Orchestras Canada/Orchestres Canada

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Environmental Sustainability in Orchestras: What I learned at Classical:NEXT

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Headshot of Boran Zaza

By Boran Zaza, Director of Communications & Development at Orchestras Canada.

From May 13 to 17, 2024, I attended Classical:NEXT in Berlin, Germany. This is part 2 of a series of 3 blog posts titled “What I learned at Classical:NEXT”
You can read part 1 here: Innovative leadership models in Orchestras 

Small Changes: Great Impact  

I can’t remember who said this, but it left quite an impression on me: “Environmental sustainability is not about 2% of the population changing their lifestyles completely; it’s about 85% of the population making some changes. This is what will have the greater impact.”  

Lea Brückner presenting at C:N | Photo: Boran Zaza

During Classical:NEXT (C:N), I had the pleasure of meeting Lea Brückner, a violinist, climate ambassador and Instagram influencer (no, she is not related to the composer, but I will have you know that composer Gabriel Prokofiev, grandson of Sergei Prokofiev, was at C:N!). Lea was one of the presenters at a conference session titled Positive Impact Through Sustainable Concerts, with Beat Fehlmann, Artistic director, Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, and Asbjørn Keiding, Director, Danske Ensembler, Orkestre og Operainstitutioner (DEOO). For the sake of transparency, Beat and Asbjørn proactively shared the transportation decision they made to get from their home cities to Berlin to attend C:N, – and that is what inspired me to share mine as well at the end of this blog post.  

Green Monday, and Eco-conscious Audiences 

For the past year, Lea has been the moderator of panel discussions at “Green Monday,” a successful Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra concert series presented at Tonhalle Düsseldorf. The Orchestra dedicated 12 concerts of their season, 1 per month, to an exploration of sustainability, and invited their audience members to join on the path to a low-emission concert experience. At each concert, one environmental topic was presented through a panel discussion, the idea was tested at that concert, and the audience voted on whether they wanted that initiative to continue or not. Initiatives included: having the audience commute to the concert by bike or public transport and adding bike racks outside the hall, reducing the heat in the concert hall by 1.5 degrees, reducing the lights on stage, serving vegetarian food only at receptions, and more! 

Düsseldorf’s Tonhalle concert hall | Photo: Susanne Diesner

 To add a musical touch to this, a small musical fragment was performed at the beginning of each concert. Eleven composers from all over the world embarked on the experiment of being inspired by keywords such as “recycling”, “energy efficiency” or “digitalization” and transforming them into music that the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra performed every “Green Monday”. At the end of the season, all eleven micro-works were brought together as one large “Green Piece” with transitions composed by John Psathas under the direction of Axel Kober. #Recycling  

“The vast majority of the audiences voted YES to 100% of the proposed initiatives!” Lea proudly told me. From their experience, I learned that including audiences in the decision-making takes them from a passive role into a partner role, where they feel their voice is heard and that it matters, and that their choices can positively affect the future of their orchestra and their planet.  

Additional reading: an interview with Michael Becker, artistic director of Düsseldorf’s Tonhalle concert hall, about Green Monday: https://www.visitduesseldorf.de/storys/en/2023/12/12/tonhalle-duesseldorf/

A Nordic Green Orchestra Guide  

The most important driver of emissions in the concert business is not the travel of the artists, but of the audience. However, not putting on concerts cannot be the solution!  

This quote is from the Positive Impact Through Sustainable Concerts conference session description. In 2022, 36 Nordic orchestras and festivals met in Reykjavík and signed a declaration of intent with the title ‘“A Future with Sustainable Culture’. A year later, and after discussions among 6 working groups, the Nordic Green Orchestra Guide was born.  

Asbjørn Keiding, Director of Danske Ensembler, Orkestre og Operainstitutioner, believes that the guide is not just an internal working document, and should also be communicated to the audiences. As Asbjørn stated during his presentation, “Orchestras on their own do not have the worst carbon emissions, [their] power is in influencing the audience members as well, and the musicians. That is how you make a change.”  

The guide contains 6 chapters covering the following themes: 

  • Leadership and management 
  • Communication and audience engagement 
  • Audience transportation  
  • Procurement and acquisition 
  • Touring and staff travel  
  • Measurement and evaluation 

You can download and read the complete Nordic Green Orchestra Guide here: https://www.koda.dk/media/225742/nordic-green-orchestra-guide.pdf

Note: Orchestras Canada hopes to commission a Canadian edition of the Green Orchestras Guide in 2025, and we have applied for funding to bring it to life. We will share more when we know it!  

Personal Choices  

I live in Rimouski, a beautiful city in Quebec, Canada, that has no commercial international airport. There were not many planet-friendly ways to travel from Rimouski to Berlin, Germany to attend Classical:NEXT, so here is what I did:  

I took the train from Rimouski to Montreal, and I paid the carbon offset fee for my roundtrip flight between Montreal and Berlin (which had a layover in Frankfurt because there was no direct flight to Berlin). When packing for my trip, I made sure to take my trusty reusable water bottle and a reusable plastic food container. The food container came in handy on a few different occasions. I used public transportation exclusively while in Berlin, with the exception of one night when I took a taxi back to my hotel room after a late-night Candlelight Concert that was presented as an off-Classical:NEXT showcase.

Side Story: Candlelight and Earthquakes 

The concert featured a piece called The Richter Scale by German composer Boris Bergmann, which was written for a Spirio Steinway Piano (one of those player pianos, which are pianos that can play themselves! Check this video for a demonstration) and a pianist: Ji Liu. This was one of the most mind-blowing musical experiences I’ve ever had: The piece mimicked an earthquake with increasing degrees on the Richter scale. As we approached the end, the piano was playing a crazy difficult passage, and the pianist was almost in a musical duel with it, fighting it. It was a deeply emotional experience because I remembered all my friends and family who were affected by the big earthquake in Syria, Türkiye and Lebanon last year. The concert took place late at night in a church filled with candles, and the mix of that atmosphere and the innovative musical work was very appealing and fresh.  

Credit: Classical:NEXT, #Cnext24 | Photo: twinematics

Stay tuned for the third and last blog post in this series, which will focus on new audiences and how to retain them (big cliffhanger!). In the meantime, to get a taste of the C:N experience in video format, check out the Instagram stories I posted while in Berlin! I am deeply grateful for the generous funding from the Canada Council for the Arts through the Supporting Artistic Practice: Professional Development for Arts Professionals program that made my trip to Germany to attend Classical:NEXT possible.  

 

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Logo, Canada Council for the Arts logo

 

Innovative leadership models in Orchestras: What I learned at Classical:NEXT

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Headshot of Boran Zaza

By Boran Zaza, Director of Communications & Development at Orchestras Canada.

Classical:NEXT (C:N) is the largest global gathering of art music professionals. Traditionally, it has taken place in different European cities each year — as of 2024, C:N has made Berlin, Germany its permanent home. C:N features conference sessions, showcases, meetups and project pitches. Over 1400 art music professionals from 49 countries attended this edition – their biggest gathering yet, after a hiatus in 2023 to consider “what’s next?” 

