Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Archives - Orchestras Canada/Orchestres Canada

Reflections on SphinxConnect: Forging Alliances

Posted on February 24, 2022

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

Juan-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.

Storytelling’s Superpower: Artistic Responses to the Climate Crisis

Posted on July 14, 2021

On June 2nd, Soulpepper Theatre Company, Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT), and Artists for Real Climate Action (ARCA) hosted “The Green Sessions: A Day of Learning”. OC staff attended and were blown away! As we explore and contextualize the implications of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for Canadian orchestras under OC’s 2021-2024 strategic framework, this afternoon of learning offered insights into a key question: What could our artistic responses to the climate crisis accomplish?

The Green Sessions: A Day of Learning comprised plenary sessions with renowned speakers as well as anumber of breakout sessions to explore specific aspects of the climate emergency in detail. Presenters included Melina Laboucan-Massimo, the Hon. Steven Guilbeault, Jesse Wente, Seth Klein, Annamie Paul, Dale Marshall, Kendra Falconi, David Maggs, Carolynne Crawley, Alanna Mitchell, Toby Heaps, Matt Millares, Gabrielle Bastien, Batul Gulamhusein and Emma Stenning.

Below, you’ll find a few key takeaways:

Indigenous Worldviews at the Forefront

The day began with a heartfelt presentation from Melina Laboucan-Massimo (founder of Sacred Earth Solar and co-founder of Indigenous Climate Action). Melina’s home community is Lubicon Lake Cree First Nation in Little Buffalo, Alberta – situated in the heart of the Boreal Forest and the Alberta oil sands. Melina emphasized the power of Indigenous worldviews to address the climate crisis by valuing reciprocity with mother Earth as well as collective care structures and governance. Melina also reflected on the impact of intergenerational trauma on First Nations people brought on by environmental racism (such as an oil spill in Melina’s home community), residential schools, and centuries of colonialism. For Indigenous peoples in Canada, cultural and environmental genocide are connected, as continued destruction of the land or removal of Indigenous peoples from their lands also contributes to the destruction of Indigenous ways of life. In our fight for climate justice, it is imperative to acknowledge the strength of Indigenous worldviews to inform paths forward as well as pain, exhaustion and trauma Indigenous communities face amidst settler colonialism. Orchestras Canada stands in solidarity with the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people on the frontlines of the fight for environmental justice.

Watch Melina’s keynote, “Indigenous Issues and the Climate Emergency,” here

Storytelling’s Superpower: Inspiring Action and Change

In his keynote, The Hon. Steven Guilbeault (Minister of Canadian Heritage) drew from his experience working in environmental activism prior to joining the House of Commons. He mused on the limitations of climate communication focusing on dreadful statistics or doom, expressing his belief in the connection between the arts and a new wave of more effective climate communication focused on instilling hope to inspire action.

In his keynote, Jesse Wente (Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts) emphasized the power of art to “liberate our imaginations” to envision better futures than what capitalism and colonialism currently offer, socially and environmentally. Further, he argued that storytelling is “crisis resistant” — as artists, we have the power to reframe and raise the profile of the climate emergency, within and beyond our sector, starting any time. We can use art to communicate and vivify our current emergency and our futures; to mobilize communities and inspire new thinking about our present and future relationships with the Earth. For example, through partnerships with scientists and environmental organizations, The Only Animal uses theatre to foster a “love story” between audiences and the natural world.

Watch Minister Guilbeault’s keynote, “The Climate Emergency and Politics,” here

Watch Jesse’s keynote, “The Climate Emergency and Culture,” here

Rallying Around The Emergency

Author Seth Klein’s keynote presentation distilled the arguments from his recent book, A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency, connecting the lessons from large-scale mobilization around the Second World War to our present-day climate crisis. Every great mobilization needs the arts! For example, looking back to World War II, artists played a critical role in helping to sell war bonds, creating paintings of the front lines, and producing relevant music. It was an era when art and hope met to motivate people amidst an incredible challenge.

