe.
SANDLA: We’re in a time of a great deal of upheaval and change on the policy front. You mentioned sticking to the mission, no matter what may be beyond one’s control.
MASON: That’s the kind of leadership that we need right now. We can’t control the challenges or uncertainties that we face; we can’t control the pace of change. But we can underscore our collective beliefs and our vision. We can support each other—musicians, staff, board members, donors—and really stick together. I have no crystal ball on how the uncertainties that we are seeing in markets and in policy will play out. I know that there are easier times and more challenging times to create collective action. And this is one of those moments where our belief in support of each other is very important, as is our conviction to stay with our strategy, even if it’s not as popular as it might have been at another moment.
The action has to be there around innovation, inclusion, and a real future orientation to make what we do on the stage more relevant to the communities we serve.
SANDLA: What first drew you to classical music and orchestras and your instrument? Was there some inciting incident that lit a spark?
MASON: One of the reasons I love to support the work of the League is that when I was growing up as a young, closeted, gay man in North Georgia, there were inspiring music teachers—church choir, school, band, youth orchestra. They gave me a sense of belonging, of challenge and vision, and helped me see a bigger world than my local community. That continued for me when I was an undergrad music major studying the oboe and it continued, even as a graduate student in music.
Music gave me a foundation for understanding who I was, how I fit into the world, how to collaborate, how to listen, how to set goals. It was very fundamental to me, emotionally and professionally. Yes, I ended up doing something completely different—asset management. That started as a two-day temporary job at a company called Wells Fargo Nikko that ultimately became BlackRock. When I started there, I didn’t know what I was doing or how I fit in, and I needed a summer job. I was a music major, an out gay man—and this was 1991 in finance. I was far from the conventional new employee. Yet I ended up with a 33-year career, and I led the largest investment team at BlackRock. We were responsible for $5 trillion dollars under management. It is a longer story how that unfolded, but it involved key diverse corporate leaders—gay people, women, people of color who sponsored people with unconventional backgrounds.
Given my start in music, for the last 15 to 20 years I’ve been serving on orchestra boards, trying to make sure that orchestral music is still available for other young kids who need it desperately, like I did. That really does tie to the League specifically, because I think that the League strategically is enabling that at a bigger scale and a bigger level than any single orchestra can. I love the fact that the League is empowering that kind of resilience for something that gave me so
much as a kid. It’s a way of paying that forward.
SANDLA: People often cite participating in youth orchestras or being a musician growing up as teaching not only about music, but about discipline or working together or rehearsal and preparation. Was that part of the appeal for you?
MASON: Playing the oboe—or any instrument—teaches you a lot. First, you have to be good at your individual instrument. You’ve got to spend a lot of time, discipline focusing on: how can I improve in this particular area? How do I prepare to be present? But when you’re performing in an orchestra, it’s very much about collaboration and listening. You’re not the only one that’s sort of dictating the way things unfold. You need to be very clear about what your part is in supporting the greater unfolding of this piece for the audience. Playing in an orchestra did give a lot of skills in the area of discipline, but also collaboration, listening, preparedness, and even dealing with the unexpected.
SANDLA: The old joke: are you a recovering oboe player?
MASON: Making the reeds did me in. It was never my number one expertise. Even orchestra nerds don’t necessarily know all the time it takes. You spend almost as much time making reeds as practicing. I deeply admire people who do it beautifully. But I did not choose that as my ultimate goal.
SANDLA: The way you described playing in an orchestra sounds almost like how you described being a member or leader of an orchestra board. Any comparisons?
MASON: The leader of a board is probably more like the music director or conductor, because you do have to bring out the best in everyone, and you’re all doing something that creates an emotional experience for the audience. There’s a mission-driven thing going on between conductor and orchestra around creating great art that moves and challenges the audience. Hopefully, boards are trying to move and challenge their constituencies around the mission of their organization. Everyone comes prepared like orchestra musicians, and hopefully, the leader of the organization can bring out
Alan Mason with Doris DeLoach, his former oboe teacher, at the League of American Orchestras’ 2024 National Conference in Houston.
Alan Mason at a Los Angeles Philharmonic concert at the Hollywood Bowl, during an Association of California Symphony Orchestras conference. He was president of ACSO’S board, in addition to serving on the boards of orchestras and the League of American Orchestras.
the best skills and talent in service of what you’re doing for the audience, or the members, in the League’s case.
There are times when you have to balance things differently, when you need a new soloist in a certain area, or there are decisions that must be made because the status quo doesn’t always work. But you yourself are not making the music happen. It’s the collective that creates the music, and you’ve got to get out of the way and enhance the inherent talent of the organization.
SANDLA: You talked about your identity as an out gay man working in finance. In recent years, the League launched an LBGTQIA+ constituency group. What does that say about the League, or about society or the orchestra field these days?
MASON: I was one of the founders of the LGBT+ group at BlackRock, and in financial services, we didn’t have enough senior role models in the LGBT+ space. We were not necessarily dealing with all of the issues that come up for that community around belonging, identity, career progression, and all kinds of things.
There are a lot of out gay people in music and music administration. But I don’t think we can take for granted the progress that’s been made in LGBTQIA+ rights, especially at the national level.
There’s a level of vulnerability that we need to achieve around talking about our whole lives. If you choose to be out and tell revelatory stories about yourself, and be vulnerable in that way, it has positive momentum and can encourage others to do the same. People can bring their full selves to the workplace as a result.
SANDLA: What do you see as the most pressing opportunities and most pressing challenges for orchestras right now?
MASON: I want to make sure that I say that the staff under Simon [Woods’s] leadership is doing a remarkable job in collaborating with the field. I think that the Strategic Framework, which will be refreshed in about another year, is spot on concerning inclusion, greater community dialogue, focus on youth, focus on financial resilience. Those things are vital. When I think about the 2025 National Conference, I’m excited about Renée Fleming doing the keynote talk on the role of music in healing. She’s also been deeply in partnership with Francis Collins, who used to be at the National Institutes of Health. Collins talks about the
exhausted middle—the Americans who are not at some great extreme of one view or the other, but want to commit to things that they believe in and not be exhausted by constant divisiveness. Having role models like Renée Fleming speaking at our Conference sends a great signal; she has partnered with people in science to think about the true power of music in our communities, to engage in ways that we haven’t even fully imagined. To me, that is what the League’s all about—to envision the way that orchestral
music could enliven and enrich our communities in good times and in challenging times. I don’t think the direction has changed. I think we have to be committed to our vision collectively and support each other even when things are uncertain or challenging.
ROBERT SANDLA is editor in chief of Symphony and symphony.org, and has written extensively on the performing arts.
Immersion Versions
“Immersive” concert concepts of multiple kinds are drawing new and veteran audiences to orchestras, as are performances that seat listeners among musicians. Along with forging closer connections, orchestras are prioritizing artistic fidelity while keeping tickets affordable.
By Jeremy Reynolds
There was a time in 2022 when nobody in the arts community could escape the question: Have you seen the immersive Van Gogh exhibit? That experience spread around America’s offbeat warehouse scene like wildfire, lighting up walls with Van Gogh’s pale greens, yellows, and blues, accompanied by strains of Debussy and, occasionally, curated scents. The show grossed more than a quarter of a billion dollars and inspired numerous copycat exhibits.
The closest “classical” parallel might be the Candlelight concerts by the entertainment company Fever that have swept through cities around the world, where string quartets and pianists play Vivaldi and Coldplay and the like in pop-up venues
surrounded by a highly Instragrammable ambiance of several hundred fake candles, violins being rather flammable, after all. Symphony orchestras, too, have been increasingly experimenting with “immersive” experiences, broadly defined, though their goals tend to be loftier than mere profit. “I saw the Van Gogh. I liked it! It was fun. The problem with that is that you do it once, like a ride at Universal,” says French conductor Stéphane Denève, music director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and artistic director of New World Symphony. “Our goal is to tame those kinds of experiences to make them much more subtle and much more ambiguous and much more valuable, artistically,” Denève continues. “It just requires a new type
In February and March, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra partnered with the Blumenthal Arts complex to create an immersive concert built around John Luther Adams’s 2013 Become Ocean . The event deployed the orchestra’s musicians plus projections, spatial audio, and custom lighting to create an evocative experience. Yaniv Dinur led the concert.
Genesis Photography
of artist, a new type of taste, a new type of experience.”
Instead of dressing visual art with music, orchestras are exploring multiple ways to perform new and canonic concert music using streaming technology, projecting paintings and videos, and other elements to accompany works by living composers like John Adams and Anna Clyne to simulate a sort of aesthetic synesthesia. (Wagner himself, the champion of “total art,” would have been thrilled by the versatility of today’s digital projections and surround-sound amplification.) Orchestras are also experimenting with new ways to seat listeners so that they are fully enveloped by the sound of the orchestra, surrounding audiences with musicians in auditorium spaces for performances of Beethoven or inviting listeners to sit onstage next to the players for an up-close experience.
Water Works
While some orchestras are ornamenting and adorning historical music with immersive visuals, as the New World Symphony Orchestra did with Debussy’s La mer —water-themed pieces are notably common—and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, many are commissioning new works or turning to more recent compositions to build immersive experiences. The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in February partnered with the Blumenthal Arts complex to create an immersive experience built on composer John Luther Adams’s 2013 Become Ocean, the Pulitzer Prize-winning, tectonic work that crests
and falls over the course of 42 minutes. (The work was commissioned and premiered by the Seattle Symphony).
“We put lighting on the audience to make you feel like you were underwater, with a ripple effect and a lot of coordinated color changes,” says Scott Freck, the Charlotte Symphony’s vice president of artistic operations and general manager. He explains that the projections were meant to be more interpretive than descriptive. “We didn’t want to have it bend towards narrative, that we were trying to tell the story of a population
of a particular kind of marine mammal or something,” Freck says. “We wanted to have people have the opportunity to listen to music, be surrounded by the visuals, and decide for this, for themselves, what it meant, if anything.”
Listeners were greeted with ambient ocean sounds in the lobby, undulating lighting, and a projected seagull circling in different patterns. In the hall, the sound of the orchestra was digitally amplified so that it seemed to emerge from all corners, fully enveloping attendees with both acoustic and amplified
At the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s immersive performance of John Luther Adams’s Become Ocean , the musicians, conductor Yaniv Dinur, and the audience were surrounded by projections.
High-end tech is essential to create and present immersive concerts. In photo: audio technician Lorenzo Mack helps run the show at the Charlotte Symphony’s February performance of John Luther Adams’s Become Ocean Genesis Photography
“It’s a new art form, really, in the Wagnerian way, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” says Scott Freck, the Charlotte Symphony’s vice president of artistic operations and general manager.
Photo by Ryan Postma, Attic Media.
“Immersives are tricky. It is about finding that balance between visuals that are additive” and the music, says Gregory Hix, the San Francisco Symphony’s associate director of artistic planning.
Conductor David Bernard is a proponent of embedding listeners among the musicians to experience the music from inside the orchestra. Here he connects with young listeners while leading the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony in a signature InsideOut concert.
“It allowed the audience to become a part of the story,” Vince Ford, senior vice president of digital strategy and innovation at the Curtis Institute of Music, says of a music installation he and others created there. “You get to go inside of the performance and find your way through it.”
Cartier and the San Francisco Symphony added scent cannons to immerse Davies Symphony Hall with specially created fragrances by Cartier in-house perfumer Mathilde Laurent for a performance of Scriabin’s Prometheus in March 2024.
Photo by Brandon Patoc.
At the San Francisco Symphony’s SoundBox, projections envelop not only the walls but the ceiling as well, for an immersive effect. In photo, San Francisco Symphony Second Violin Chen Zhao performs close to listeners.