From May 13 to 17, I had the privilege of attending C:N for the first time, thanks to generous funding from the Canada Council for the Arts through the Supporting Artistic Practice: Professional Development for Arts Professionals
 program. As someone in the “conference organizing” business, I must say that I was quite impressed by the magnitude of this event, the variety of sessions offered, and the plethora of experiences present at the same space! There is something for everyone at C:N. My main interests were conference sessions focusing on the future of orchestras, of which there were many. Three key orchestra-specific themes emerged from the sessions that I attended:  

  1. Leadership models in orchestras  
  2. Environmental sustainability  
  3. New audiences: How to retain them?  

The topic of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging was also present, especially at the global orchestras meetup that I attended. Feminism in classical music was another topic of discussion and interest, about which I attended a fascinating session.  

In this first blog post, I will focus on the first theme: Leadership models in orchestras.  

No Conductor, No Chairs, No Sheet Music 

On the opening day of the C:N in Berlin’s newest concert hall, Saal Pierre Boulez (opened in 2017), five showcases took place. The one that stuck with me the most was Stegreif, the Improvising Symphony Orchestra from Germany. Stegreif is a collective of 30 musicians, who “combine the heritage of classical compositions with improvisation and regard the classical symphony as the starting point for a new concert experience”. Stegreif’s showcase was called “The Symphony of Change”, was based on the works of 4 female composers:  Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), Wilhelmine von Bayreuth (1709-1785), Emilie Mayer (1812-1883) and Clara Schumann (1819-1896). Stegreif started by performing each piece as originally composed, then the original transcription diverged and opened space for improvisation, complemented with choreography.  

Credit: Classical:NEXT, #Cnext24
Photo: twinematics

Their performance was immersive: in the oval concert hall, musicians walked around barefoot between the audiences, all leading and following one another without a conductor. Their energy was contagious… it felt like a big classical music party among friends! Even the cellos had stools with wheels that allowed them to move around. This reminded me of the Montreal-based ensemble Collectif9, which also performs standing up with neither sheet music nor a conductor. Stegreif has taken that concept of having no conductor and the musical freedom while playing to a whole different level to create a truly immersive experience, and their ensemble is made up of about 2/3 classical musicians and 1/3 jazz musicians – I had never seen anything like this before!  

The next day, still buzzing from this unique musical experience, I attended a conference session titled Leading and Following in the Orchestra: Models Beyond the Traditional Hierarchy, presented by Stegreif. The three speakers were the Artistic Director, Lorenz Blaumer, the Managing Director, Lorina Strange, and their Jazz Drummer and composer, Hiromu Seifert. In this session, Stegreif spoke in detail about their philosophy, how they work together, their artistic mediation and community outreach efforts, governance, and pay equity, among other topics.  

Here are my top learnings from this presentation:  

Photo: Boran Zaza

1. Collective leadership happens on-stage, and most importantly, off-stage
The end result that we see on stage when attending a performance by Stegreif is impressive, with musicians leading and following one another on stage seamlessly. Achieving this result requires the involvement of all musicians in decision-making, artistic and otherwise, on and off stage. All the musicians participate in shaping the performance, and rehearsals are led by different people (even for the same work). The musicians also participate in “Future Days,” where they share (and sometimes argue) about their values and artistic goals.  

2. Inward mediation is as essential as the outward mediation
You probably know about artistic mediation and community outreach. But what is integrated mediation?  

Integrated mediation is the interplay of collective management culture, artistic work, and mediation. It has 2 components:  

  • Outward mediation, which is one the many orchestras across Canada already do through programs presented at schools, community centers, retirement homes, hospitals and more.  
  • Inward mediation, which means learning from each other within the orchestra. For this, each musician takes a leadership role in educating their colleagues through a workshop or a seminar on a topic relevant to the orchestra.  

The outcome of both different mediations helps inform artistic decisions of the ensemble.  


3. Pay equality doesn’t equal pay equity, but it’s a good starting point
At Stegreif, all musicians are paid equally. This worked well for a while, but as some orchestra members had children, “equal” pay didn’t respond to disparities in living situations. For example, when the orchestra goes on tour, who pays for childcare for those who require it? Everything can be discussed at Stegreif. So now, on tour, the orchestra pays for the accommodation and flight of a babysitter but not the babysitter fees. They encourage the musicians to bring a family member to take care of the kids.  

For staff salaries, the board of directors (comprised of 5 musicians) decides how much the staff is paid.  

4. Collective leadership is not about one leadership style: It’s about knowing when to use which leadership style
Every musician of Stegreif knows exactly what the 5 leadership models are: Democratic, participative, autocratic, charismatic, and natural (competence-based). By educating all musicians on these leadership models, they understand exactly what strategies are employed when, why they are used, and how to be better followers when a certain leadership style is in use. For example: the musicians are co-creating a new work in a democratic style but conversations take longer than expected, the show is the next day, and executive decisions must be made quickly – the musicians know exactly how to react to this and how to help one another, whether leading or following, to ensure the show is ready on time.  

5. The magic ingredient: Having fun together!
The Stegreif team radiates a unique pride in their pertinence, belonging and making a difference for each musician in this orchestra. The trust that has been built over the years among the musicians and their sense of ownership of their orchestra makes it more than a job: it is family and friends. Oftentimes after rehearsal, the musicians will stay to jam together and have fun. One of the topics that came up throughout C:N was how to keep orchestra musicians engaged and inspired throughout their career, and Stegreif is certainly on to something through their leadership model!  

You can learn more about Stegreif on their website.

You can see videos of what a Stegreif concert experience is like here. 

And What if Orchestras were Owned by Musicians?  

Photo: Boran Zaza

The other conference session that focused heavily on leadership models was titled A Vision for the Symphony Orchestra: Transformative Leadership and Collective Innovation in Orchestral Music. Panelists included Simon Webb, Head of Orchestras and Choirs at BBC and Fiona Stevens, CEO of Concerto Köln. The panel was chaired by Karsten Witt, Managing Director of Karsten Witt Musik Management GmbH.  

In London, UK, the four main orchestras (Royal Philharmonic, London Symphony, London Philharmonic and Philharmonia) are owned and governed by the musicians. Simon Webb talked about how he, a seventh cellist, found himself in a leadership role as someone on the board without any prior leadership experience.  

Fiona Stevens used to be an extra at the Concerto Köln. She changed her career during the pandemic when the job of CEO at that orchestra opened.  She’s currently doing an MBA in Arts Innovation at the Global Leaders program to address the gaps in training that did not necessarily prepare her for a leadership position.  

Those are two instances of musicians finding themselves in leadership roles with many responsibilities without having formal training or preparation for handling them. Both examples here are thriving, but it took them a lot of courage, time, and hard work. This raises the question: How can we better prepare musicians for leadership roles for which their musical training did not prepare them?  