Seth argues that prior to going into “emergency mode” to address a crisis, societies usually experience a denial period (you may be familiar with this challenge in the climate sense…). According to Seth, the four markers of when a government has upgraded its efforts to emergency mode are:

Spending whatever it takes to “win”
Creating new institutions to get it done
Turning voluntary/incentive-based policies into mandatory measures
Telling the truth to communicate the sense of emergency

As of yet, no Canadian political party meets all four markers regarding the climate emergency. Take the COVID-19 pandemic for comparison; these 4 markers were hit very quickly in Canada! The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) estimates that the government spends $5 billion a year on the climate emergency, and $5 billion a week on the COVID-19 pandemic. We saw extraordinary spending to protect our population against the threat of COVID-19, which (Seth argues) demonstrates that these funds have always been available for emergencies — they just haven’t been allocated to issues like climate change. With the majority of Canadian leaders not acting as if climate change is an emergency, our greenhouse gas emission levels are not reducing at the rate needed to meet the crisis looming. Currently, all measures are voluntary and, thus, easy to ignore.

Watch Seth’s keynote, “The Climate Emergency and the Artists,” here

Artists Leading

Personal contributions matter, but if we want significant changes, we need the government to act. As multiple speakers noted, we have 11 years to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions enough to avoid catastrophic climate change. Annamie Paul (Leader of the Green Party of Canada) reminded attendees that Canada ranks among the top five countries in the world for greenhouse gas emissions per capita, with the worst reduction records among the G7. Since signing the Paris agreement in 2016, our emissions have actually increased every year – not declined. If we want to reduce emissions by 60% by 2030, Annamie argues that we need carbon budgets and big changes. By and large, the public recognizes the scale of our emergency – but why don’t our political leaders? How can we motivate them, or increase the number of people in politics willing to act on the climate crisis? Annamie encouraged artists to run for politics, to take up seats at the table with our voices advocating for climate action and the vitality of our sector.

Watch Annamie’s keynote, “Climate Action and Policy,” here

The Green Sessions: A Day of Learning was inspiring and shed light on how artists and arts organizations can engage our skills to champion change together. Stay tuned to Soulpepper Theatre for news on upcoming Green Sessions: A Day of Training and A Day of Action which are scheduled for late August/early September (exact dates TBC). You can reach Soulpepper Theatre at [email protected] and can view all recordings from The Green Sessions in this YouTube playlist: The Green Sessions: Day of Learning recordings

Helpful Resources to Learn About Racial Inequity in the Arts and Non-Profit Sector

Posted on July 21, 2020February 17, 2021

In late May, the deaths of George Floyd in the United States and Regis Korchinski-Paquet in Canada, each at the hands of the police, provoked an international movement condemning anti-Black racism and police brutality. In the months since, Canadian police have also killed Chantel Moore, Rodney Levi, and Ejaz Choudry, reinforcing the calls for action to address police violence against BIPOC communities in Canada.

There is now a greater sense of urgency in this country in the fight against systemic racism. These issues extend beyond just law enforcement; white supremacy and systemic inequities are prevalent in all industries, including the arts and orchestras. Many people have taken to writing about the arts and non-profit sectors to explain these inequities and provide insights to what long-term change could look like.

Reading list compiled by Nina Jeftic, Equity Coordinator, Orchestras Canada (summer 2020)

We Must Breathe – Why it is important to talk about race and racism in the context of classical music by Lukas Krohn-Grimberghe (WQXR), June 2020

In the article “We Must Breathe – Why it is important to talk about race and racism in the context of classical music”, Lukas Krohn-Grimberghe dives into why classical music, an art form often considered to be universal and meant for everyone, benefits from white privilege and is inaccessible to many. While classical music remains overwhelmingly white, Krohn-Grimberghe highlights why conversations about race in the context of classical music are relevant to the ongoing conversations of systemic racism within society.

Time to finally deal with racism and discrimination in Canadian charities, Shanaaz Gokool (Toronto Star), July 2020

Shanaaz Gokool delves into the world of Canadian charities and not-for profits to discuss the discrepancies that occur between their public mandates and private behaviours. Gokool notes that the pandemic continuously shines a bright light on systemic inequities that appear within these organizations, and calls for the sector to act and make changes that will create long lasting change and put an end to these inequities. She discusses major areas that all not-for profit organizations can improve on, from redefining roles within the organization to implementing new management requirements.

Give Us Permanence—Ending Anti-Black Racism in Canada’s Art Institutions, Syrus Marcus Ware, June 2020

In “Give Us Permanence—Ending Anti-Black Racism in Canada’s Art Institutions”, Syrus Marcus Ware writes about Canadian art institutions needing to go beyond their Black Lives Matter statements and acknowledge the inherent racism and white supremacy that has and continues to exist within them. He discusses the important work of Black artists and curators and presents ways to achieve long lasting structural changes within arts organizations, considering both a shift in power dynamics as well as the works showcased.