Photo by Brandon Patoc.
In New York City, the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony’s InsideOut concerts put the audience among the musicians, as at an April concert featuring Mahler’s Symphony No. 9.
Park Avenue Chamber Symphony.
Park Avenue Chamber Symphony.
sound. “I’ve been at this a while, and I found it powerful. Sitting out in the audience, I could feel my breathing slow,” says Freck. “I could feel a sense of contemplation come over me.” The project was a one-off, for now, made possible through special fundraising as the orchestra sought to keep tickets at an affordable $35.
The Orchestra of St. Luke’s in New York City dressed up an anniversary performance with special lighting by the renowned lighting designer Jennifer Tipton, who won a MacArthur “Genius” Grant for her groundbreaking work in theater, dance, and installation art. “Some of her best lighting, you almost don’t even notice,” says James Roe, the orchestra’s president and executive director. “The idea is to help guide the listener through these various elements which will be both visual and aural and spatial.” That concert, co-produced with Baryshnikov Arts, included Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, with ambient nature sounds beckoning listeners into the space stitching the experience together between pieces. The concert also featured a pair of newer works, Angélica Negrón’s Marejada and Anna Clyne’s Woman Holding a Balance Clyne, who is also a visual artist, premiered PALETTE at the New World Symphony, with projections of paintings she created specially to pair with the music as well as some electronic amplification and adjustment of specific instruments. “Composers [in the past] wrote for new instruments as they were added to the orchestra, now we’re adding electronics as they’re becoming more available,” Clyne says.
“I went into this project being very flexible, because different halls have different resources and different budgets,” she adds, noting that she intends to explore adding fragrances to her music in future works. The San Francisco Symphony, which added scent cannons with fragrances by Mathilde Laurent and Cartier to a performance of Scriabin’s Prometheus in 2024, has a special space for immersive SoundBox concerts, which transform each performance to envelop attendees with different lighting and extras and sound. “Immersives are tricky. It is about finding that balance between visuals that are additive,” says Gregory Hix, the San Francisco Symphony’s
At the New World Center, New World Symphony’s home in Miami Beach, Florida, Music in (Techni)Color, led by Artistic Director Stéphane Denève transformed the concert experience with visual projections paired with dynamic music, including the East Coast premiere of PALETTE —a concerto for Augmented Orchestra by composer Anna Clyne.
associate director of artistic planning. “If they’re a distraction or if they’re taking away from the music in any way, then why are we including them?”
Inside the Sound
During the pandemic, the Curtis Institute of Music filmed a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade
tone poem with 26 cameras and crafted an installation for listeners to wander through. Live musicians could join in as well. “In several of the sessions, it was like, you know, Curtis symphony orchestra students plus 15 youth orchestra students sitting at stands with them in the room,” says Vince Ford, senior vice president of digital strategy and
In April, New York City’s Park Avenue Chamber Symphony presented an InsideOut concert for families featuring Mahler’s Symphony No. 9—yes, that Mahler 9, for families, with kids. Music Director David Bernard led the concert.
Park Avenue Chamber Symphony.
Photo by Rui Dias-Aidos, REDAV, Inc.
innovation at Curtis. “You could kind of make your own adventure out of it, and it allowed the audience to become a part of the story. You get to go inside of the performance and kind of find your way through it.” Curtis also included real-time program notes to help orient listeners. The project has toured since its creation, and Ford says that its popularity could mean a reprise with a similar project in the future.
Conductor David Bernard is a fierce proponent of surrounding listeners with musicians to allow them to experience the music from inside the orchestra. He views the opportunity as an important way for orchestras to connect with new listeners: “I would spend $200 to hear the Berlin Philharmonic playing Mahler’s Ninth in Carnegie Hall, and this other guy about
The New World Symphony’s home, New World Center, was designed by Frank Gehry to integrate advanced technology to immerse audiences in the music and multimedia. In photo, the Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall is transformed for NWS’s Late Night series.
Photo by Rui Dias-Aidos, REDAV, Inc.
Stéphane Denève, artistic director of New World Symphony, says, “Our goal is to make ‘immersive’ experiences much more subtle and ambiguous and valuable, artistically. It just requires a new type of artist, a new type of taste, a new type of experience.” In photo: Denève with New World Symphony Fellows.
Photo by Alex Markow.
A chamber ensemble of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musicians in a PSO360 concert, surrounded by the audience onstage at Heinz Hall.
Photo by JMilteer
Photography.
Musicians from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra make the music up-close and personal for audiences at PSO360 concerts onstage at Heinz Hall.
Photo by JMilteer
Photography.
“You see every motion, you feel the vibrations,” says Mary Persin, vice president of artistic planning at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. “You’re intensifying all of those elements that are at play in every concert.”
Photo by Todd Rosenberg.
10 feet away from me, that would be the last thing he would ever want to do. And it dawns on me what the difference is: The difference is that I, along with pretty much every other classical music enthusiast, had what I call an ‘inside out’ experience at some point in their lives.” Maybe it was singing in a chorus or playing in a youth symphony or band, but Bernard has toured his “Inside/ Out” concept at other orchestras after developing the experience at the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony in New York City. The experience works best in a large room that doesn’t have columns, and ideally one that has an option for acoustic enhancement so that listeners can hear a blended orchestral sound in addition to the instruments they’re sitting near.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, meanwhile, launched a concept it calls “PSO360” in 2017, where about 200 listeners sit on the stage of Heinz Hall for an up-close, intimate chamber experience. “You see every motion, you feel the vibrations,” says Mary Persin, the orchestra’s vice president of artistic planning. “You feel the cello sound and vibrations as they pull their bow across the string. It’s almost like taking a microscope or magnification, and you’re intensifying all of those elements that are at play in every concert.” The orchestra’s typical classical subscription concert weekend is Friday through Sunday, and the orchestra only performs its subscription program on a handful of Saturday nights. PSO360, which generally always sells out, is a way to activate the orchestra on some of those formerly dark Saturdays, with the weekend’s soloist headlining the PSO360 concerts.
The economics of these experiences can take some getting used to orchestras. The overhead for all of the technological aspects of immersive events involving projections, crews, and sound can make them difficult for smaller orchestras to pull off. “You know, the Van Gogh exhibit typically runs like two to three months or something like that, and that’s not how orchestras work,” says Freck at the Charlotte Symphony. “To be plain, I think these will always depend on contributed funding to support the infrastructure that has to go into the theater space.”
Still, demand is high. Charlotte sold out all performances of its immersive Become Ocean. And audiences have become more accepting of pairing visuals with orchestral performances, due in part to the surge in popularity of live-with-film performances in the past decade and a half. “This is the next evolution of the classical concert, the next step in how people consume and
enjoy classical music,” Freck says. “It’s a new art form, really, in the Wagnerian way, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
JEREMY REYNOLDS is the classical music critic at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the editor of OPERA America Magazine
Revolución: Mexican Composers on the Rise
More and more orchestras are performing—and commissioning and recording— works by Mexican composers. Here’s a look at just a few of the composers making their mark.
By Esteban Meneses
When the Chicago Symphony Orchestra programmed Carlos Chávez’s Sinfonía india in 2010 as a tie-in to the citywide celebrations of the bicentennial of the Independence of Mexico, many saw it as a gesture of appreciation for the nearly 600,000 residents of Mexican descent in Chicago at the time. The short symphony from 1936, which employs themes from the Huichol and Yaqui people of Mexico and calls for indigenous percussion instruments, has become an icon of the country’s orchestral music. In more recent years, there has been an upswing in performances of music by contemporary Mexican and Mexican American composers, who are making inroads into classical music in the United States and entering the repertoire in greater numbers.
It’s a trend that can be traced in part to Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2, an orchestral piece that was premiered in Mexico City in 1994 and widely performed in the U.S. and abroad in the early 2000s, when it was expanded for full orchestra and championed by conductor Gustavo Dudamel. According to data compiled by Bachtrack, the piece, inspired by dance music from Veracruz, was the third most-performed contemporary concert work of 2024, worldwide, nestled between works by the Estonian Arvo Pärt. It is the only piece by a living composer from Mexico to acquire an international stature on par with the Sinfonía india , Silvestre Revueltas’s Sensemayá (1938), and José Pablo Moncayo’s Huapango (1941).
Works by many Mexican composers are increasingly being performed on main-stage concerts alongside the classics from the repertoire. Recent programming has erupted in addition to the Cinco de Mayo and Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) concerts by many American orchestras; the San Francisco and San Diego symphonies have presented Día de Los Muertos programs, in early November, for years, although they can be perceived as one-off special events. Multiple orchestras,
Revolución: Compositores Mexicanos en Ascenso
Cada vez más orquestas interpretan, encargan, y graban obras de compositores mexicanos. A continuación, un vistazo de algunos de los compositores que se destacan.
Por Esteban Meneses
Cuando la Orquesta Sinfónica de Chicago programó la Sinfonía India de Carlos Chávez en el 2010 como parte de las celebraciones en toda la ciudad del bicentenario de la Independencia de México, muchos lo consideraron un gesto de apreciación para los casi 600.000 residentes de ascendencia mexicana en Chicago en ese año. La breve sinfonía de 1936, que emplea temas de los pueblos huichol y yaqui de México y requiere instrumentos de percusión indígenas, se ha convertido en un ícono de la música orquestal del país. En años más recientes, ha habido un gran aumento en las interpretaciones de música de compositores contemporáneos mexicanos y mexicoamericanos, quienes están incursionando en la música clásica estadounidense y entrando al repertorio en mayor número.
Es una tendencia que se remonta en parte al Danzón No. 2 de Arturo Márquez, una pieza orquestal estrenada en la Ciudad de México en 1994 y ampliamente interpretada en los Estados Unidos y en el extranjero a principios de la década del 2000, cuando fue ampliada para orquesta completa y promovida por el director Gustavo Dudamel. Según datos recopilados por Bachtrack, la pieza, inspirada en música de baile de Veracruz, fue la tercera obra de concierto contemporánea más interpretada en el 2024 en el mundo, entre obras de Arvo Pärt, de Estonia. Es la única pieza de un compositor mexicano vivo que ha alcanzado una estatura internacional comparable con la Sinfonía India , Sensemayá (1938) de Silvestre Revueltas, y Huapango (1941) de José Pablo Moncayo.
Las obras de varios compositores mexicanos se interpretan cada vez más en conciertos principales junto con los clásicos del repertorio. Recientemente, estos programas han surgido además de los conciertos del Cinco de Mayo y del Día de los Muertos de muchas orquestas estadounidenses; las sinfónicas de San Francisco y de San Diego llevan años presentando programas del Día de Muertos a principios de noviembre, aunque pueden
particularly in the Southwest, also present concerts that spotlight the mariachi tradition, featuring mariachi ensembles or soloists. There have also been performances by youth orchestras from the U.S. and Mexico playing side by side: last November, musicians from the San Diego Youth Symphony and from the Sinfónica Juvenil de Tijuana performed at the University of California, San Diego, bridging both cultures.
The Ortiz Factor
The trend reached a watershed earlier this year with Gabriela Ortiz’s triple Grammy win for the album Revolución Diamantina , including Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Gabriela Ortiz with one of the three Grammy Awards she won in February 2025. Revolución Diamantina , a recording of her works by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, won in the categories of Best Contemporary Classical Composition, Best Orchestral Performance, and Best Classical Compendium. In addition to Dudamel and the LA Phil, personnel for the album included violinist María Dueñas, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and producer Dmitriy Lipay. // Gabriela Ortiz con uno de los tres Premios Grammy que ganó en febrero del 2025. Revolución Diamantina , una grabación de sus obras con la Filarmónica de Los Ángeles y Gustavo Dudamel, ganó en las categorías de Mejor Composición Clásica Contemporánea, Mejor Interpretación Orquestal, y Mejor Compendio Clásico. Además de Dudamel y la Filarmónica de Los Ángeles, el álbum contó con la participación de la violinista María Dueñas, el Los Angeles Master Chorale, y el productor Dmitriy Lipay.