Some of the main discussion points of this panel included the following: 

  1. If musicians are involved in leadership, they should have access to the training and resources needed to be good leaders. Leadership training is not part of musical training, despite the fact that musicians are likely to find themselves in a leadership role, one way or another, at some point in their careers.  
  2. What are musicians in orchestras and ensembles learning from their organizations, and what are their organizations learning from them? Orchestras have long prized compliance and efficiency in the rehearsal and delivery of concerts for the public. But what if we prioritized experimentation and learning – by musicians, by staff, by volunteers – instead?    
  3. Orchestras should open up to communities and stay relevant to them. How do orchestras develop talent within the community? Every orchestra and choir must support learning by the people they serve, so they can participate more deeply in the art form.  How orchestras partner with universities, nurseries, and schools is very important to how they stay relevant in their communities.  

Additional Reading Resources:

In my next blog post, I will cover environmental sustainability in orchestras. In the meantime, to get a taste of the Classical:NEXT experience in video format, check out the Instagram stories I posted while in Berlin!  

A beer brewery turned into a cultural hub in Berlin. Photo: Boran Zaza

 

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Logo, Canada Council for the Arts logo

4 Tips to Use a Digital Audition Platform for Your Orchestra

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This photo of double-basses leaning on chairs in a performance space has the text “4 Tips to Use a Digital Audition Platform for Your Orchestra.”By Jerry Tsai*

If you’re an operations director or personnel manager of an orchestra, you know that the digital age has influenced your organization in many ways. In addition to changing the way you connect with audiences and opening up different opportunities for your musicians, the shift to more digital work has also shaped the way your orchestra can conduct auditions. 

Using a virtual live audition format as part of your orchestra’s auditions has a variety of benefits. Online auditions are more accessible, affordable, and flexible for musicians. Plus, they can improve your orchestra’s recruitment process by expanding your reach, while still providing the two-way communication advantage of the traditional audition experience at a much lower cost. 

However, all of this is only possible if you leverage the right software. To help you get started, here are four tips for making the most of a digital audition platform

  1. Find a Platform That Aligns With Your Needs 
  2. Thoroughly Train Your Committee Members to Use the Software 
  3. Create a Detailed Audition Schedule 
  4. Develop a Consistent Communication Cadence 

These strategies are helpful whether you host your auditions in person, online, or as a combination of the two. Also, picking the right software is important in order to help you streamline your recruitment, scheduling, and communication processes. Let’s begin! 

  1. Find a Platform That Aligns With Your Needs

To effectively leverage a digital audition platform, you first need to invest in the correct software for your orchestra. Make a list of all of the features you absolutely need, as well as the ones that aren’t essential but would be nice to have. 

Some features to consider looking for in your digital audition platform include:  

  • Customizable applications that allow you to obtain all of the information you need from each musician who auditions. 
  • Access for multiple reviewers so all of your committee members can input feedback at the same time. 
  • A user-friendly interface, especially for creating your audition schedule. 
  • Integrated rubrics which collect committee members’ feedback in real time.  
  • Robust messaging tools to make both internal and external communications more efficient. 

 Additionally, make sure that the platform you choose aligns with your orchestra’s budget and has integration options with the other software solutions you use regularly to ensure a seamless workflow. 

 

  1. Thoroughly Train Your Committee Members to Use the Software

Having the correct digital audition software for your orchestra will only be effective if your team knows how to use it. Teach each committee member how to

  • Quickly log into the platform 
  • Access and navigate application information and audition schedules 
  • Watch pre-recorded audition video submissions 
  • Fill out and save rubrics 

Make sure that the digital audition software you choose has an exceptional customer support track record in case any of your team members need help completing these activities. The digital audition platform’s customer support team should guide you through the process of launching your software and provide feedback grounded in extensive experience of working with arts organizations like yours. 

  1. Create a Detailed Audition Schedule

One of the biggest challenges with hosting orchestra auditions is scheduling, especially when you’re working in a virtual or hybrid format. That’s why it’s especially important to leverage your digital audition platform’s scheduling features to their fullest potential.  

According to Acceptd, one of the most essential audition scheduler features you should look for is the ability to seamlessly use it in conjunction with other essential audition tools. Once you approve a musician’s application, you should be able to move them straight to the audition schedule. Through the schedule, committee members should have direct access to the video chat link for a virtual live audition and the corresponding rubric as well. 

On the applicant side, each musician should be able to view the audition schedule and have access to their video chat link in advance so they know when and where to join the audition. If they can’t make the audition time you set for them, make sure they can easily let you know (but not change the schedule without your knowledge) so you can reschedule them. 

  1. Develop a Consistent Communication Cadence

As stated previously, regular communication is a critical part of hosting orchestra auditions. This is true both within your organization to ensure your entire team is on the same page and externally to keep auditioning musicians in the loop about where they are in the process.
 

In addition to sharing a clear schedule and video chat links with everyone involved, utilize your digital audition platform’s automated communication tools to: 

  • Promote your orchestra’s audition opportunities to potential candidates. 
  • Notify applicants when their submissions have been received and reviewed. 
  • Let committee members know if they have outstanding musicians to review. 
  • Tell musicians when to expect a decision and what that decision is when your team has come to it.
     

It’s also important for both parties to be able to send ad hoc messages through your software, whether the content of each message is related to the audition process itself or is simply about a technical question that needs to be addressed. Effective communication creates a more positive audition experience for musicians and committee members alike by promoting transparency and ensuring everyone has the latest information about your auditions. 

The performing arts world is constantly evolving, and your orchestra needs to grow and change along with it. Taking your audition management process—if not your auditions themselves as well—into the digital space will help you do just that. And by using a platform that is tailored to the needs of orchestras and similar performing arts organizations, you’ll maximize your ability to streamline your process. 

 

*Jerry Tsai is the President of Acceptd, a Togetherwork company that is the premier recruitment, application, and audition platform for the arts. He is passionate about serving the arts community and loves that art is a way to wind down and enjoy all that life has to offer.

Janna Sailor Wins the Betty Webster Award 2023

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Vancouver, Canada (27/9/2023) – Conductor Janna Sailor is the winner of the Orchestras Canada Betty Webster Award for 2023.

🎥 Watch the Award Announcement on YouTube!

Janna Sailor was nominated by the Allegra Chamber Orchestra, one of the few all- female orchestras in the world. The award celebrates Janna’s innovative approaches to developing programs and audiences, her quest for equity and representation at every level of the orchestra, her commitment to championing Indigenous artists and creators, and her efforts to build community through music and social justice.

The Betty Webster Award was established in 2002 to honour Mrs. Elizabath Webster, C.M. (1925-2018), Orchestras Canada’s founding Executive Director. Past winners include distinguished musicians, volunteers, educators, ensembles, and arts managers: a tribute to Mrs. Webster’s inclusive vision for Canadian orchestras. In 2023, the jury focused on the calibre and impact of the nominees’ contributions to innovation of one or more Canadian orchestras.