A Crisis of Whiteness in Canadian Art Museums, Sean O’Neill, June 2020

In his article, Sean O’Neill surveys the boards and senior executive teams of the four largest public art museums in Canada, finding that they are overwhelmingly white. While most of these organizations make efforts to diversify their exhibition programming, O’Neill calls this “outward -facing progress”, as artists and curators are not in charge of making decisions that are be instrumental to seeing systemic change within arts institutions. His article explains why this overwhelmingly white leadership needs to change in order for public art museums to effectively hold themselves accountable and serve their communities.

An Open Letter to Arts Organizations Rampant with White Supremacy, Nana Chinara, May 2020

“An Open Letter to Arts Organizations Rampant with White Supremacy” is a personal account of Black queer femme artist Nana Chinara, who details her recent experiences working in the arts. Chinara discusses an ongoing grant process in which she was mistreated and the lack of accountability from her employers, even after challenging them to take responsibility. Her article highlights that these mistreatments were all choices made by her employers and discusses the numerous ways in which white supremacy affects Black artists in the industry. She provides several suggestions to organizations to uproot the white supremacy ingrained in them.

A Collective Awokening in the Performing Arts, Michael Zarathus-Cook, June 2020

Michael Zarathus-Cook writes about the performing arts world and explains that the idea of diversity alone does not create a safe space for BIPOC artists, the industry needs to begin to foster a culture of inclusivity. He discusses the need for inclusivity in every aspect of the organization in order to create these spaces, not just in works programmed and performers featured, and that inclusivity extends beyond race. Hosted by Against the Grain Theatre, Zarathus-Cook led two panels as a follow-up to his article featuring BIPOC, LGBTQ2S+, and disabled artists where they discuss the need for equity in the performing arts and what changes can be implemented.

A Collective Awokening in the Performing Arts Panel part 1

A Collective Awokening in the Performing Arts Panel part 2

8 Ways People of Color are Tokenized in Nonprofits, Helen Kim Ho, September 2017

In efforts to diversify or be more inclusive, many organizations may try to recruit or highlight their BIPOC staff/work, which often leads to them being tokenized. In her article, Helen Kim Ho discusses why these organizations, who are dedicated to the common good, so frequently have adverse outcomes to their diversity and inclusion initiatives. She reviews 8 ways that people of colour are tokenized within non-profit groups and why each of these is harmful to those individuals affected.

Open Letter to Directors, Executive Directors, and CEOs of Canadian Charities and Non-Profits, Senator Ratna Omidvar, June 2020

In this open letter, Senator Ratna Omidvar reveals that a majority of non-profits in Canada do not collect data on the diversity of their employees and leaders. Collecting this information annually would be a way to hold these organizations accountable as well as see if and how progress is being made. Senator Omidvar claims that when it comes to diversity, “the sector’s spirit is willing, but it’s flesh is weak”, and calls for the non-profit sector to be leaders in the battle against racism through this crisis

Nonprofits and Foundations Are Unintentionally Promoting Racism: Here’s How to Stop, Michele Norris and Sean Gibbons, February 2019

Michele Norris and Sean Gibbons confront the issues of racism in non-profits head on and discuss how these issues are intertwined with the environment we live in (while their focus is on America, these claims ring true in Canada as well). They write about the influence of the sector and why they cause unintended harm. The article goes through an example of this and discusses the steps taken to reduce it. Norris and Gibbons call for honest introspection within the non-profit world as part of the necessary practices that need to be built to combat racism.

Dear White Orchestras, Alexander Laing (Arts Journal), January 2017

When discussing the lack of Black and Brown people orchestras, Alexander Laing claims that the majority of discussions center around a universalist ethic, where it’s assumed that orchestral music is a universal artform. In his articles, he challenges readers and those part of the classical music/orchestral world to move towards a particularist ethic when discussing issues of race, a definition he borrows from author Jennifer Harvey which “recognizes that there is no one shared standard against we might measure or interpret our experiences of race, nor one to which we may all be held similarly accountable.”