Music by Mexican Composers at the League’s 2025 Conference
Works by Mexican composers open and close a concert by the Utah Symphony during the League of American Orchestras’ 2025 National Conference in Salt Lake City. On June 12 at Maurice Abravanel Hall, Music Director Emeritus Thierry Fischer leads the Utah Symphony in Revueltas’s Noche de encantamiento (“Night of Enchantment”) from La noche de los Mayas , Varèse’s Amériques , Korngold’s Violin Concerto (with soloist Clara-Jumi Kang), and Gabriela Ortiz’s Téenek–Invenciones de Territorio
percibirse como eventos especiales para una sola vez. Varias orquestas, especialmente en el suroeste, también presentan conciertos que destacan la tradición mariachi, con conjuntos o solistas. También se han presentado orquestas juveniles de Estados Unidos y de México tocando juntas; el noviembre pasado, músicos de la Sinfónica Juvenil de San Diego y de la Sinfónica Juvenil de Tijuana se presentaron en la Universidad de California, San Diego, uniendo ambas culturas.
El factor de Ortiz
La tendencia alcanzó un punto de inflexión a principios de este año con la triple victoria de Gabriela Ortiz en los Grammy por el álbum Revolución Diamantina , incluyendo el premio a la Mejor Composición Clásica Contemporánea por el ballet del mismo título, interpretado por la Filarmónica de Los Ángeles y Dudamel. El álbum también incluye el breve tema Kauyumari , frecuentemente programado para empezar conciertos, el cual usa una melodía huichol que Ortiz originalmente tomó prestada y armonizó para el último movimiento de su cuarteto de cuerdas Altar de Muertos, de 1997.
Solo en la temporada del 2024–25, hubo más de 90 interpretaciones de la música de Ortiz en los Estados Unidos, incluyendo Kauyumari, que ha sido interpretada más de 90 veces por más de 50 orquestas alrededor del mundo desde su estreno en el 2021. Ortiz atribuye modestamente la popularidad de la pieza a su brevedad y a la pegadiza melodía que toma prestada. Pero ese es solo un aspecto de Ortiz, una compositora que creció en la Ciudad de México, estudió con Mario Lavista—un influyente alumno de Chávez—y absorbió una amplia variedad de música local y europea.
“Cuando estaba en Londres, fui a Darmstadt y a festivales europeos de música contemporánea, pero nunca me sentí realmente parte de eso. Nunca,” dice. Hoy, ella se identifica con la integración y el eclecticismo posmoderno. “Recuerdo que fui de viaje a Chiapas, en el sur de México, y fui a una iglesia. Fue interesante porque vi un altar con una luz de neón, y una Coca-Cola y velas. Un collage de elementos. ¿Por qué tienen estos chamulas una Coca-Cola en un altar, un Mickey Mouse, una luz de neón, y también algo español y un aroma que viene
Música de compositores mexicanos en la Conferencia de la Liga del 2025
Obras de compositores mexicanos abren y cierran un concierto de la Sinfónica de Utah durante la Conferencia Nacional del 2025 de la Liga de Orquestas Americanas en Salt Lake City. El 12 de junio, en el Maurice Abravanel Hall, el director musical emérito Thierry Fischer dirige a la Sinfónica de Utah en “La Noche de encantamiento” de Revueltas, de La noche de los Mayas , Amériques de Varèse, el Concierto para Violín de Korngold (con la solista Clara-Jumi Kang) y Téenek–Invenciones de Territorio de Gabriela Ortiz.
In rehearsal at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, from left: composer Gabriela Ortiz, violin soloist María Dueñas, and Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel. // En ensayo con la Filarmónica de Los Ángeles, desde la izquierda: la compositora Gabriela Ortiz, la violinista solista María Dueñas, y el director musical y artístico Gustavo Dudamel.
for the ballet of the same name, played by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Dudamel. The album also includes the short concert opener Kauyumari , which uses a Huichol melody that Ortiz originally borrowed and harmonized for the last movement of her 1997 string quartet Altar de Muertos.
There were more than 90 performances of Ortiz’s music in the U.S. in the 2024–25 season alone, including Kauyumari , which has been played more than 90 times by more than 50 orchestras around the world since its 2021 premiere. Ortiz modestly attributes its popularity to its brevity and the catchiness of the borrowed melody. But that is only one facet of Ortiz, a composer who grew up in Mexico City, studied with Chávez’s influential pupil Mario Lavista, and absorbed a wide variety of local and European music.
“When I was in London, I went to Darmstadt and to European festivals of contemporary music, but I never really felt that I belonged to that. Never,” she says. Today, she identifies with postmodern integration and eclecticism. “I remember that I did this trip to Chiapas, in the south of Mexico, and I went to this church, and it was interesting because I saw this altar with a neon light and a Coke and candles—a collage of elements. Why do these Chamula people have a Coke in an altar and a Mickey Mouse and a neon light and then something Spanish and a smell that comes from Hispanic traditions, with everything mixed together? This is who I am. I don’t come from a single pure thing; I come from a mix of so many things, from modernity but also pre-Hispanic cultures that were in my country and the European. This is a result of my culture.”
That visit to Chiapas inspired the creation of the Altar series, a title the composer uses not in the ecclesiastic sense but rather to denote “something that is big and important, something that you have to respect,” she says. The first piece was
Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers and composer Arturo Márquez at the 2024 Latin Grammy Awards in Miami. Fandango, a violin concerto written by Márquez for Meyers, who commissioned it, won Best Classical Contemporary Composition, and the album won for Best Classical Album. The album also features Alberto Ginastera’s “Estancia,” and was recorded with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by Gustavo Dudamel. Meyers has performed Fandango with more than 16 orchestras across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. // La violinista Anne Akiko Meyers y el compositor Arturo Márquez en los Premios Grammy Latinos de 2024 en Miami. Fandango, un concierto para violín escrito por Márquez para Meyers, quien lo encargó, ganó el premio a la Mejor Composición Clásica Contemporánea, y el álbum ganó el premio al Mejor Álbum Clásico. El álbum también incluye "Estancia" de Alberto Ginastera, y fue grabado con la Filarmónica de Los Ángeles, dirigida por Gustavo Dudamel. Meyers ha interpretado Fandango con más de 16 orquestas en Estados Unidos, México y Canadá.
de tradiciones hispánicas, con todo eso mezclado? Así soy yo. No provengo de una sola cosa pura; vengo de una mezcla de muchas cosas, de la modernidad, pero también de las culturas prehispánicas de mi país, y de lo europeo. Esto es un resultado de mi cultura.”
Esa visita a Chiapas inspiró la creación de la serie de piezas Altar, un título que la compositora usa no en el sentido eclesiástico, sino para denotar “algo grande e importante, algo que hay que respetar,” afirma. La primera fue Altar de Neón, de 1995, para ensamble de percusión y orquesta. Siete piezas más de Altar han seguido, incluyendo Altar de Cuerdas, un concierto para violín para María Dueñas que también forma parte del reciente álbum ganador del Grammy.
Aunque Ortiz es una de las compositoras mexicanas más interpretadas del momento, también aboga por otros compositores de México, tanto como de Centroamérica y Sudamérica. Como presidenta de compositores en Carnegie Hall para la temporada del 2024–25, Ortiz dirigió un programa del Ensemble Connect que presentó a compositores actuales de Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, México y Venezuela, y el estreno de su propia obra Pigmentum , para trompa y piano. El puesto en el Carnegie Hall incluyó el estreno de cuatro obras nuevas que fueron interpretadas, en programas separados, por la violonchelista Alisa Weilerstein, Dueñas, el ensamble vocal Roomful of Teeth y el Attaca Quartet. Ortiz también es la directora musical del Festival de Música Contemporánea del 2025 en Tanglewood este julio, donde se interpretarán 15 de sus piezas—además de música de otros compositores—incluyendo Altar de Muertos y una versión revisada de Altar de Viento, un concierto para flauta del 2015 que escribió para Alejandro Escuer, su esposo.
“Gabriela nunca ha rehuido la melodía, el ritmo y una orquestación exuberante,” afirma el director mexicano Carlos
Los Angeles
Philharmonic
Enrico Chapela, whose scores blend elements of hard rock and other non-classical genres with orchestral music, has received dozens of commissions in the last 20 years, including by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. // Enrico Chapela, cuyas partituras combinan elementos del rock pesado y otros géneros no clásicos con música orquestal, ha recibido docenas de encargos en los últimos 20 años, incluyendo de la Filarmónica de Los Ángeles.
Altar de Neón, from 1995, for percussion ensemble and orchestra. Seven more Altar pieces have followed, including Altar de Cuerdas, a violin concerto for María Dueñas that is also on the recent Grammy-winning album.
Although Ortiz is one of the most performed Mexican composers of the day, she also advocates for other composers from Mexico and from Central and South America. As the 2024-25 composer chair at Carnegie Hall, she curated a program by Ensemble Connect that featured living composers from Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela, and the premiere of her own Pigmentum , for horn and piano. The Carnegie Hall position included the premiere of four new works that were performed, in separate programs, by cellist Alisa Weilerstein, Dueñas, the vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth, and Attaca Quartet. Ortiz is also the music director of the 2025 Festival of Contemporary Music at Tanglewood this July, where 15 of her pieces—besides music by other composers—will be performed, including Altar de Muertos, and a revised version of Altar de Viento, a flute concerto from 2015 that she wrote for Alejandro Escuer, her husband.
“Gabriela has never shied away from melody, rhythm, and a very lush orchestration,” says Mexican conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto. From 2007 to 2022, Prieto was the music director of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México and has led about 100 premieres of works by Mexican and American composers, including Ortiz, with whom he has worked for 30 years. “Her pieces are very successful no matter what,” he says. “I just did an opener of hers with the National Symphony Orchestra [in January 2025] and had a huge success. It’s called Téenek. I know that I can suggest it with no problem because it’s a piece that will go well with the orchestra and very well with the audience.” Téenek , commissioned by Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic, which premiered it in 2017, was a breakthrough for Ortiz. In 2023, Dudamel performed it with the Berlin Philharmonic, which was something of a cross-cultural landmark.
Miguel Prieto. Del 2007 al 2022, Prieto fue el director musical de la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México y ha dirigido cerca de 100 estrenos de obras de compositores mexicanos y estadounidenses, incluyendo a Ortiz, con quien ha trabajado durante 30 años. “Sus piezas son un gran éxito en cualquier circunstancia,” afirma. “Acabo de interpretar una pieza suya para abrir el concierto con la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional [en Washington, D.C., en enero del 2025] y fue un éxito enorme. Se llama Téenek. Sé que puedo sugerirla sin ningún problema porque es una pieza que encaja bien con la orquesta y con el público.” Téenek , comisionada por Dudamel y la Filarmónica de Los Ángeles, que la estrenó en el 2017, fue un gran avance para Ortiz. En el 2023, Dudamel la interpretó con la Filarmónica de Berlín, lo que fue algo cercano a un hito intercultural.
Juan Pablo Contreras is among today’s increasingly active Mexican composers. His MeChicano was commissioned by a consortium of American orchestras led by the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and his mariachi-styled Mariachitlán has been performed about 120 times worldwide. // Juan Pablo Contreras se encuentra entre los compositores mexicanos con mayor actividad en la actualidad. Su MeChicano fue comisionado por un consorcio de orquestas estadounidenses liderado por la Filarmónica de Las Vegas, y su Mariachitlán , de estilo mariachi, se ha interpretado unas 120 veces en todo el mundo.