Janna Sailor is a conductor and violinist pursuing a diverse career delving into contemporary, world, early music, jazz and improvisation, chamber music and interdisciplinary projects with dancers, visual artists and electronics. She regularly conducts major Canadian orchestras, including Symphony Nova Scotia, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and Saskatoon Symphony. She has also performed with Vancouver Symphony, Victoria Opera, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and many more. Moreover, she has built a number of arts based social initiatives, including instructing disadvantaged youth on Vancouver’s downtown Eastside, fundraising and outreach activities for immigrants, establishing music therapy programs, and founding of the Allegra Chamber Orchestra: an all-female professional ensemble, which regularly commissions, mentors and premiers works by Canadian, female and minority composers.

In response to receiving the award, Janna Sailor said:

“I am deeply grateful and humbled to be selected as the recipient of the 2023 Betty Webster Award, and to Orchestras Canada for their inspired and important efforts in supporting Canadian orchestras, propelling our industry forward as we work together as a community; striving for inclusivity, creativity, and reconciliation.

I am in awe of the accomplishments of the Betty Webster’s past award recipients, and am honoured to be in their company – I will strive to live up to the amazing contributions they have made to the orchestral scene.

To stand on the podium in front of an orchestra is a privilege and beautiful responsibility – and one that I could never take for granted, working together with my fellow artists to make the world a better place through music brings me indescribable joy. I continue to explore and learn alongside my ensembles and those I am privileged to work with, and am deeply grateful that this award will facilitate future exploration and collaboration.”

The award includes a plaque and a donation to an orchestra or a group of the winner’s choosing. Ms. Sailor has asked that this year’s donation be directed to Allegra Chamber Orchestra.

The national jury was chaired by OC board member and Symphony 21 Artistic Director, Jaelem Bhate, and included T. Patrick Carrabré (Composer, Director, UBC School of Music and Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Orchestras Canada Board member); Jim Tranquilla (Executive Director, Tutta Musica Orchestra & Director of Community Engagement, New Brunswick Youth Orchestra); Marie-France Mathieu (Conductor; Orchestre Philharmonique de la Relève du Québec); and Katelin Coleman (Artistic Director, Artemis Musicians’ Society.).

Speaking about the Award, jury chair Jaelem Bhate noted, “Janna is a remarkable artist and advocate whose generous spirit and devotion to the betterment of the community through music is inspiring. We were unanimous in our appreciation for her accomplishments and creativity with the Allegra Chamber Orchestra. Her positive impact on the artists and audiences she interacts with was clear from her nomination letters, and I am thrilled that she is this year’s Betty Webster Award winner.”

Circular Portrait of KatherineOC’s Executive Director, Katherine Carleton commented, “Janna Sailor’s vision of a world in which classically-trained musicians can unite their social beliefs with their artistic skills is both compelling and inspiring. I suspect that Betty Webster herself would highly approve!”

 

 

🎥 Watch the Award Announcement on YouTube!

10 Insights: What do Performing Arts Audiences Want Now?

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On June 22nd, Orchestras Canada, in partnership with CAPACOA and the Association for Opera in Canada, presented a free webinar on the latest trends and research on ticket-buying behavior of performing arts patrons. Eric Nelson from TRG Arts presented research on the recovery of the performing arts post pandemic, and Zander Kyba from AudienceView presented and analyzed ticket buyer research collected by their team.  

We’ve put together 10 insights we learned from their presentation that will help orchestras boost their bottom line, five from Eric & TRG Arts and five from Zander & AudienceView.  

 

10 Insights: What do Performing Arts Audiences Want Now?  

 

Insights from Eric and TRG Arts 

1.We need to compete with the couch

Eric shared that in order to compete with the comfort of home, organizations should lean into the intrinsic value of gathering together and the elevated experience. Audiences are looking for experiences that are immersive, gamified, diverse and/or with technology everywhere.  

2. Donations are decreasing 

When we compare quarter 4 of 2022 and quarter 1 of 2023 to the same quarters in 2019, some very interesting insights into revenue recovery post pandemic are revealed. To begin with, we can see that revenue is down 5%, but units are only down 17%. This indicates that, while attendance is down to events, those who do attend are spending more than they did pre-pandemic. Donation revenue tells a different story. Donations are down 38% in revenue and 24% in units, meaning that there are fewer people donating and those who do are donating less than before. To address this, Eric recommends speaking to donors and investigating what is holding them back from donating at the same level as before. Later we will explore other strategies to bring back donors.  

3. Take a closer look at patron loyalty

What is RFMG? TRG Arts offers this anagram to analyze the commitment and loyalty of patrons:  

  • Recency: Are they engaging in some way every year? 
  • Frequency: Do they engage frequently during the same season? 
  • Monetary: How does their financial investment compare? 
  • Growth: Can we count on their investment/activity to be consistent (or grow) every season? 

These are the metrics we should be assessing when looking at loyalty programs and targeted marketing. 

4. New Customers are coming, but they aren’t staying!

TRG Arts divides patrons into segments that cover the wide spectrum of loyalty within an organization’s database. They describe 3 levels of engagement and further segments them below; acquisition, current customer, and re-engaged: 

Acquisition 

  • New Customer: Had not transacted previously. 

Current Customer 

  • Once before: Transacted once before within the past 18 months. 
  • Convertee: Transacted twice before and at least once within the past 18 months. 
  • Active: Transacted 3-9 times in their history and at least once in the past 18 months  
  • Super Active: Transacted 10+ times in their history and at least once in the past 18 months  

Re-Engaged  

  • Stale: last attendance, prior to the most recent purchase, was 18-36 months ago  
  • Lapsed: last attendance, prior to the most recent purchase, was 3 years or more ago

From these segments, TRG Arts has collected data that shows significant participation from New Customers but that loses momentum from Once Before and Convertee patrons. This tells us that the churn rate of consumers is higher than ever before and that organizations need to be taking extra measures to drive retention from new patrons.  

5. Gen X and Millennials are participating more! 

Finally, Eric presented data divided by generations and taken exclusively from orchestras within the dataset. TRG Arts found that Gen X and Millennial participation has grown post pandemic while older generation participation has declined. Yet, Baby Boomers are still the largest donors within the data set. Millennial contributions have grown but Gen X has remained stagnant. Eric pointed out that Gen X patrons should be nearing the peak of their earning potential and thus should be larger philanthropists. He recommends organizations reach out to this demographic and make a targeted effort to engage them.  

 

Insights from Zander and AudienceView 

6. 41% of patrons are attending fewer events than they did pre-pandemic 

Zander began his section of the webinar by revealing that, according to AudienceView’s data, most patrons are attending the same or more performances than they did pre-pandemic. Yet, there remains 41% of patrons who are attending fewer events than they did in 2019. So how do we get these folks back?  

AudienceView’s data revealed that 63% of patrons said that ticket sales and discounts would compel them to attend more events followed by new shows and content being brought to the venue. The 3rd most popular option was subscriptions and packages with flexibility and value.  