Notes on Racism, and White Supremacy In Classical Music, Brandon Keith Brown, May 2020

Conductor Brandon Keith Brown comments on how racism and white supremacy have personally impacted him and his career in “Notes on Racism, and White Supremacy in Classical Music”. He calls for white people to start doing anti-racist work within themselves. Brown believes that classical music belongs to everyone, and states that a “visceral commitment to include Black artists, audience, artist managers and administrators in their business plan” will be essential to the long-term survival of any orchestra.

Can the arts world fight systemic racism in a real way instead of resorting to tokenism?, Zainub Verjee, June 2020

Zainub Verjee provides an overview of the Canadian arts world, citing several examples from across the country of various artistic responses to social movements. She points out that these struggles are “wiped out of the public memory”, and that the motivations behind diversity are business related. Verjee questions whether the current climate will be enough to begin a commitment to fighting systemic racism on an ongoing basis, or if this crisis will join the others as tokenistic responses.

I’m tired., Andrew Adridge, July 2020

Andrew Adridge, a Toronto-based Guyanese-Canadian baritone writes a vulnerable work sharing his perspective as a Black performer in the classical music industry. He asks members of this community to start to speak out and advocate for Black and Indigenous people. While Canada has a multicultural population, Adridge notes that nothing else has been done by us as a country to prove we are a multicultural country.

REMOTE | Andrew Adridge ‘The Way The Industry Is Currently Structured, I Have No Business Hoping To Be In It’, Michael Zatharus-Cook, June 2020

Michael Zarathus-Cook sits down with baritone Andrew Adridge to discuss the current #BlackLivesMatter movement and changes that need to happen in the performing arts community. Adridge states that the lack on accountability being taken in Canada leads to what he calls “Performance Representation”. He envisions “Authentic Representation”, where “an underrepresented person can actualize a path to belonging”. Adridge explains that the classical music industry plays a role in the #BlackLivesMatter movement, which is a problem beyond just law enforcement.

Art is integral to Black Lives Matter: a conversation with Dr. Kristin Moriah, Nathan Gallagher, June 2020

Nathan Gallagher speaks with English professor Dr. Kristin Moriah to discuss the role of art as a catalyst for social change. Focusing on Black Lives Matter- Toronto, Moriah notes that several of their founding members are arts practitioners and that one of their first actions to attract attention was a piece of performance art- when they temporarily stopped Justin Trudeau’s float at the Toronto Pride Parade. She comments that art and literature provide a different element of understanding to people, and that engaging with Black art can help deepen the insights of those who don’t comprehend the Black experience.

Why we need Black and Indigenous leadership at Canada’s top museums now more than ever, Syrus Marcus Ware and Sean O’Neill, June 2020

Syrus Marcus Ware and Sean O’Neill call for urgent change within management in arts organizations. After the recent #BlackOutTuesday campaign, several people have spoken out about the racism they experienced at these organizations. Both Ware and O’Neill advocate for structural change within these organizations to begin to combat the racism imbedded within them. Ware notes that it is only in the moments of unrest that museums choose to engage with Black artists, and thinks that including Black and Indigenous voices in management as well as regularly programmed artists will increase the excellency of the work featured.

A Statement on Racial Inequity from Orchestras Canada

Posted on June 15, 2020February 17, 2021

While Orchestras Canada serves a national network of Canadian orchestras, our office is on the treaty and traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg. We offer gratitude to the First Peoples for their care for, and teachings about, our earth and our relations. We will honour those teachings.

We are grieved by the anti-Black racist events in recent weeks.

We acknowledge that our society is built on, yet critically weakened by, systemic racism.

Orchestras Canada is committed to a more just society for all.

We are committed to sustained and effective action, manifested through our internal practices and our service to orchestras and the music that is shared.

With much to learn, we approach this important work with humility and transparency, guided by colleagues with lived experience. Their guidance is truly a generous gift.

We call on Canadian orchestras to recruit Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Colour in decision-making roles, as board members, lead volunteers, arts workers, and arts leaders.

We call on Canadian orchestras to welcome Black artists, Indigenous artists, and artists of colour to their stages, as conductors, performers, soloists, composers, mentors, and creators.

Until Canadian orchestras are fully welcoming and accessible, Orchestras Canada will encourage orchestras to adopt external strategies and internal practices that will foster an inclusive network of diverse leaders, artists, arts workers, volunteers, and audiences.