Pero Prieto, el director musical de la Sinfónica de Carolina del Norte desde el 2023, quisiera poder programar más música de compositores cuyo estilo no se ajusta necesariamente a ideas preconcebidas sobre cómo debería sonar la música mexicana. Fue uno de los primeros directores en interpretar el Danzón No. 2 en los Estados Unidos. (Los otros ocho Danzones, dicho sea de paso, son prácticamente desconocidos en este país.) “Tanto
Carlos Miguel Prieto conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in Gabriela Ortiz’s Téenek at the Kennedy Center in January 2025. // Carlos Miguel Prieto dirige la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional en Téenek de Gabriela Ortiz en el Kennedy Center en enero del 2025.
Photo by Mauricio Castro.
Photo by Bernd Uhlig.
– Invenciones de Territorio de Gabriela Ortiz, septiembre del 2024.
But Prieto, the music director of the North Carolina Symphony since 2023, wishes he could program more music by composers whose style doesn’t necessarily fit preconceived notions of what Mexican music should sound like. He was one of the first conductors to perform Danzón No. 2 in the U.S. (The other eight Danzones, incidentally, are virtually unknown in this country). “There is an expectation both in the orchestras and in the audience that as a Mexican conductor I will bring some of the vibrancy and local flair of Mexican music,” he says. “They want to see a Mexican conductor doing a Mexican beat with that kind of folk-infused style, rhythms, and all. And there are some composers from my country who completely say no to that aesthetic as a way to assert that they can be Mexican composers without writing ‘Mexican’ music.”
That problem, or limitation, is not unique to Mexican music, Prieto explains: the Bernstein-Copland-Gershwin trifecta, frequently performed around the world as “American” music, represents but a sliver of the breadth of our orchestral music. But “orchestras have a finite number of pieces and they really want to maximize the impact of these composers,” he says.
Expansive Range
The styles and aesthetics of today’s Mexican and Mexican American composers range widely. Some are generally characterized by a populist flavor that embraces rhythmic vitality with appealing harmonies and an unabashed tunefulness. A more refined compositional style leans toward the European avant-garde, requiring a greater effort—more rehearsals, for one thing—from performers and audiences alike. Much of the most stimulating music is somewhere in between, with the six symphonies of Chávez, who died in 1978—and now the music of Ortiz as his successor—as points of reference.
Besides Márquez, who won a Latin Grammy last year for his violin concerto Fandango, increasingly recognized composers include Juan Pablo Contreras, whose mariachi-styled Mariachitlán has been performed about 120 times worldwide, and whose MeChicano was commissioned by a consortium of American orchestras led by the Las Vegas Philharmonic; the late Eugenio Toussaint (Suite de Mambos de Perez Prado is a
Alondra de la Parra leads Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen at Sommer in Lesmona, 2016. // Alondra de la Parra dirige la Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen en Sommer en Lesmona, 2016.
las orquestas como el público esperan que yo, como director mexicano, aporte algo de la vitalidad y el estilo local de la música mexicana,” dice. “Quieren ver a un director mexicano dirigiendo música con ritmo mexicano, y con ese estilo y ritmo con influencias folclóricas. Y hay algunos compositores de mi país que rechazan por completo esa estética como manera de afirmar que pueden ser compositores mexicanos sin escribir música ‘mexicana’.”
With the Cancún-based Festival Paax GNP, conductor Alondra de la Parra commissioned, premiered, and recorded Arturo Márquez’s first symphony, Sinfonía Imposible , in 2022. She has since led the piece at orchestras across the world. // Con el Festival Paax GNP en Cancún, la directora Alondra de la Parra encargó, estrenó, y grabó la primera sinfonía de Arturo Márquez, Sinfonía Imposible , en el 2022. Desde entonces, ha dirigido la pieza con orquestas de todo el mundo.
Ese problema, o limitación, no es exclusivo de la música mexicana, explica Prieto: la trifecta de Bernstein, Copland y Gershwin, interpretados frecuentemente en todo el mundo como música “estadounidense,” representa solo una pequeña parte de la amplitud de nuestra música orquestal. Pero “las orquestas tienen un número finito de piezas y buscan realmente maximizar el impacto de estos compositores,” afirma.
Una gama extensa
Los estilos y la estética de los compositores mexicanos y mexicoamericanos actuales son muy variados. Algunos se caracterizan generalmente por un sonido populista que abraza
The North Carolina Symphony and Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto perform Gabriela Ortiz’s Téenek – Invenciones de Territorio, September 2024. // La Sinfónica de Carolina del Norte y el director musical Carlos Miguel Prieto interpretan Téenek
On November 2, 2022, the San Diego Symphony gave a free community concert led by Music Director Rafael Payare in Tijuana, Mexico at Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT). The performance featured works by Gabriela Ortiz, Richard Strauss, and David Chesky. The event marked the opening night of CECUT’s Día de los Muertos celebration, and was presented as part of the 200th anniversary of the bilateral relationship between Mexico and the United States. // El 2 de noviembre del 2022, la Sinfónica de San Diego ofreció un concierto comunitario gratuito dirigido por el director musical Rafael Payare en Tijuana, México, en el Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT). La presentación incluyó obras de Gabriela Ortiz, Richard Strauss, y David Chesky. El evento marcó la inauguración de la celebración del Día de los Muertos del CECUT y fue parte del bicentenario de la relación bilateral entre México y los Estados Unidos.
crowd pleaser); Samuel Zyman (a highlight is Encuentros); and José Elizondo (try Danzas Latinoamericanas.)
Enrico Chapela, the only other contemporary Mexican composer besides Ortiz to be published by Boosey & Hawkes, has received dozens of commissions in the last 20 years, including by the L.A. Philharmonic. He blends elements of hard rock and other non-classical genres with orchestral music. Magnetar, a concerto for electric cello, includes metal-style distortion, while the cantata Braceros employs mariachi vocals with a libretto set in the historical context of the “bracero” program, an agreement between Mexico and the U.S. during World War II that allowed more than three million Mexican braceros (hand laborers) to enter the U.S. to work in agricultural fields while American farmers were drafted into the army. Federico Ibarra Groth opts for a more traditional aesthetic, but with a style that asserts itself as entirely idiomatic and persuasive; his Symphony No. 2, Las antesalas del sueño (“The antechambers of sleep”), is an excellent entry point. Of course, these are just a few of the notable composers in the scene.
Prieto tries to perform music by Lavista, Ortiz’s teacher, who died in 2021, as often as he can. “He is a senior voice that is unfortunately hard to program because it’s not what people imagine is going to be ‘Mexican’ music,” he says. His music is usually more cerebral and textural, rather than melodic. Clepsidra and Ficciones are orchestral highlights.
la vitalidad rítmica con armonías atractivas y pasajes melodiosos audaces. Un estilo de composición más refinado se inclina hacia la vanguardia europea, lo cual requiere un mayor esfuerzo—más ensayos, por ejemplo—tanto de los intérpretes como del público. Gran parte de la música más estimulante se encuentra en un punto intermedio, con las seis sinfonías de Chávez, fallecido en 1978—y ahora la música de Ortiz, su sucesor— como puntos de referencia.
Además de Márquez, quien ganó un Grammy Latino el año pasado por su concierto para violín Fandango, entre los compositores cada vez más reconocidos se incluyen Juan Pablo Contreras, cuyo Mariachitlán , de estilo mariachi, se ha interpretado unas 120 veces en todo el mundo, y cuyo MeChicano fue encargado por un consorcio de orquestas estadounidenses liderado por la Filarmónica de Las Vegas; el fallecido Eugenio Toussaint (la Suite de Mambos de Pérez Prado es un éxito entre el público); Samuel Zyman (se destaca Encuentros); y José Elizondo (una recomendación es las Danzas Latinoamericanas).
Enrico Chapela, el único compositor mexicano contemporáneo además de Ortiz publicado por Boosey & Hawkes, ha recibido docenas de encargos en los últimos 20 años, incluyendo los de la Filarmónica de Los Ángeles. Combina elementos del rock pesado y otros géneros no clásicos con música orquestal. Magnetar, un concierto para violonchelo eléctrico, incluye distorsión de estilo metal, mientras que la cantata Braceros emplea voces de mariachi con un libreto ambientado en el contexto histórico del programa “bracero,” un acuerdo entre México y los Estados Unidos durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial que permitió a más de tres millones de braceros mexicanos (trabajadores manuales) ingresar a los Estados Unidos para laborar en campos agrícolas mientras los agricultores estadounidenses se reclutaban en el ejército. Federico Ibarra Groth opta por una estética más tradicional, pero con un estilo que se afirma como completamente idiomático y persuasivo; su Sinfonía No. 2, Las antesalas del sueño, es un excelente punto de partida. Por supuesto, estos son sólo algunos de los compositores eminentes.
Prieto intenta interpretar música de Lavista, el maestro de Ortiz (fallecido en el 2021), cada vez que puede. “Es una voz superior que, lamentablemente, es difícil de programar porque no es lo que la gente imagina que va a ser música ‘mexicana’,” dice. La música de Lavista suele ser más cerebral y textural que melódica. Clepsidra y Ficciones están entre sus obras orquestales más sobresalientes.
Photo by Gary Payne.
Among historic Mexican composers who wrote for orchestra are, from left: Carlos Chavez, Rosa Guraieb Kuri, Silvestre Revueltas, Eugenio Toussaint, and José Pablo Moncayo. These and the other composers in this article are just some of the musical artists whose works are performed by orchestras; this article includes only a sampling of the country’s rich classical-music scene. // Entre los compositores históricos mexicanos que escribieron para orquesta se encuentran, de izquierda a derecha: Carlos Chávez, Rosa Guraieb Kuri, Silvestre Revueltas, Eugenio Toussaint y José Pablo Moncayo. Estos y los demás compositores mencionados en este artículo son solo algunos de los artistas cuyas obras son interpretadas por orquestas; este artículo incluye solo una muestra de la rica escena musical clásica del país.
What Makes “Mexican” Orchestral Music
Mexican?
The “Mexican” sound that loosely links these composers, notwithstanding the variety of styles and voices, is not easy to define. For conductor Alondra de la Parra, who grew up in Mexico City and has been performing Mexican and Latin American music since she founded the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas as a young music student in New York City in 2004, it all starts with Mexican culture’s innate relationship to rhythm. “It’s very important that it comes from dance; it comes from feeling the pulse in the ground, in your feet,” she says.
The evening before our conversation for this article, de la Parra had conducted Danzón No. 2 with the Joven Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid, the youth orchestra of Madrid. With her Cancún-based Festival Paax GNP, de la Parra also commissioned, premiered, and recorded Márquez’s first symphony, Sinfonía Imposible, in 2022. She is performing it next year with the Orquesta y Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid, which she has conducted since late 2024. Ortiz, too, is on her radar: de la Parra recently commissioned the composer’s first symphony, which will be premiered in 2026 at Paax and performed by a consortium of co-commissioning orchestras.
“As a culture, Mexico is extremely musical,” de la Parra points out. “We have a historical and cultural wealth that very few countries in the world can share because we come from thousands of years back, from the Mayans, the Aztecs, all of our pre-Hispanic cultures, and then the arrival of the Spanish and the combination with Europe. So, we’re a very old culture that was always surrounded by music, which is a very central part of it.”