7. Patrons are looking for elevated experiences 

AudienceView’s data also revealed that audiences are looking for full and elevated experiences when they attend events, with 4 of 5 reporting that they prefer to pair event attendance with another experience. Patrons are looking to make a full afternoon or evening of their event experience by pairing a meal or drink with their experience. Zander suggests that organizations appeal to this by partnering with food and drink venues to offer packages or reservations along with ticket purchases.

8. Box office and phone purchasing are on the rise 

AudienceView reports that while most patrons this year continue to prefer to buy tickets online, 20% of patrons reported that they preferred to make purchases using the box office in person or via phone call. This is of interest as last year’s data showed that only 13% of patrons preferred in person or phone call purchases, showing a significant increase.  

Additionally, Zander pointed out that when asked why they abandoned purchases, 39% of patrons reported that they found that added online fees were unexpected and too high. For this reason, he suggested that organizations should notify patrons from the beginning of the purchase journey that these fees exist or working them into ticket prices, so they seem less shocking to consumers.  

9. Make donation opportunities available along the patron journey  

AudienceView’s data suggests that patrons are welcome to donate during multiple stages of their purchase journey. Patrons reported a smattering of responses when asked. The top two answers were online separate from the ticket buying process, and in person at the event separate from the ticket buying process. This is followed by online during the ticket buying process. What this suggests is that organizations should be providing opportunities to donate in multiple locations across the patron journey to address all preferences. 

10. Patrons want exclusivity in exchange for their donations 

So, how do we persuade patrons to donate when we ask them? AudienceView’s data suggests a few strategies, most of which provide a sense of exclusivity. Top examples include early access to purchase event tickets, tax deductions and access to exclusive donor only events. The data also shows that patrons are most likely to donate to public fundraisers hosted by venues and associations that share specific goals. People want to know where their money is going, so Zander recommends making that clear in fundraising communications. 

 

We would like to offer a final thank you to Eric and Zander for sharing their insight and expertise on this topic! Additionally, thank you to our co-presenters CAPACOA and the Association for Opera in Canada. If you would like to learn more about what Eric and Zander shared or review the recording and slide deck from their presentations, check out https://oc.ca/en/resource/performing-arts-recovery/.  

Meet the SOCAN Foundation – Learn about their Programs

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On June 20th Orchestras Canada welcomed Julien Boumard Coallier, Grants Manager at the SOCAN Foundation to present a webinar on the offerings of the SOCAN Foundation with a focus on the Work Commissioning Assistance Grant. Julian provided important and digestible insights into the application process and eligibility for these funding opportunities to help our members get the most out of the SOCAN Foundation offerings.  

 

Meet the SOCAN Foundation 

The SOCAN Foundation’s mission is to foster, sustain and promote the creation of Canadian music. They strive to expand an environment where Canadian music and its creation are encouraged and to ensure the public has an enhanced understanding of the value of music. What sets the SOCAN Foundation apart from other organizations is that they offer programming that specifically funds and empowers Canadian composers.  

 

Grants Offered by the SOCAN Foundation for Individuals  

Julien first presented the grants available to individual creators, music producers and composers. These included:  

  • Professional Development Assistance Program   
    • This grant is available to individuals who are looking to fund participation in professional development programs and opportunities. Examples of opportunities include lessons, workshops or conferences and these activities can be self-directed! This grant is available every two years and to be eligible candidates must have received two royalty payments each year for the past three calendar years.  
    • Deadline: Ongoing 
  • Travel Assistance Program   
    • This grant is available to individuals who are traveling to career building or defining events and activities and require financial assistance to do so. You may not be receiving compensation to qualify for this grant and the activity or event cannot be self-directed. Examples of eligible opportunities include showcases, awards presentations and workshops. 
    • Deadline: Ongoing, reviewed four times per year. 
  • SOCAN Foundation Career Development Grant 
    • This grant is temporarily suspended.  

 

Grants Offered by the SOCAN Foundation for Organizations 

Next Julien described the granting opportunities available to organizations, including:  

  • Canadian Music Assistance 
    • This grant provided financial assistance to organizations producing music presentations, education activities and publication activities that highlight and present Canadian compositions and composers. Funding can range from $1,000-$3,000 and will be received after the submission of final reports  
    • Deadline: September 15th, 2023 
  • Annual operations assistance 
    • This grant is awarded by invitation to organizations with a proven history with the SOCAN Foundation and within the Canadian music industry. Currently the foundation funds nine organizations within this program who are typically large organizations with large memberships.   

 

The Work Commissioning Assistance Grant  

The final grant Julien presented was the Work Commissioning Assistance Grant which is available to both individuals and organizations. This grant funds the commissioning of Canadian composers in that the SOCAN Foundation will match funds paid by organization between $1,000 to $3,000 to compensate composers for their work. While larger budgets can include Federal, Provincial or Municipal funding, the funds paid by organizations must come exclusively from the private sector. Composers commissioned must be SOCAN members and will receive granted funds directly. Organizations may apply annually for this grant, but composers may only participate once every two years.  

Within the application candidates must include performance dates, and an agreement between organization and composer that includes the following:  

  • The SOCAN writer member(s) retains copyright of the commissioned work; 
  • The projected commissioning fee; 
  • The projected date (month, year) of completion of the work; 
  • The projected date (month, year) of first public performance; 
  • The funding being matched by the SOCAN Foundation is not derived from public funding; 
  • The applicant will inform the SOCAN Foundation of delivery of the completed work that includes the commissioned work’s SOCAN Identification number; 
  • The acknowledgment that the Work Commissioning Assistance Grant will be paid directly by the SOCAN Foundation to the SOCAN member(s) being commissioned. 

Candidates may only submit once per deadline and will receive funds after submitting their final reports. The next deadline for this grant is September 15th, 2023.  

 

Additional Awards and Programs  

Awards: 

  • TD Indigenous Songwriter Award 
    • An award of $10,000 given to a songwriter of Indigenous decent. Songwriters may submit one original work before the deadline as well as a brief biography and photo.  
    • Deadline: October 15th, 2023 
  • SiriusXM Black Canadian Music Award 
    • An award given in partnership with SiriusXM to celebrate Black Canadian music creators. Works submitted can be from any genre and must be the original creation of the candidate. Up to five awards of $10,000 are granted to finalists. Submissions must include a brief biography and photo. 
    • Deadline: July 31st, 2023 
  • Bandzoogle Her Music Award 
    • An award given sponsored by Bandzoogle in celebration of female-identifying Canadian musicians. There are two winners per year who receive a grand prize of up to $5,000. Submissions may be from any genre of music.  
    • Deadline: October 15th, 2023 
  • SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Composers 
    • An award that recognizes Canadian composers 30 years of age and under in five catagories. Four prizes will be awarded in each category; first prize of $3,000, second prize of $2,250, third prize of $1,500, the Young Composers prize to applicants 21 and under of $1,500 and a potential Grand Prize of $5,000.  
    • Categories: The Large Ensemble Awards, The Chamber Ensemble Awards, The Solo and Duet Awards, The Electroacoustic Awards, and The Choral Awards 
    • Deadline: July 15th, 2023 
  • SOCAN Foundation Awards for Emerging Screen Composers  
    • An award that recognizes Canadian screen composers 30 years of age and under in four categories. Two prizes will be awarded in each category; first prize of $3,000, second prize of $2,250 and a potential Grand Prize of $5,000. 
    • Categories: Best Original Theme (opening or closing), Best Original Score — Fiction, Best Original Score — Animated, and Best Original Score — Non-Fiction 
    • Deadline: June 1st, 2023 
  • SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Canadian Songwriters  
    • An award given in partnership with SiriusXM to celebrate emerging Canadian songwriters. Submissions must be original music from a genre of popular music written by songwriters aged 21 and younger. Five prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to finalists.  
    • Deadline: July 31st, 2023 