At our national conference in 2016, members asked OC to take the lead on commissioning and curating resources to inform Canadian orchestras’ work in inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. Since then, this work has been a focus for us, and has informed our research, knowledge-sharing, and convening practices, along with our nominating and recruitment efforts. The following is a short list of the resources that we’ve developed; more can be found here.

OC Resources

Re-Sounding the Orchestra, a report by Soraya Peerbaye and Dr. Parmela Attariwala on relationships between Canadian orchestras, Indigenous peoples, and people of colour, published in 2019.
IDEA Declaration: a sample commitment for Canadian orchestras, by OC’s Equity Committee, published in 2017.
Perfect Fifth of Diversity, by Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser: five questions your orchestra should answer, published in 2019.
Inclusive Leadership in Governance, by Cathy Winter, formerly of OnBoard Canada, published in 2019:

Other resources that we have found helpful

Programming, from the Institute for Composer Diversity
Organizational responses to the current crisis, from Of/By/For All
Guidelines for Being Strong White Allies, by Paul Kivel, published in 2006.

On Open Youth Orchestras and Inclusive Music-Making

Posted on July 19, 2019July 31, 2019

A letter from Ian Ritchie, guest speaker at OC’s 2019 National Conference to the OC Membership on the Re-sounding the Orchestra report:

Having first participated in conferences organised by your ACO predecessors back in the early 1990s, when I chaired the Association of British Orchestras and ran the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, I was delighted to be invited again to take part in your recent deliberations in Ottawa. In acknowledging not only those heady days of innovation and change in the orchestral landscapes of our respective countries but also these present times of strategic ingenuity and creative effort so evidently at work in many Canadian orchestras, it may seem rather presumptuous of me to offer any suggestions to add to your already well-considered responses to the recent Re-sounding the Orchestra report. But I shall take that risk!

I should like to advocate the possibility of developing socially-inclusive, community-based ‘open’ youth ‘orchestras’, in partnership with established professional orchestras throughout Canada, as a strategic and practical response to the report’s understandably challenging and uncompromising demands, drawing on the Setúbal Youth Ensemble model which I have developed over the past five years through my Music Festival in Portugal. In brief, through an open auditioning process which makes no assumptions of any Eurocentric orchestral structure, the resulting Ensemble has recruited and maintained roughly a quarter of its membership from the aural tradition, reflecting the local population of immigrants from former African and South American colonies of Portugal, another quarter comprising young people with various disabilities and special needs, and approximately half coming via the mainstream of music education – all chosen for their talent. With the instrumentation dependent on the selected young musicians rather than the other way about, there is no standard repertory and therefore all the Ensemble’s music has be specially composed or arranged: this has given unique creative opportunities to a new generation of composers, embracing unusual instrumental combinations (including the use of accessible technology, where appropriate) and inventing special notations to enable the participation of those unable to read the conventional musical language. This Ensemble is Setúbal’s official ‘youth orchestra’.

I believe that it will be important for orchestras to protect the continuation of a positive and manageable evolution rather than to stir up a sudden and potentially damaging revolution, in responding resonantly to the Re-sounding report. The Setúbal model can support this approach, inviting decisive action and encouraging any necessary ‘revolution’ to be driven by the new and emerging generations of collaborative musicians. Such ensembles – which will be young, innovative, adaptable, inclusive and diverse musical communities – are much more likely than established and understandably less flexible adult orchestras to persuade conservatoires and universities to listen and respond to demands for fundamental transformations in their educational and training pathways. These pathways are currently too narrow and poorly signposted for musicians from non-Eurocentric and Indigenous backgrounds to make useful progress; and they are completely blocked for most people with physical disabilities, learning difficulties and other special needs.

To summarise, the adoption of the Setúbal Youth Ensemble model, locally adjusted for each distinct ensemble and community, will not impose standard western classical hierarchies and practices of leadership, instrumentation, repertoire, notation and rehearsal procedures but shall admit various musical genres (reflecting the group’s varied membership), new works, arrangements, improvisation, mutual creativity and adjustable time-frames into the process. Such an approach is not necessarily expensive; it is accessible for young musicians of all backgrounds and can help to address the reported concerns of those seeking equity, especially amongst the Indigenous population; it gives composers and other creative artists a broader palette of opportunities to collaborate; it can advance music as an art-form in itself and more widely on a number of fronts, including its proven but untapped potential in human development, health and well-being. That would be a resounding success!

Ian Ritchie (London, England – July 2019)