MEDIA ALERT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Mark Beutler (405) 232-7575

July 20, 2023

League’s Flagship Professional Development Program Will Take Place in

New York City at Juilliard’s Lincoln Center Campus

 

Oklahoma City— Oklahoma City Philharmonic Executive Director Brent Hart is among an international cohort of 36 orchestra and arts professionals selected to participate in Essentials of Orchestra Management, the League of American Orchestras’ premier leadership development program. The ten-day program, running from July 26-August 4, 2023 is presented in collaboration with Juilliard Extension and will take place in New York at Juilliard’s Lincoln Center Campus.

 

“Creating pathways for future leaders is central to the League’s work,” said League of American Orchestras President and CEO Simon Woods. “But Essentials is so much more than just a learning environment — it’s a place of highly creative thinking where the leaders of today and the future can tackle together some of the challenges and opportunities orchestras are facing. And when we add in the great faculty and Juilliard’s inspiring location, we’re guaranteed to get some really thought-provoking conversations.”

 

“Music plays an important role in everyday life,” Hart said. “It has a way of reaching deep inside, connecting us with our feelings and emotions, and enhancing every situation. Attending Essentials of Orchestra Management will help me learn and grow in my new role as Executive Director—gaining valuable insights. It will help me grow as an individual, and lead the organization, its team and its musicians to new heights.”

 

America’s flagship program for early- and mid-career orchestra and arts professionals, Essentials of Orchestra Management offers a pathway to future leadership and career success; since its inception in 2000, over 550 individuals have participated in the program. Now in its 23rd year, Essentials connects, inspires, and challenges tomorrow’s leaders, providing them the knowledge they need to enhance their careers.

 

Topics will include artistic planning and artistic leadership; development, finance, and strategic planning; equity, diversity, and inclusion; education, community engagement, and community and youth programs; human resources and organizational culture; leadership and governance; advocacy, marketing, and communications; orchestra operations; and negotiations. The program also includes concerts of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and a tour of David Geffen Hall, as well as peer discussions and mentoring opportunities.

 

This year’s seminar is taught and directed by a faculty comprised of expert leaders of the orchestra field and beyond, including:

 

Core Faculty:

Scott Faulkner (Faculty Director) Principal Bassist, Reno Philharmonic and Reno Chamber Orchestra; Former Executive Director, Reno Chamber Orchestra; Director, League Alumni Network

Jennifer Barlament, Executive Director, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Alex Laing, Executive Director, Gateways Music Festival; Principal Clarinetist, The Phoenix Symphony

 

League Leadership:

Simon Woods, President and CEO

Caen Thomason-Redus, VP, Inclusion and Learning

David Styers, Director, Learning and Leadership Programs

 

Juilliard Leadership:

John-Morgan Bush, Dean of Juilliard Extension, Juilliard

 

Guest Faculty:

Lisa Brown Alexander, President and CEO, Nonprofit HR

Marlah Bonner, VP of Development, League of American Orchestras

Michelle Miller Burns, CEO, The Minnesota Orchestra

Lee Bynum, Board Chair, The Dream Unfinished: An Activist Orchestra; Chief Education Officer, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Rosina Cannizzaro, Executive Director, Vermont Youth Orchestra Association

Patrick Castillo, VP Artistic Planning, New York Philharmonic

JoAnn Falletta, Music Director, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

Marc Geelhoed, Executive Producer of Live from Orchestra Hall, Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Clive Gillinson, Executive and Artistic Director, Carnegie Hall

Gary Ginstling, Executive Director, New York Philharmonic

Doug Hagerman, Board Chair, League of American Orchestras

Jonathon Heyward, Music Director Designate, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Sarah Johnson, Chief Education Officer, Carnegie Hall

Joe Kluger, Principal, WolfBrown

John McCann, Founder and President, Partners in Performance

Anwar Nasir, Executive Director, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Melissa Ngan, President and CEO, American Composers Orchestra

Kim Noltemy, CEO, Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Heather Noonan, VP, Advocacy, League of American Orchestras

Gary Padmore, VP, Education and Community Engagement, New York Philharmonic

Doris Parent, Chief Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Strategies (IDEAS) Officer, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc.

Faith Raiguel, Former CFO, LA Opera; Board Member: Idyllwild Arts, Silk Road, Street Symphony

Bill Thomas, Performing Arts Executive, New York Philharmonic

Michelle Zwi, Operations and Touring Manager, The Philadelphia Orchestra; Executive Director, Penn Med Symphony Orchestra

 

The 2023 Essentials of Orchestra Management cohort is comprised of professionals working at American, Canadian, and Danish orchestras, conservatories, and arts organizations, as well as career-changers interested in exploring orchestra management positions.