 

Programs: 

  • Screen Music Laboratory for Emerging Composers 
    • This program has recently been renamed the SOCAN Foundation/NYOC Emerging Composers’ Mentorship Program. Three recipients of the SOCAN Foundation Award for Young Composers in the Large Ensemble category are selected to participate in the program and are invited to attend an NYOC rehearsal of their original work.  
  • Equity X Production Mentorship Program  
    • This program is available in both French and English to individuals who identify as minority genders who are looking to learn more about music production with Logic or Ableton.  
  • TD Incubator for Creative Entrepreneurship 
    • The program provides emerging and independent music creators with a $3,000 kickstarter grant, workshops for professional development and mentorship from an industry professional. The program’s goals are to provide the tools to make music creators see what they’re doing as a business venture and able to manage their career.  

 

We would like to offer one final thank you to Julien for coming to speak with us on this topic! It was so wonderful to learn about all the excellent programs offered by the SOCAN Foundation, specifically how the Work Commissioning Assistance Grant can empower collaborations between Canadian orchestras and composers. To learn more and any of these programs please check out the slide deck and recording of our session at https://oc.ca/en/resource/meet-the-socan-foundation-learn-about-their-programs/ or on the SOCAN Foundation website at https://www.socanfoundation.ca/ . 

 

Lessons learned: Live Multi-Camera Directing in Classical Music – Part II

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By Boran Zaza, Director of Communications & Development at Orchestras Canada and content creator for classical musicians.

If you haven’t read Part I of this blog post series, I recommend you do so before proceeding! 

One of the most important lessons I learned from attending the Live Multi-Camera Directing in Classical Music workshop in Sweden last April, was that preparation is the most important part of the process. The better you know your score, orchestra, conductor, concert hall, camera setup and production team, the better you’ll be set for successful live coverage of the concert. Of course, it was impossible for us, the 16 participants from around the world, to plan all that without ever having been to Gothenburg or its famous concert hall. Thus, we took our preparation process virtual, on the world wide web!  

Preparing for Live Multi-Camera Directing  

Before landing in Gothenburg, Sweden, we attended an online workshop on how to prepare for Live Multi-Camera Directing in classical music. Each participant was assigned a piece of music to direct live in Gothenburg – either during the dress rehearsal, or during a concert of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. I was assigned “Sur le même accord” by Henri Dutilleux: A beautiful work for solo Violin and Orchestra, which I later got to direct live, with the fabulous Barbara Hannigan conducting, and John Storgårds on the violin.  

Along with the piece assignment, we were given a camera layout sketch, showing us where the 9 cameras to which we would have access would be placed on the day of the concert.  

Camera layouts example

The Magic of Presets 

So, now we knew what piece of music we’d be directing, we knew where the cameras would be placed — but an essential piece of information was yet to come: The presets for each camera. As a director, you’d normally have to plan these yourself. But since we were 16 directors with no prior access to the concert hall and the cameras, those presets were done for us in advance by the IMZ Academy team. 

So what’s a preset anyway? In modern-day multi-camera directing, a camera operator on stage is no longer needed: they can control the camera from afar. As a director, you can plan all the shots and closeups in advance so your camera operators can access them with the click of a button (rather than manually trying to move the camera to the right position and zoom in manually)! Want a close-up on the 2nd row of the 1st violins? Camera 3 Preset 6! A timpani solo is about to start? Camera 1 preset 30!  

Often cameras can have many presets. At the concert hall in Sweden, each one of the 9 cameras had anywhere between 25 and 50 presets.  

Me (left) with 3 camera operators. We see the initial presets of the 9 cameras on the screen.

Scripting the Score  

With the score, camera angles and a description of each preset, we had all the information needed to start scripting the score that we were going to direct! Our approach differed from the conventional, where one might have a score reader calling which instrument has a solo coming up and direct in a “go with the flow” manner. Scripting the score meant that as a director, I had to listen to the work many times and then make informed (and artistic!) decisions on which camera, and which preset should be used in which measure — all while being aware of the impact my choice of shots would have on the listeners. As a beginner, It took me around 18 hours of work to script my score for a work that was 10 minutes long. A professional director would script 10-15 minutes of orchestral scores per day.  

Example of my scripted score

 

Score Scripting Tips and Tricks 

I learned some of these tips the easy way, and some the hard way… Here they are:  

1- Make sure your marking is clear, and write a description of the shot 

Use a pencil and a ruler to mark your score, or use your iPad if you are at ease with it! Always write a description of the shot you are supposed to see, so that you know you have the right thing on the screen on the day of the concert.  

2- Pace your script to have enough time between different shots; Even switching presets takes time 

I learned this tip the hard way: I approached the score from a video editor’s point of view, and as someone who usually edits videos after the fact, I wrote a script that had too many camera angles and switched between too many presets too quickly, especially toward the end of the piece where the tension was rising (and to me, that had to translate into more camera angles). It led to us having to drop quite a few shots during the live event… we almost all had a meltdown trying to catch up with the script! Yikes! Live and learn. 

3- Don’t default to a wide shot when there’s a lot going on in the orchestra 

Oftentimes, the most interesting and intense shots come from capturing the little details in the orchestra. So even if you see in the score that everyone is playing and it’s fortissimo, don’t just go for a far shot — rather, find an interesting detail from an expressive musician in the orchestra.  

4- A “Conductor Sandwich” is always a safe bet 

This is especially true if you have a particularly charismatic conductor (and I had THE Barbara Hannigan). You can always get away with having a stable shot of the conductor, switching to something else, coming back to the conductor, switching, coming back to the conductor… you get the idea! 

5- Don’t spend too much time on a big close up 

Imagine someone standing very close to your face and talking to you, for 2 minutes! That’s a lot of time for someone to be that close to you. Same concept with multi-camera directing! Don’t stay too long on a close-up without starting to zoom out! I remember I had a close-up on the violinist for very long during a slow section of Sur le même accord, and that felt… uncomfortable to those watching!  

6- Percussion is always a good idea! 

You can never get too many shots of the percussionists, and they really liven up the video! Don’t hesitate to script more shots of them (and make sure you are getting the RIGHT percussion instrument in the shot!).  