Ortiz’s latest piece for orchestra is the climate changethemed Si el Oxígeno Fuera Verde (“If oxygen were green”), which London’s Philharmonia Orchestra will premiere in September at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and take on tour in the U.S. She’s come a long way for a composer who for many years never rented her music to orchestras because she felt they were doing her a favor, she recalls: “I was so pleased that they were going to play my music that I gave them the music for free.”
¿Qué hace que la música orquestal “mexicana” sea mexicana?
El sonido “mexicano” que une generalmente a estos compositores, a pesar de la variedad de estilos y voces, no es fácil de definir. Para la directora Alondra de la Parra, quien creció en la Ciudad de México y ha interpretado música mexicana y latinoamericana desde que fundó la Orquesta Filarmónica de las Américas cuando era una joven estudiante de música en la ciudad de Nueva York en el 2004, todo comienza con la relación innata que la cultura mexicana tiene con el ritmo. “Lo importante es que viene de la danza; surge de sentir el pulso en la tierra, en los pies,” dice.
La noche anterior a nuestra conversación para este artículo, de la Parra había dirigido el Danzón No. 2 con la Joven Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid. Con su Festival Paax GNP, en Cancún, de la Parra también encargó, estrenó y grabó la primera sinfonía de Márquez, Sinfonía Imposible, en el 2022. La interpretará el próximo año con la Orquesta y Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid, que la dirige desde finales del 2024. Ortiz también está en su radar: de la Parra encargó recientemente la primera sinfonía de la compositora, la cual se estrenará en el 2026 en Paax y la interpretará un consorcio de orquestas.
“Como cultura, México es sumamente musical”, señala de la Parra. “Tenemos una riqueza histórica y cultural que muy pocos países en el mundo pueden compartir, porque venimos de miles de años atrás, de los mayas, los aztecas, todas nuestras culturas prehispánicas, y luego la llegada de los españoles y la integración con Europa. Así que somos una cultura muy antigua que siempre ha estado rodeada de música, lo cual es una parte fundamental de ella.”
La pieza para orquesta más reciente de Ortiz es Si el Oxígeno Fuera Verde, con temática sobre el cambio climático, que la orquesta Philharmonia, de Londres, estrenará en septiembre en el Concertgebouw de Ámsterdam y llevará de gira a los Estados Unidos. Ortiz ha recorrido un largo camino para una compositora que durante muchos años nunca alquiló su música a orquestas porque sentía que le estaban hacienda un favor a ella, recuerda: “Estaba tan contenta de que fueran a tocar mi música que se las daba gratis.”
Si bien Prieto reconoce los retos y las limitaciones que enfrenta la industria en general y los compositores mexicanos en particular,
While Prieto recognizes the challenges and limitations facing the industry in general and Mexican composers in particular, he is sanguine about the direction things are heading. “American orchestras do a great service to their community,” he says. “The fact that they are programming more Mexican work is a testament not only to their involvement, but also to the importance of the Mexican community.”
His wish is that the trend results in more orchestras and audiences interested in styles of Mexican music that are still neglected—even music by otherwise accessible composers who are represented only by one or two of their works. “You can’t ignore the fact that even a composer as popular as Arturo [Márquez] has a side of him that is not being played,” he says. Another example is Chávez himself, whose Symphony No. 4, Sinfonía romántica , and his Piano Concerto, could certainly be embraced if more orchestras gave it a chance.
De la Parra thinks that most of this should’ve happened a long time ago. In 2004, when she was an undergraduate, works of this kind had a very limited presence in American concert halls; now, these changes have enabled her to take a new piece like Sinfonía Imposible across the world from Cancún to São Paulo, Coruña, Copenhagen, Stuttgart, and, next year, Madrid. Among the selections she has programmed for this summer’s edition of Festival Paax, holding its own close to Gershwin, Mahler, and Beethoven, is Danzón No. 2 Unassailable.
ESTEBAN MENESES is a freelance arts and music writer in Orlando, a fellow of the 2022 Rubin Institute for Music Criticism, a member of the Music Critics Association of North America, and a bilingual public relations consultant. He holds a Master of Liberal Studies degree from Rollins College. You can find his articles at muckrack.com/ estebanmeneses
ESTEBAN MENESES es escritor independiente de arte y música, miembro del Instituto Rubin de Crítica Musical (2022), de la Asociación de Norteamérica de Críticos de Música y consultor bilingüe de relaciones públicas. Tiene una maestría en estudios liberales del Rollins College, en Orlando. Se pueden encontrar sus artículos en muckrack.com/ estebanmeneses.
se muestra optimista sobre el rumbo que están tomando las cosas. “Las orquestas estadounidenses prestan un gran servicio a su comunidad,” afirma. “El hecho de que estén programando más obras mexicanas demuestra no solo su involucramiento, sino también la importancia de la comunidad mexicana.”
Su deseo es que esta tendencia genere más orquestas y públicos interesado en estilos de música mexicana que aún se desconocen, incluso la música de compositores que son accesibles, de una manera u otra, pero que solo están representados por una o dos de sus obras. “No se puede ignorar que incluso un compositor tan popular como Arturo [Márquez] tiene todo un lado que no se está interpretando,” dice. Otro ejemplo es el propio Chávez, cuya Sinfonía No. 4, Romántica , y su Concierto para Piano, sin duda podrían ser acogidos si más orquestas les dieran la oportunidad.
De la Parra cree que gran parte de esto debería haber sucedido hace mucho tiempo. En el 2004, cuando era estudiante universitaria, obras de este tipo tenían una presencia muy limitada en las salas de conciertos estadounidenses; ahora, estos cambios le han permitido llevar una nueva pieza como la Sinfonía Imposible por todo el mundo, desde Cancún hasta São Paulo, Coruña, Copenhague, Stuttgart y, el próximo año, Madrid. Entre las selecciones que ha programado para la edición de este verano del Festival Paax, manteniéndose firme junto a Gershwin, Mahler y Beethoven, se encuentra el Danzón No. 2. Inatacable.
Photo by Michael Wacht.
Youthful Sounds, Enduring Impact
Youth orchestras support young people across the country with inspiring musical training, creative development, wide-ranging programming, cultural insights, and the joy of music. As the League’s Youth Orchestra Division heads into its 50th anniversary, youth orchestras are adapting to meet the needs of the present—and the future.
By Lindsey Nova
It’s tempting to think of youth orchestras as the baby cousins of the symphonic world—bright-eyed, idealistic, and perhaps still wrestling with the finer points of tuning. But while our students may be young, the Youth Orchestra Division (YOD) at the League of American Orchestras is anything but. As YOD approaches its fiftieth season in 2025–26, it’s clear: youth orchestras are not just the future of orchestral music— they’re a vibrant, dynamic part of its present.
As Chair of YOD and Executive Director of Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras (TRYPO) in Pittsburgh, I’ve had
the distinct pleasure of working with some of the most creative, scrappy, and inspiring people in the field. The organizations in YOD are unified by their love of music and youth, but we are far from one-size-fits-all. From Honolulu to Milwaukee, San Diego to Albany, youth orchestras are tackling big challenges, trying bold ideas, and redefining what it means to nurture young musicians.
Youth Orchestras in Focus
YOD is here because of Betty Utter, co-founder of the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra. An active member of the then-named
An ensemble from Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras in performance.
American Symphony Orchestra League, she noted there were only six youth orchestras with memberships and that they didn’t have their own division within the League’s ranks. Once successful in starting the division in 1975, Utter became its very first chair with six founding member organizations: Youth Orchestras of Greater Fort Worth, Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, American Youth Orchestra, Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, and DC Youth Orchestra.
With a board of directors and elected officers drawn the division’s member orchestras, YOD became a space for collaboration, camaraderie, and maybe some venting from time to time! The founding of YOD wasn’t just about swapping tour stories and repertoire lists (though we love a good tour story). It was a response to a real need: youth orchestras were growing, evolving, and dealing with issues distinct from professional orchestras. Early conversations tackled
From Honolulu to Milwaukee, San Diego to Albany, youth orchestras are tackling big challenges, trying bold ideas, and redefining what it means to nurture young musicians.
everything from artistic standards to youth development, to discussing shared concerns, best practices, and finding solutions—and that spirit of innovation has remained a hallmark of the division ever since. Today, the YOD board’s 18 members hail from all over the country (representing some 112 orchestras), and discuss YOD’s role in the League, their unique challenges, and how YOD and the League can best support its many member organizations.
Youth orchestras are an incredibly diverse group. Generally, youth orchestras fall into four categories: a standalone organization; part of a professional orchestra; part of a college/community program; and summer programs. In addition to supporting one orchestra (or sometimes as many as 10!), many of
today’s youth orchestra organizations offer a dazzling array of programs: wind ensemble, string orchestra, steel drum, jazz band, chamber music, brass ensemble, music theory, conducting, flute choir, private lessons, percussion ensemble, and even choral programs. These are not just orchestras—they’re full-fledged training ecosystems.
Take the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (Wisconsin), for instance. With an annual budget of $3.9 million and more than 1,000 students, the wide-ranging organization offers over 40 programs and gives 115 concerts each year, generating more than $234,000 in ticket revenue. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Symphony Youth Orchestra (Pennsylvania) has an annual budget of $550,000 and mainly focuses
Young musicians of the Empire State Youth Orchestra in Schenectady, New York.
• $550,000 annual budget in non-tour years
• $4.2 million in investments
• One 90-member orchestra
• Students ages 14‐20
• Three concerts a year that are free and open to the public for 4,500 local audience
• Two full-time and two part-time staff
• International tours every three years
• $3.9 million annual budget in non-tour years
• $10.5 million in investments
• 40+ programs will 1,000 student enrollment
• Students ages 8‐18
• 115 concerts/year with $213k in ticket revenue for 25,000+ annual local audience
• 14 full-time and 62 part-time staff
• International tours every two years
The country’s youth orchestras range widely in scale and scope, as seen in comparing two different, equally successful youth-orchestra organizations.
Youth orchestras are an incredibly diverse group.
on one high-level 90-member symphonic orchestra with three free concerts a year and an international tour every three years, among other important activities. Both models serve their communities powerfully—just in different ways.
At the Forefront of Artistic Exploration
Not content to ride the Schubert “Unfinished” Symphony carousel every four years, youth orchestras are often on the front lines of artistic innovation. Check out the Denver Young Artists Orchestra’s penchant for unique community collaborations—like Taiko drumming with orchestra.
Just ask the San Diego Youth Symphony, which co-commissioned Argentinian composer and bassist Andres Martin’s Ilimitados (Limitless) with the Sinfonica Juvenil de Tijuana across the border in Tijuana, in celebration of the two cities’ joint designation as 2024 World Design Capital. The collaboration included a recording session, and either the recording or a live performance of the piece was shown at all
World Design Capital signature events throughout the year.
Or perhaps you may have seen that the New York Youth Symphony made history when it won a 2022 Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance, marking the first time that a youth orchestra won in that category! Students who are members of youth orchestras are getting exposure to new music, unique artistic experiences, and learning to appreciate the art form at a fundamental level.
Champions of Collaboration
Youth orchestras have partnerships that are bursting from every seam. Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras helped launch UniSound, a coalition of 40+ youth music organizations in Pittsburgh. We also co-created the Youth Chamber Connection with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra—where 20+ chamber music groups perform 100+ times a year throughout the region.
On the other side of the country, the Denver Young Artists Orchestra also has a unique alliance with the Colorado Symphony that leverages strengths and resources including a shared conducting position, enhanced educational opportunities, and administrative efficiencies. Now in its seventh season,
the partnership is expanding programs including collaborative concerts in health care facilities throughout the region.