 

Stay tuned for the next blog post, in which I will reflect on the experience of live multi-camera directing of an Orchestra performance, and talk about what our friends from the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra (who travelled all the way to Sweden with me) have been up to!  

I documented the whole trip on Instagram stories as well! You can check them out here. 

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. 

Canada council for the arts logo

Katia Makdissi-Warren Wins the Betty Webster Award 2022

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Montréal, Canada (September 22nd, 2022) – Orchestras Canada (OC) presented the 2022 Betty Webster Award to Katia Makdissi-Warren, composer and Artistic Director of Oktoecho, at its Annual General Meeting, to celebrate her longstanding contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion in the Canadian music community. Watch the award winner announcement video here.

The Betty Webster Award was established in 2002 to honour Orchestras Canada’s founding Executive Director. Past winners include distinguished musicians, volunteers, educators, ensembles, and arts managers: a tribute to Mrs. Webster’s inclusive vision for Canadian orchestras. In 2022, the jury focused on the caliber and impact of the nominees’ contributions to inclusion of one or more Canadian orchestras.
Innovative Composer 
Headshot of Katia Makdissi-WarrenKatia Makdissi-Warren is an innovative composer who has gained attention on the national and international scene with a unique style that combines Middle-Eastern, Western and Indigenous music. In 2001, she founded Oktoécho, an ensemble specializing in this unique fusion, and regularly composes for the group as well as serving as artistic director.

Her fusion aesthetic leads her to work regularly with the Indigenous, Arab and Jewish communities. Along with her ensemble, she has won several prizes, including the 2019 OPUS prize for best album of the year and the Conseil des Arts de Montréal prize for Diversity and Inclusion in 2020.

In 2019-2020, during her year-long tribute to the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec, Katia composed several works for chamber orchestra, including gamelan, Sufi chant, Indigenous chant and others.

Katia Makdissi-Warren studied composition in Quebec City and Hamburg, and then Arab and Syriac music in Beirut with Ennio Morricone, Franco Donatoni, Manfred Stahnke, P. Louis Hage and Michel Longtin. Her works have been performed by such groups as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the National Oriental Orchestra of Beirut, I Musici de Montréal, Les Violons du Roy, l’Ensemble contemporain de Montréal (ECM+), the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra and the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra.

“I am deeply honored by this award, which I dedicate to those around me, the wonderful artists and administrative teams I work with, and the listening public. Through music, you allow me every day to connect a little more with the greatness of humanity. Thanks to you, I can find myself in the depths of my own culture and thus find myself connected to all cultures. Thank you also to the entire Betty Webster Award team,” says the winner.

The award includes a plaque and a donation to an orchestra or a group of the recipient’s choice. Ms. Makdissi-Warren requested that this year’s donation be made to the Inuit girls drumming group, which currently consists of six girls aged 10-14. The Inuit girls drumming group has performed in their community for Elders, in support of residential school survivors, at teachings, at vigils and in long-term care homes. They include audiences in their performances, sharing drums and basic teaching with them.

Jury’s choice 
The national jury was chaired by OC board member and Music Nova Scotia’s Executive Director, Allegra Swanson, and included Allison Migeon (Co-founder and Executive Director, Ensemble Obiora), D’Arcy Gray (Community Engagement Manager, Symphony Nova Scotia), Jaelem Bhate (Artistic Director, Symphony 21; Orchestras Canada Board member); plus last year’s laureate Linda Penner (President, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra).
OC’s Executive Director, Katherine Carleton C.M., commented, “Katia Makdissi-Warren’s leadership and creativity provide such an inspiring perspective on what an instrumental ensemble can embody. As an observer of the jury’s process, I can attest to the high caliber of nominations for the Betty Webster Award this year. It has been especially exciting to witness our sector’s embrace of inclusion as a guiding principle, and the creativity, respect and collaborative spirit that artists and administrators have brought to this urgent and necessary work.”

* Credit for Katia’s headshot: Jérôme Bertrand and Geneviève Bigué-SMCQ

Lessons learned: Live Multi-Camera Directing in Classical Music – Part I

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By Boran Zaza, Director of Communications & Development at Orchestras Canada and content creator for classical musicians.

The Setting

In April 2022, thanks to generous funding from the Canada Council for the Arts through the Supporting Artistic Practice program, I had the unique opportunity of attending a workshop that was the first of its kind in the world: Live Multi-Camera Directing in Classical Music, focused on Orchestras. The workshop was organized by the IMZ Academy and hosted by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in their beautiful Konserthuset (concert hall) in Sweden.

“I was in a convention last year with other classical music directors. I looked at my peers, and realized we all had white hair!”, reflected Peter Maniura, Director of the IMZ Academy, and an award-winning TV producer and director. “We had to do something about it, we had to train a new generation of multi-camera directors who know classical music.” This is how the idea of this workshop came to be!

Photo of the IMZ Academy Brochure, along with Boran's badge showing her name and title.

The Participants

16 participants from around the globe came together in the beautiful city of Gothenburg, Sweden from April 26-28 to attend this workshop. Canada was well-represented: I was there, along with 2 colleagues from the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra! More on that later. Other participants came from the BBC Philharmonic, Latvian Television, the Lithuanian National Television, the Swedish Television as well as music learning institutions that record and/or stream their concerts such as the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague and Bruckner University among others.

A photo of a smiling group of people, showing all the participants at the IMZ academy.
(c) Francis Löfvenholm

Gothenburg and Digital Concerts

Why Gothenburg? The city is significant as it is home to Sweden’s national symphony orchestra, which has been creating digital concerts for over a decade and owns state-of-the-art equipment for audio and video! It all started back when the renowned Gustavo Dudamel was the GSO’s Principal Conductor: when he led his farewell concert in 2012, many of the patrons couldn’t get a ticket as the concert was sold-out. This is how the idea to digitize the orchestra’s concerts came. “Taxpayers support our orchestra. Not all of them live in Gothenburg, and many live in remote places and can’t access our concerts. We had to find a way to make our music accessible to them.” said Sten Cranner, General Manager & Artistic Director of GSO.

A photo of the inside of a concert hall, showing the stage and audience seats
Inside the GSO’s Konserthuset

The Gear

To provide the best possible coverage and digital concert experience for their patrons attending from outside the concert hall, the GSO uses ten Panasonic AW-UE150 4K PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras, another AK-UB300 4K box camera, two sliders and two Polecam Autopods, which give vertical and lateral movements within shots. Two camera operators control all these cameras remotely, so there are no camera operators physically on stage. This is fantastic for classical music as having a camera operator moving on stage can be disturbing for both the musicians and the audience. The director, score reader, sound engineer and camera operators all work together in the control room, from which the concert is both streamed live and recorded simultaneously, allowing for editing for the final version that lives on the website and mobile app, GSOplay. Those digital concerts are regularly followed by over 150,000 monthly listeners (and those numbers skyrocketed during the pandemic). Check this video to learn more:

A photo of a PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) camera
One of the GSO’s PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras

Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts, where I share the process of preparing for the workshop, as well as my top learnings and tips for a successful live multi-camera broadcast of a classical concert! 

I documented the whole trip on Instagram stories as well! You can check them out here. 

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. 

Canada council for the arts logo

Reflections on SphinxConnect: Forging Alliances

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From January 27-29, 2022 the Orchestras Canada team had the pleasure of attending the SphinxConnect: Forging Alliances conference. The annual convening, held virtually this year, brought together a stellar lineup of presenters across the North American arts ecosystem (musicians, administrators, board members, funders, and more) to discuss diversity in classical music – including fellow Canadian and Orchestras Canada’s own board member, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser. The conference culminated in the annual Sphinx Competition for young Black and Latinx string players – another virtual adaptation for this year, but with no loss of talent and creativity.

In the blog post below, OC staff share a few of our reflections on themes that emerged – however, we encourage you to learn from the thoughtful presenters directly as you are able. The recordings of the conference presentations are all generously made available for free in a playlist on the Sphinx Organization’s YouTube channel! 

About the Sphinx Organization 

The Sphinx Organization is a US-based “social justice organization dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts,” founded by American violinist and music educator Aaron Dworkin. It began its work in 1997 as the Sphinx Competition for young Black and Latinx string players. The competition continues to this day, but Sphinx has since evolved a robust suite of programming focused on fostering excellence and increasing representation of Black and Latinx classical artists – including education, performance, commissioning of new works, and leadership development opportunities for Black and Latinx artists and arts workers. 

Conference reflections 

1- Human potential and innovation 

A theme that arose repeatedly in the sessions that OC staff attended is the human potential and innovation that is possible for orchestras, if we are willing to embrace its full spectrum. The conference program covered so many areas of opportunity for orchestras – from governance, to artistic programming, to music education and community engagement and beyond. There is so much talent – both in emerging artists and arts workers, as well as existing expertise in folks already working in the art form – that we can engage with and learn from.  

As Achia Floyd put it in the “Rising LEADers” session: don’t think within a frame of what we are losing by diversifying classical music, but instead what we are gaining… the opportunities for developing the talent and art form you already have in your organization, and how we can grow through better, more innovative and inclusive collaboration. 

2- An ongoing tension for orchestras: Upholding tradition vs. Responding to today’s realities 

A quote that stands out in particular to OC staff is “Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but maintaining the fire,” shared by Enrique Márquez in the Rising LEADers session. WOW! How can (and will) orchestras’ art, our capacity to gather people to enjoy music together, serve our neighbours in 2022 and beyond?  

For the last couple of centuries, orchestras have been (by and large) in the business of tradition – particularly Eurocentric tradition, at the expense of racialized artists, workers, and patrons. While there is much beauty in the music we have played through centuries, presenters across SphinxConnect sessions rightly point out that the continued survival and elevation of classical music in the 21st century depends on a keener attention to the needs and ambitions of the communities in which we presently live – especially those that our Eurocentric traditions have excluded.  

Not only is drawing from a broader palette of talent (in the work played, in those playing it, and in those “keeping the lights on” behind the scenes) the right thing to do from an anti-racist + being good humans and art-makers point of view, it enriches an orchestra’s work and is essential to the perception of our continued relevance and value. For example, one panelist pointed out that millennials expect diversity when they enter arts spaces – if your orchestra is not reflecting the communities you serve, you risk being passed over by your audiences of present and future. 

Jazmín Morales, host of the “Where the Wild Things Are” panel, emphasized that to be “wild” and thus responsive to the “wild times” in which we live means to think freely about what is possible and not get stuck in procedure and habit. And as the “Higher Registers: Evolving Artistic Excellence” panel pointed out, the pandemic has broken many habits (e.g. rigid artistic planning cycles, length of concerts) — how can we continue to evolve with and respond to our turbulent times? 

3- Sustaining and continuing to build on positive change 

In his closing keynote, Weston Sprott stated that he had seen more progress on diversity and inclusion in classical music in the last two years than he had seen prior to that in his entire lifetime – however, “the jury is still out” on how long the work lasts… as such, “It’s on us to keep the pressure to ensure that all this progress is not temporary”. 

Presenters also emphasized that lasting change in the diversity of our art forms is key – and part of ensuring lasting change is (as David Stull put it) by “altering the DNA” of arts institutions, structurally inserting and creating mechanisms that require change to continue, such as multi-year ongoing programs that commit to diverse artists’ advancement over the long term – not just the present moment.  

Multiple conference presenters advocated for a broad scope for diversity work in each organization: it cannot be siloed on one committee or in one role. Presenters emphasized the importance of aligning values at all levels of decision-making (including board, executive leadership, and funders) – but also noted that change can happen in any team or role. For example, in “Learning to Disrupt ‘the White Racial Frame’ in an Industry Rooted In It” marketing and communications staff reflected on how they had applied anti-racism in their daily work at Minnesota Orchestra, sharing examples of racist vs. anti-racist language. 

4- Last but never least… the music! A chat with 2022 Sphinx Competition judge, Juan-Miguel Hernandez 

Headshot of Juan-Miguel HernandezJuan-Miguel Hernandez, a Montréal-born violist with a distinguished international performance career, is no stranger to the Sphinx Competition. In a mid-February phone conversation with Boran Zaza (OC Communications and Development Director) Hernandez credited his top prize in the Senior Division at the 2006 Sphinx Competition as an important “kickstart” for his success as a classical musician:  

“I had it in me, but I needed them to say, okay, we’ll give you what you need to kickstart the career. […] It’s the whole being in the right place at the right time. Sphinx makes sure you’re in the right place at the right time.” 

When discussing the 2022 competition, for which Hernandez was one of several judges, he emphasized that each young performer arrives with outstanding technical skills – to decide on the top prizes, Hernandez boils judges’ expectations “down to an incredible artistry in a way of doing music. […] And we were incredibly impressed with the level of artistry that we saw.” Given the virtual format of the 2022 competition, judges cast their votes individually after the performances to decide on competition winners (as opposed to gathering in person to reach a decision). Despite the change in format, for Hernandez “this year I have to say I was very, very happy with the end result.” 

Congratulations to the 2022 Sphinx Competition Winners! 

Senior Division 

  • First Place Laureate & winner of the Robert Frederick Smith Prize ($50,000): Kebra-Seyoun Charles, double bass 
  • Second Place ($20,000) : Gabriela Lara, violin 
  • Third Place ($10,000): Harper Randolph, viola 
  • Audience Choice ($5,000): Gabriela Lara, violin 

Junior Division  

  • First Place Laureate ($10,000): Jonathan Okseniuk, violin 
  • Second Place ($5,000) : Brandon Leonard, cello 
  • Third Place ($3,000): Ana Isabella España, violin 
  • Audience Choice ($1,000): Brandon Leonard, cello 

Links to resources 

The full recording of the 2022 Sphinx Competition can be viewed here. 

Recordings of all SphinxConnect conference sessions: YouTube

Notes on conference sessions attended by OC staff here.