Amidst real challenges, youth orchestras are often creative problem-solvers. The Hawaii Youth Symphony, for example, budgets $50,000 annually on interisland flights within the Hawaiian archipelago for students and faculty to ensure that geography and/or financial barriers don’t determine opportunity. And when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Civic Youth Ensembles in Detroit was among the very first to quickly pivot online and held 1,100 Zoom sessions (before it was cool!) in just three months to keep music education alive.
Staffing, funding, and access remain complex issues across our field. But youth orchestras face them head-on—with imagination, community support, and the occasional spreadsheet wizardry.
Representing Their Communities Equity, diversity, and inclusion are not just buzzwords for YOD members— they’re action items. Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Community Partnership Program recently celebrated its twentieth year and has helped make their student body reflective of Milwaukee’s
broader population. Across the country, youth orchestras are asking hard questions about representation, access, and artistic voice—and finding new ways to engage their communities.
At Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO), access and opportunity for all are woven into the fabric of CHIME— their free, daily music program for youth in Schenectady, New York. This past year, CHIME served 148 students, 87% of whom identify as Black, Latine, Asian, or multi-racial, with more than 85% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Students receive intensive ensemble training, private
lessons, transportation, and instruments at no cost, and a number of CHIME musicians have auditioned into ESYO’s top-tier ensembles, demonstrating extraordinary artistic growth. From peer-to-peer mentorship to culturally responsive repertoire, CHIME transforms inclusion from a concept into a daily practice—one that centers student voice, celebrates identity, and creates real access to the power of music.
Who Are These Youth Orchestra Kids?
In a survey conducted in 2023, more than 500 music students told us a bit
more about what role they saw orchestras playing in their future. Of those surveyed, 28% had a primary goal of being a professional musician. Some 98% of music students reacted positively to the idea of being an audience member in the future, with strong feelings on what orchestras are programming and how they’re thinking about equity, diversity, and inclusion. Consider those responses alongside another fascinating answer: 92% of music students hope to financially support orchestras in the future.
So who are these youth orchestra students? Some are future orchestra members, members of orchestras’ staff and board… but the biggest component? They will be music-educated audience members and donors. They’ve grown up viewing music as a collaborative, inclusive, and evolving art form—which means they’ll expect that from the orchestras they support.
They’re not just cute—they’re critical. And possibly already judging orchestras’ programming choices.
What Comes Next?
If we had a magic wand (and we all wish we did), we would wave it over every barrier to participation, every outdated perception of orchestras as “snooty,” and every funding gap. But magic isn’t required—just the continued hard work, dedication, and creativity that have defined YOD and its members for 50 years.
As Chair of the Youth Orchestra Division, I’d love to see even more connection and collaboration among youth orchestras, big and small. I hope we continue to push the boundaries of what youth orchestras can be—places of bold creativity, social impact, and lifelong transformation. And if your youth orchestra isn’t yet part of YOD, consider this your engraved invitation. Join us! I’ll bring snacks.
In 20 years, we hope today’s youth orchestra members will be professional musicians. Or loyal concertgoers. Or generous donors. Or—perhaps most importantly—empathetic, disciplined humans who believe in something bigger than themselves. Youth orchestras’ impact extends beyond the concert hall, and the results are often felt in places where applause doesn’t reach.
The San Diego Youth Symphony and the Sinfonica Juvenil de Tijuana, from Mexico, performed together in 2024. The two orchestras jointly commissioned Argentinian composer and bassist Andres Martin’s Ilimitados (Limitless) in celebration of their hometowns being co-designated as the 2024 World Design Capital.
The New York Youth Symphony regularly performs at Carnegie Hall, among other venues. In 2022, the New York Youth Symphony won a Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance, the first time that a youth orchestra won in that category.
Photo by Molly Higgins.
Youth orchestras’ impact extends beyond the concert hall, and the results are often felt in places where applause doesn’t reach.
As we gather at the League of American Orchestras National Conference in June, we’ll be getting ready to kick off the celebration of 50 years of YOD. All next year, we’ll be highlighting the powerful role youth orchestras play in the cultural fabric of this country. We’ll be sharing stories, strategies, and maybe a few memes (youth orchestras have a strong GIF game).
Here’s to the next 50 years—of making music, making change, and yes, making it through tour season with our sanity (and all the cellos) intact.
LINDSEY NOVA is Executive Director of Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras in Pittsburgh, PA, and Chair of the Youth Orchestra Division of the League of American Orchestras. With formal degrees in horn performance from the Eastman School of Music and the University of Utah, she now claims unofficial ones in Excel and nonprofit plate-spinning. She remains deeply engaged in Pittsburgh’s arts ecosystem—when she’s not wrangling other people’s teenagers or her internet-trombone-famous husband.
The City and County of Honolulu celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Hawaii Youth Symphony in 2024 with an official proclamation from Mayor Rick Blangiardi. With the musicians are, in foreground, Hawaii Youth Symphony President and CEO Randy Wong and conductor Joseph Stepec, Director of Orchestral Activities.
Detroit’s Civic Youth Ensembles, an ongoing initiative of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, in a recent concert.
The Denver Young Artists Orchestra’s community collaborations include programs with Taiko drumming groups.
Photo by Owen Zhou.
Marian Anderson became an icon as a contralto with a once-in-a-lifetime voice at concert halls and opera houses around the world—and as a formidable champion for civil rights. Now the Philadelphia Orchestra has honored her legacy by naming its home for her.
By David Patrick Stearns
A VOICE. A NAME. A CONCERT HALL.
Marian Anderson with Music Director Eugene Ormandy at a Philadelphia Orchestra rehearsal in 1938. Starting in 1937, she sang many times with the Philadelphia Orchestra in appearances that included concerts, radio broadcasts, and recordings. After retiring from singing in 1965, Anderson narrated Copland’s A Lincoln Portrait with the Philadelphia Orchestra several times.
Photo courtesy of Adrian Siegel Collection/Philadelphia Orchestra Archives.
Marian Anderson keenly observed the more pernicious elements of racism: “Sometimes it’s like a hair across your cheek. You can’t see it. You can’t find it with your fingers, but you keep brushing at it because the feeling of it is irritating.”
Elusive or obvious, racial prejudice has a permanent public antidote at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts’ Marian Anderson Hall in Philadelphia. Long celebrated as a stellar vocalist and civil rights hero, Anderson (1897–1993) is a name set in stone at what once was Verizon Hall, home of the Philadelphia Orchestra, with a social resonance that has made itself felt since the hall’s June 2024 rededication in her name.
“It’s as if the name has been there for a long time. It has become entrenched,” says Leslie Miller, who with her husband Richard Worley, former board president of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association, put forth the $25 million for the naming rights in perpetuity. “People have taken notice, in a variety of settings,” says Miller. “Richard and I have continued to be thanked for having done it. My standard reply: We’re getting so much more than we gave. It has been so gratifying to see people’s response and their agreement that this was a dedication that was painfully overdue.”
The renaming of the hall has already made its mark in Philadelphia, although the enduring impact of the new name may not be fully apparent or appreciated for years, says Ryan Fleur, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts (the Philadelphia Orchestra merged with the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which uses the brand name Ensemble Arts Philly and was formed in 2021). Other Philadelphia organizations with parallel goals, whether continuing Anderson’s memory or paving the way for young Black musicians—even when not formally associated with each other—can’t help but experience a synergistic effect in promoting the Marian Anderson ethos. Collectively, these organizations form what might be called a posthumous Anderson village—one unlike any other.
At a time when corporate and individual donors expect major recognition for major contributions via “naming opportunities” for theaters and concert
At a time when donors expect major recognition for themselves via naming opportunities for theaters and concert halls, Marian Anderson Hall is a standout: a concert hall named for a Black woman musical artist.
halls (not to mention sports stadiums), the rebranded Marian Anderson Hall is a standout: a concert hall named for a musical artist. More than that, it’s named for a Black woman artist who overcame racism to forge a groundbreaking singing career while taking very public stands against bigotry. There aren’t many concert halls named for musical artists (Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall may be the most prominent),
and in Anderson’s case it’s also a kind of homecoming: she was a Philadelphia native who had a long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
For Americans of a certain age, Marian Anderson was a household name, not just from the famous 1939 concert that occurred at the Lincoln Memorial after she was banned for racial reasons from performing at Constitution Hall— her Lincoln Memorial performance was
The exterior of Marian Anderson Hall, home of the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The concert venue was previously known as Verizon Hall.
Photo by Pete Checchia.
contemporaries, but not the one who had made so many Black careers in music possible. “That portrait,” he says, “would greet me every day, not only on my way to the bass room. I specifically remember seeing the painting at my audition—my very first time in the building.”
Even without specific recognition, the painting showed that Black musicians belonged in the great conservatory. It also embodied one of Anderson’s best observations on the power of role models: If you can see it, you can be it.
“In all of my years, these details— Marian Anderson awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, being the first Black singer to perform at the Metropolitan Opera, being a delegate to the United Nations—had never surfaced to the top for me,” Conyers says in an email.
attended by 75,000 people and broadcast on national radio—but for singing at the presidential inaugurations of the Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower (1957) and the Democrat John F. Kennedy (1961). She had built her career as a classical contralto with a once-in-a-lifetime voice who also embraced spirituals and music from the Black tradition; she toured nationally and internationally to some of the world’s foremost concert halls and performed with top orchestras, usually under the aegis of legendary impresario Sol Hurok. An important breakthrough came in 1955, when she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera and became the first major Black singer to break the color barrier there. Many felt that Anderson’s Met debut, coming so late in
the career of an artist of her stature, had been delayed due to her race. Nevertheless, she persisted and retired with a 1966 recording of Brahms and Schubert art songs, coming full circle with her early successes in Europe where she had worked with the most cultivated artists in pre-war Berlin. In 2005, Anderson was honored with a U.S. postage stamp celebrating Black Heritage.
Yet when Savannah-born Joseph Conyers—principal bassist of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the orchestra’s Education and Community Ambassador—first encountered an imposing, life-sized portrait of Anderson hanging in the Curtis Institute of Music in 1999, he did not know who she was. As a Black musician, he was very much aware of his
“Why didn’t I know about this growing up? Why haven’t I seen this?” filmmaker Bill Nicoletti said about Anderson and her story when he unveiled the 2019 documentary Once in a Hundred Years: The Life and Legacy of Marian Anderson. That was followed in 2022 by PBS’s American Masters documentary, Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands. In 2021, Sony released “Beyond the Music—Marian Anderson: Her Complete RCA Victor Recordings,” a lavishly packaged box set of 15 compact discs and a photo-filled 227-page book.
Living Remembrance
What does it take to sustain a memory? Even one as powerful and far-reaching as Anderson’s?
At the newly renamed Marian Anderson Hall, donors Leslie Miller and Richard Worley, who are married, with (center), Philadelphia Orchestra Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Unlike most donors, Miller and Worley chose not to name the hall for themselves but instead used their $25 million contribution to celebrate Marian Anderson’s enduring legacy.
Photo by Pete Checchia.
“Marian Anderson means so many things to so many people worldwide,” says Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts President and CEO Ryan Fleur.
“It has been so gratifying to see people’s response and their agreement that this was a dedication that was painfully overdue,” says Leslie Miller, who with her husband Richard Worley donated the funds to name the Philadelphia Orchestra’s home for Marian Anderson.
When the naming rights to the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall were due to expire on December 31, 2023, the Philadelphia Orchestra’s then-president and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky proposed to Worley and Miller a hall rededication. Most donors want their names on the building. They did not. “That would be boring,” says Miller, herself a trailblazing civic leader and past president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
“Naming the hall after a business enterprise is just fine for football stadiums and baseball fields,” says Worley, former board president of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association. “There’s
dignity to not being that commercial.” Anderson was Tarnopolsky’s proposal— one that felt inevitable despite a process that can become complicated when working out all the details.
In Philadelphia’s rich history of world-changing Black musicians, Billie Holiday (1915–1959) already has a concert hall named for her—in Brooklyn. Jazz legend Sun Ra (1914–1993)—another Philly great—was perhaps too avant-garde for consideration. But Anderson? “Who could be more appropriate for a great permanent stage?” says Worley.
Thanks to the Philadelphia Orchestra and other organizations, Anderson
At the June 8, 2024, event marking the new name of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s home, from left: Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes, Stacey Abrams, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, donor Leslie Miller, donor Richard Worley, Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, Philadelphia Orchestra’s thenpresident and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky, and State Representative Regina G. Young.
Photo by Pete Checchia.
The Great Stages Concert honoring Marian Anderson was the first concert to take place in the newly named hall on June 8, 2024. Latonia Moore performed “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” paired with footage of Anderson singing the same piece, with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
Photo by Pete Checchia.
Conyers, Principal Bass and Education and Community Ambassador at the Philadelphia
recalls that a
of Marian Anderson was hung at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he was a student. “That portrait,” he says, “would greet me every day, not only on my way to the bass room. I specifically remember seeing the painting at my audition—my very first time in the building.”
is gaining increased recognition in her hometown. The National Marian Anderson Museum—in a home that was once hers, less than a mile southwest of the renamed concert hall—is now re-opened after being closed for repairs. The youth orchestra program Play on Philly, for communities historically excluded from high-level musical training, now has the Marian Anderson Young Artist Program, hatched in collaboration with the Anderson family, which creates individualized education programs for selected highschool-age (or younger) students. They’re known as "Anderson Artists,” though what that looks like is up to them. “I get to connect students with resources to purse music,” said Dr. Anna Meyer, who manages the program, teaches at Temple University, and is also a working musician. “Our roster is full at 14. We now have 11.”
The Philadelphia Orchestra works with the United Negro College Fund for scholarship opportunities in Anderson’s name. On the performance front, the Marian Anderson Initiative—described as a showcase for “composers and artists who embody Marian Anderson’s legacy”—continues the orchestra’s previous commitment to Black composers, led by Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
Nézet-Séguin wasn’t the first to discover the long-neglected concert works of Black composer Florence Price (1887–1953), though he and the Philadelphia Orchestra recorded and toured
At the Great Stages Concert honoring Marian Anderson on June 8, 2024, Audra McDonald performed “Children Taught, Listen Carefully,” a medley crafted from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific and Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods , with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
Photo by Pete Checchia.
Joseph
Orchestra,
portrait
Photo by Nicole Roche.
with her symphonies, and worked with the orchestrations in a partnership with publisher G. Schirmer to create accurate editions of her works. World premieres by contemporary Black composers next season include Tyshawn Sorey’s Piano Concerto and Wynton Marsalis’s Symphony No. 5 (“Liberty”) featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. More forgotten or neglected works are planned: Symphony No. 2 by Julius Eastman (1940–1990) and Wood Notes by William Grant Still (1895–1978). The latter composer’s Symphony No. 2 (“Song of a New Race”) was performed this season by the orchestra, which had given its world premiere in 1937.
Besides having historic impact, Anderson was a figure of great style and dignity, patrician but not regal, always sumptuously dressed. And the voice? Miller knows it well from the recordings her grandfather played for her: a voice not of this world, welling up from the center of the earth, or, when singing her signature “Ave Maria,” radiating
“Naming the hall after a business enterprise is just fine for football stadiums and baseball fields,” says donor Richard Worley, former board president of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association. “There’s dignity to not being that commercial.”
In addition to serving as the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Principal Bass, Joseph Conyers is the orchestra’s Education and Community Ambassador. In photo, he is speaking with young bass players following a bass PlayIN at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
Photo by Jessica Griffin.
heaven-sent benevolence. Attached to the Kimmel Center, the name is in the heart of Philadelphia, emblazoned on Rafael Viñoly’s architectural wonder whose soaring glass ceiling creates its own utopian sky.
“Marian Anderson means so many things to so many people worldwide,” Fleur says about the different ways her
memory is being kept alive. “I found that people impart their meaning of Marian Anderson based on where they’re coming from. It all depends on the lens. To Philadelphians, she was the hometown girl. To people who are aspiring opera singers, she’s a great classical artist. She was deeply successful in Europe. She broke ceilings.” And, in the words of the great
conductor Arturo Toscanini, Anderson had the kind of voice heard “once in a hundred years.”
DAVID PATRICK STEARNS writes about classical music and opera for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Gramophone magazine, and Classical Voice North America. He holds a master’s degree in musicology from New York University.
Following the announcement ceremony on February 28, 2024, Black musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra gathered for a photo on stage in the then-named Verizon Hall. From left, Principal Bass Joseph Conyers, retired violinist Booker Rowe, Principal Librarian Nicole Jordan, and violist Renard Edwards. All served as honorary chairs of the Marian Anderson Hall rededication and Great Stages Gala.
Photo by
Margo Reed.
At the February 2024 event announcing that Verizon Hall would be renamed as Marian Anderson Hall, Matías Tarnopolsky, then the Philadelphia Orchestra’s President and CEO, joined Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin onstage with a poster marking the hall’s rededication and one of the celebrated vocalist’s gowns.
Photo by Pete Checchia.
Influences and Inspirations
Four composers of upcoming and recent works talk about personal expression, forging fresh sonic realms, and writing big new scores for the “irreplaceable heft of the orchestra.”
By Heidi Waleson
Composers embarking on major works for orchestras today draw inspiration from a remarkable breadth of experience, bringing unusual sonorities, themes, and dramatic elements into their compositions. Four of them—Andy Akiho, Angelica Negrón, Carlos Simon, and Kate Soper—discuss the origins of recent or upcoming world premieres.
A NEW, UNIQUE ADVENTURE
Andy Akiho’s cello concerto “Nisei” recently completed its five-orchestra commission circuit that began last August at Sun Valley Music Festival and went on to the Oregon Symphony Orchestra (where Akiho is composer in residence), Pro Musica Columbus, and the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra, concluding at the South Carolina Philharmonic in April. Akiho and his cello soloist, Jeffrey Ziegler, have been friends and colleagues for over a dozen years, and Akiho saw “Nisei” as a challenge to go somewhere completely new.
“Most of our projects involved a lot of amplification, foot pedals, electronics; our quartet was spoken word, steel pan [Akiho’s instrument], cello, and drums,” the composer says. “Nisei” is all acoustic, and the orchestra part has no percussion, piano, or harp, just strings, brass, and woodwinds. Akiho explored new realms with those tools. “In the second movement, I wanted to focus on contrapuntal conversations between the strings and Jeff. I wanted it to sound familiar, almost like the early Baroque era, but kind of time-traveling a little bit. And then Jeff floats long lines over a baroque-ish grid.”
The third movement, which Akiho wrote first, turned out to be the longest at 17 minutes. “I got into a kind of frenzy with it,” he recalls. “The whole movement is pretty much in 11/16. I don’t wake up
I WANTED IT TO SOUND FAMILIAR, ALMOST LIKE THE EARLY BAROQUE ERA, BUT KIND OF TIME-TRAVELING A LITTLE BIT. ANDY AKIHO
and say, ‘I want to make something in 11’—I think of a rhythm I like, it’s a little quirky, and I transcribe it.”
Both Akiho and Ziegler are second-generation Japanese American, hence the work’s title. “I wasn’t to trying to develop traditional Japanese tunes,” Akiho says. “It’s more a subconscious feeling of something we have in common.”
Akiho doesn’t necessarily stick with the traditional orchestral palette. “I just go where the vibes take me”—whether it’s a triple concerto for ping-pong, violin, and percussion (“Ricochet” from 2015) or percussion movements played directly on the artworks of Jun Kaneko in “Sculptures,” commissioned by the Omaha Symphony and the Oregon Symphony in 2023. “I’m not disciplined or organized enough to stay in one direction anyway,” he says. “Every piece is a new, unique adventure.”
Composer and percussionist Andy Akiho plays creations of sculptor Jun Kaneko in his “Sculptures” in a November 2023 performance with the Oregon Symphony. Oregon Symphony Principal Percussionist Michael Roberts also performed the work. The work was co-commissioned by the Omaha Symphony and the Oregon Symphony.
Photo by Jason Quigley.
Andy Akiho.
Photo by Da Ping Luo.
Soloist Jeffrey Zeigler performs Andy Akiho’s ‘Nisei” cello concerto with the Oregon Symphony and Music Director David Danzmayr in October 2024. The work was commissioned by five American orchestras.
Photo courtesy of the Oregon Symphony.
AN ELEGY FOR SOUNDS WE HAVE LOST
Multi-instrumentalist Angelica Negrón has written music for robots, toys, and plants in addition to orchestras, chamber ensembles, voices, and films. In 2023, she concluded her term as composer in residence at the Dallas Symphony with the premiere of her 10-minute work for orchestra, “Arquitecta,” which featured pots and pans, a voiceover recording, and the amplified vocal stylings of the “Afro/ Indigenous/Columbian/Punk/Folklorist/ Diva” Lido Pimienta. In October, she will return to Dallas with a work for orchestra, chorus, and soloists commissioned for the DSO’s 125th anniversary. Negrón’s works have been commissioned and performed by orchestras and ensembles across the country, but this is her most ambitious composition so far. Built on the structure of the Latin requiem mass, Negrón says, “It’s an elegy for sounds we have lost.”
An inspiration was David Haskell’s 2022 book Sounds Wild and Broken: Sonic Marvels, Evolution’s Creativity, and the Crisis of Sensory Extinction. “The spine of the piece,” she says, “is about species extinction and habitat loss, but it expanded into areas like language—the more I travel back home to Puerto Rico, the less Spanish I hear—and voices of people who have passed.” Interwoven in the Latin requiem text are verses from Puerto Rican poets “that speak to more present-day reality,” she says.
Negrón describes her elegy’s sonic world as “light, dreamy, sometimes a little playful.” There’s lots of percussion and electronics played live. It features harp and treble tessituras: the vocal soloists are soprano, mezzo-soprano, countertenor, and tenor—no baritone. “In my ideal world,” Negrón says, “I would have
I’M TRYING TO PROPOSE ANOTHER WAY OF LISTENING, OF UNDERSTANDING HOW OUR SONIC LANDSCAPE IS IMPACTED BY DECISIONS WE ARE MAKING. ANGELICA NEGRÓN
a children’s choir. Sometimes the chorus and soloists are treated like that—a lot of the vocal writing is more straight tone [no vibrato] than operatic.”
Those choices depart from what Negrón sees as the typically more “ominous” sound of requiems. “This is a meditative cycle. Obviously, it’s a mass of the dead, but at same time, I wanted space for light and reflection. There’s a
quote in the Haskell book about how the vitality of world depends on whether we turn our ears back to the earth, hear the beauty and brokenness in it, and act. I’m hoping this is, in some way, through empathy, a call to action. In addition to nostalgia and missing things, I’m trying to propose another way of listening, of understanding how our sonic landscape is impacted by decisions we are making.”
Angelica Negrón.
Photo by Catalina Kulczar.
In May of 2023, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra gave the premiere of composer in residence Angelica Negrón’s “Arquitecta.” Music Director Fabio Luisi led the work, which featured vocalist Lido Pimienta.
Photo by Sylvia Elzafon.
In addition to orchestras and chamber groups, composer and multi-instrumentalist Angelica Negrón has composed works for robots, toys, and plants.
Photo courtesy of Angelica Negrón.
I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO EMBED GOSPEL IN MY WORK. I’VE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH FINDING A WAY TO DO IT THAT’S GENUINE AND SINCERE. CARLOS SIMON
I HAD TO THINK WITH TWO DIFFERENT BRAINS
Carlos Simon, composer in residence for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the inaugural Boston Symphony Orchestra Composer Chair, drew on deep family traditions for his expansive Good News Mass for orchestra, choir, soloists, spoken poetry, and film, which was given its world premiere in April by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by LA Phil Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel. “I grew up listening to gospel—I come from a lineage of Pentecostal preachers—and I’ve always wanted to embed gospel in my work,” Simon says. “I’ve been experimenting with finding a way to do it that’s genuine and sincere.”
He embedded gospel in the structure of a traditional mass; poet and editor Courtney Ware wrote the English libretto drawing elements from the original Latin. “I created songs, interludes where the orchestra could shine, and moments with just chorus or soloists,” says Simon. “Each component has an equal share. My favorite symphony is Mahler’s ‘Resurrection,’ but you have to wait an hour and a half for the choir to come in!” Works that combine classical and popular genres, such as Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” and William Bolcom’s “Songs of Innocence
and Experience” gave him ideas about structure and pacing. (Good News Mass was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, and Boston Symphony Orchestra.)
Communicating his musical ideas presented special challenges, he says. “I had to think with two different brains. How should those gospel elements look on the page so the orchestra can perform it as I hear it?” Also, as Simon relates, the soloists and the 48-member gospel choir, The Samples, didn’t read music, so he made a studio recording to help them learn their parts. He wasn’t sure how it would work, but when he arrived at rehearsals, “98% of notes were there. It was incredible. Even more important, the feeling was there.” The Los Angeles audience got “the intangibles,” experiencing a concert piece that is really a service. “People who had never been to a Pentecostal church told me that it was not what they expected, and they felt loved, encouraged, and inspired.”
Carlos Simon.
Photo by Kendall Bessent.
Taking a bow at the April world premiere of Carlos Simon’s Good News Mass at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, from left: Gustavo Dudamel, Zebulon Ellis, Samoht, Jason White, Melina Matsoukas, Carlos Simon, Courtney Ware-Lett, and Marc Bamuthi Joseph.
Photo by Elizabeth Asher.
Composer Carlos Simon (right) during a rehearsal this spring for his Good News Mass at the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel.
COULD WE GO BACK TO THE IDEA OF MUSIC AS PURE, MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSION OF CELESTIAL BEAUTY? KATE SOPER
THE IRREPLACEABLE HEFT OF THE ORCHESTRA
Kate Soper is known for playful music-theater pieces that integrate mythical figures. Her “philosophy opera,” Ipsa Dixit, recently given its West Coast premiere at Long Beach Opera, was shortlisted for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize, and she is a co-director and performer with Wet Ink, a New York-based new music chamber ensemble. Her new monodrama, “Orpheus Orchestra Opus Onus,” commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for premiere in May 2025, expands those elements for an orchestral palette. She started thinking about the piece late in the pandemic. “I was missing instruments, being around them,” she recalls. “At the same time, we were all going through a kind of reckoning about music, art, and cultural institutions—what they really mean, what their origins are, what’s problematic about them. And I started thinking about Orpheus. Monteverdi’s Orfeo is the first opera, so it’s connected to the beginning of institutionalized music.”
Soper, a soprano, plays a version of Orpheus interacting with and questioning the orchestra, which becomes a powerful character in the story. “We have all this amazing music but what are the consequences? Could we go back to the idea of music as pure, mathematical
Kate Soper.
Photo by Kendall Bessent.
Kate Soper is a vocalist as well as a composer; her opera Ipsa Dixit was shortlisted for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize, and she is a co-director and performer with Wet Ink, a New York-based new music chamber ensemble.
Photo by
Gretchen Robinette.
Kate Soper’s monodrama, “Orpheus Orchestra Opus Onus,” was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, which gives its world premiere this May. In the work, Soper, a soprano with nontraditional interests, plays a version of Orpheus interacting with and questioning the orchestra.
Photo by Maggie Shannon.
celestial beauty?” Lest that sound ponderous, she adds, “I hope it’s also interesting and funny.”
Having written primarily for chamber ensembles, Soper found the big canvas exhilarating. She got to do “creative orchestration” for quotes from 17th-century music, and she uses the orchestral tutti as a dramaturgical device. “There’s an element of ‘Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra’ as Orpheus tries
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to explain how the orchestra evolved. There’s a big harp part—Orpheus’s lyre—and lots of strange Baroque and Renaissance tonality that becomes a little twisted.” Overall, she says, “I’m trying to use the irreplaceable heft of the orchestra, the immensity of it.”
Soper wrote the text, which includes quotes from Italian librettos of Orpheus operas and Rilke sonnets. As for her own role in the performance, she notes, “I
have a non-traditional background as a vocalist, so I’m taking some lessons with a diction coach!”
HEIDI WALESON is the opera critic of the Wall Street Journal and the author of Mad Scenes and Exit Arias: The Death of New York City Opera and the Future of Opera in America
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Dolly Parton has done it all: music, movies, television, Broadway, philanthropy, even her own theme park. Now the country music icon has embarked on what may be the only uncharted territory left— American orchestras—with Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony, currently touring concert halls nationwide.
By Ann Lewinson
Dolly Parton.
Photo courtesy of Dolly Parton.
Some 60 years ago, a little girl in the Tennessee mountains poured herself a cup of ambition and, with an inimitable voice and incisive lyrics, conquered the airwaves. Dolly Parton is not just one of the top-selling recording artists of all time—she’s penned thousands of songs. And each one tells a story. Audiences will hear them in Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony, currently on a national tour at orchestras through Spring 2026. The concert, which premiered on March 20 with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra conducted by Enrico Lopez-Yañez, mines Parton’s vast catalogue, from hits like “Jolene” and “9 to 5” to her most recent single, “If You Hadn’t Been There,” released in March as a tribute to her late husband, Carl Dean. They’ve been arranged for orchestra by David Hamilton—arranger for Andrea Bocelli, Renée Fleming, and Lang Lang—given voice by a new generation of singers and augmented by a crackerjack band of country music’s finest. And Parton—on video—will be presiding over it all.
ANN LEWINSON: How did this concert come about?
DOLLY PARTON: I got a call from Robert Thompson—he’s the president of Schirmer [Theatrical]—and I thought, wow, that’d be an amazing thing to hear my songs done with an orchestra. So, we just started talking and it was over a period of years before it ever came to be on stage. Between [Schirmer Theatrical Vice President and Creative Director] Betsey Perlmutter and Robert, we kind of pulled the whole thing together.
LEWINSON: You’ve done pretty much everything it’s possible to do, in every medium. What interested you about doing a concert like this?
PARTON: Well, I thought, why not? I could just picture my little songs done with that big orchestra and I thought, man, that’d be bone-chilling. And so of course I jumped at the opportunity. I just thought, wow, that’s gonna be amazing, to take my songs
I
dressed up in my beautiful little outfit, a conductor’s tuxedo with the long tails, and I had my little rhinestone baton. I turn to the audience and say, ‘Don’t worry,
I’m not the conductor tonight.’
as they are, and then add that rich, amazing element to them. Because I had had some songs that I used an orchestra on—just a song on an album here and there, now and then—and even when we use strings, I get excited about the difference it makes. It just makes you feel like you’re a part of something bigger.
LEWINSON: What was it like the first time you heard these songs performed by the orchestra?
PARTON: It was bone-chilling. I actually didn’t see them rehearsing and all of that. I didn’t see it until the night, and whew, I was in tears. To think, those are my songs, those are my children that got all dressed up so pretty. So it was an amazing feeling. It just went all through me.
LEWINSON: Did you hear anything new in your songs?
PARTON: I thought they seemed so much more important. I’ve been doing them for years, but to hear them like that, it just gives you a sense of pride that I hadn’t had before. And I was also very humbled by the fact that the symphony wanted to play my songs.
LEWINSON: How did you select the songs?
PARTON: Robert felt very strong about doing songs that I had written. Some of them are not even that famous, but they made beautiful orchestrations. “Down from Dover,” “The Bridge,” those songs never were singles. But he wanted to do that. There’s only two songs in the whole show that I didn’t write, “Here You Come
The Nashville Symphony, led by Enrico Lopez-Yañez, gave the world premiere of Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony on March 20. Onstage with the Nashville Symphony and Lopez-Yañez are Threads singers (from left) Denitia, Katie Basden, Hollie Hammel, Katelyn Drye, Julie Williams, Blair Lamb, and Ally Jackson.
Photo by Michael Weintrob.
“I could just picture my little songs done with that big orchestra and I thought, man, that’d be bone-chilling,” says Parton. “It just makes you feel like you’re a part of something bigger.”
Again” and “Islands in the Stream.” That wasn’t in the original show [in Nashville]. I thought, you can’t do a show without two of the biggest songs I’ve ever done. So they’ve added those now.
LEWINSON: Did you have other requests?
PARTON: Well, the song “Travelin’ Thru,” I felt real strong about that. That’s a song from a movie called Transamerica [a 2005 drama about a transgender woman]. I think it’s one of my better songs and I love the melody. And I just thought that that was a good song to do for the times.
LEWINSON: Why is this show called Threads?
PARTON: It kind of played off of the [1971 single] “Coat of Many Colors,” but it was more like the threads of my life, weaving my life story into this whole thing. I do a video where I talk about where I was, what made me want to write the song. I think it’s interesting to people to know why you wrote a song, what state of mind you were in. And then they go to the singers. We thought it was kind of clever, weaving my life together like that.
LEWINSON: Is there a particular story that you can share with us?
PARTON: Well, there’s the story of the little coat of many colors. We were very poor. There was 12 of us kids, mountain country people. People used to send Mama scraps and rags for her to
I was very humbled by the fact that the symphony wanted to play my songs.
make quilts. She made our clothes with all the things that people would send her. I needed a coat for winter, it was coming on and she didn’t have enough cloth of one color to make me a solid-colored coat, so she just sewed the rags together. And in order to make me not feel like I was wearing rags, she told me the story of Joseph and the coat of many colors. And that made me feel special. So I tell that story and then they sing the song. I think it adds so much depth and meaning to all the songs, knowing where they came from.
LEWINSON: And you also do some conducting?
PARTON: Of course, I’m no conductor. I dressed up in my beautiful little outfit, a conductor’s tuxedo with the long tails, and I had my little rhinestone baton. They got me from the back, and then I turn to the audience and say, “Don’t worry, I’m not the conductor tonight.” It was just a clever way to introduce the video.
LEWINSON: What do you hope audiences will take away from this concert?
PARTON: I hope they just feel good, about the songs, about the show and about me. I think it’s kind of like watching a good documentary, ‘cause it’s really watching my life played out a song. I’d like to think they’ll whistle some of the songs, hum them for a few days, and say, “Which one was your favorite?” or, “I didn’t know that about that,” or “Wasn’t that funny when she said that?”
So I hope I give ‘em some good conversation pieces. And I just hope they go away feeling good.
ANN LEWINSON is a journalist based in New York, where she has written most recently for ARTnews, Hell Gate, The Evergreen Review, The Observer, The Rumpus, and Screen Slate. She is the author of Still Life with Meredith (Outpost19).
Dolly Parton backstage at Schermerhorn Symphony Center with musicians of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez (in white jacket) for the March 20 world premiere of Threads: My Songs in Symphony
Photo courtesy of Dolly Parton.
Photo by JB Rowland.
The March 20 premiere of Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony by the Nashville Symphony, led by Enrico Lopez-Yañez, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Other orchestras performing the show this spring and summer include the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, and Columbus Symphony, with more to come.
Photo by
Michael Weintrob.