 

Participants include:

 

Rebin Ali – Assistant Manager for Corporate Relations, The Kennedy Center

Kathryn Banks – Assistant Manager, Orchestra Operations, National Symphony Orchestra / The Kennedy Center                

Erica Binder – Board Director, Symphony 21 (Vancouver, Canada)

Sinisa Ciric – Director of Artistic Operations/Concertmaster Emeritus, Savannah Philharmonic

Erin Codey – Executive Director, Johnstown Symphony Orchestra                

Matthew Creek – Pops and Presentations Coordinator, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

Megan Delatour – Orchestra Director, Talent Unlimited High School; Artistic Planner, Interschool Orchestras at Third Street (New York City)

Tanya Elia – Executive Director, Central Oregon Symphony

Peter Eliopoulos – Managing Partner, Helios Innovation Group, EXL; Board Secretary, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra                        

Sophia Ennocenti – Program Administrator, Historical Performance, Music Division, Juilliard

Elizabeth Graiser – Manager of Operations and ASYO, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Lorin Green – Seattle Arts Fellow (Education and Community Engagement), Seattle Symphony

Brent Hart – Executive Director, Oklahoma City Philharmonic                        

Julia Hosch – Cultural Programs Manager, City of Dallas, Office of Arts & Culture

Christopher Hotchkiss – Schedule and Administrative Coordinator, Juilliard

Thea Humphries – Horn Fellow, New World Symphony (Miami); Founder, AudienSync                 

David Kiser – Executive Director, Greenville County Youth Orchestras                     

Alan Lambert – CEO, Fargo Moorhead Symphony Orchestra                        

Sara Beth Lane – Artistic & Education Coordinator, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

Marquise Lindsey-Bradley – Marketing Manager, Artcinia; Creative Program Coordinator, Olney Culture Lab

Daniela Nardi – Interim Executive Director, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir (Toronto, Canada)                            

Amanda Norman – VP, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer, Winston-Salem Symphony

Erin Paradis – Interim Executive Director, Boise Philharmonic Association              

Anna Amy Philips – (Former) Project Manager, Copenhagen Philharmonic (Denmark)

Olivia Rainoff – Orchestra Manager, Curtis Institute of Music                          

CeCe Salinas – Senior Manager, Marketing and Patron Loyalty, California Symphony Katie Salvatore – Development Officer, Houston Symphony

Brian Shaw – General Manager, Queer Urban Orchestra (New York City) 

Nick Sico – Vice President of Productions, Columbus Symphony Orchestra

Matthew Stiens – Operations Manager, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Kelly Swindell – Executive Director, Western Piedmont Symphony

Brent Taghap – Marketing Assistant, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras; Student Mentor, Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative

Brandon Thomas – Heinz Hall Coordinator, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Catherine Vivo – Chief Operating Officer, Street Symphony (Los Angeles)              

Pamela Wardell – Executive Director, Ocala Symphony Orchestra

Andrew Wickesberg – Viola, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra       

 

Hashtag: #Essentials2023

 

Essentials of Orchestra Management is made possible by grants from Trish & Rick Bryan, 25th Century Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

About the Oklahoma City Philharmonic

The Oklahoma Philharmonic Society, Inc. exists to provide inspiration and joy for the community through orchestral music.

OKCPHIL’s vision is to enrich the lives of those they touch, to enhance the cultural life of the community, to educate future generations about the value of music, to entertain our audiences, to elevate the quality of every performance, and to serve as a leader for positive community growth through the performance of excellent symphonic music, and to cooperate with other arts agencies for the betterment of the community.

About the League of American Orchestras

The League of American Orchestras leads, supports, and champions America’s orchestras and the vitality of the music they perform. Its diverse membership of more than 2,000 organizations and individuals across North America runs the gamut from world-renowned orchestras to community groups, from summer festivals to student and youth ensembles, from conservatories to libraries, from businesses serving orchestras to individuals who love symphonic music. The only national organization dedicated solely to the orchestral experience, the League is a nexus of knowledge and innovation, advocacy, and leadership advancement. Its conferences and events, award-winning Symphony magazine, website, and other publications inform people around the world about orchestral activity and developments. Founded in 1942 and chartered by Congress in 1962, the League links a national network of thousands of instrumentalists, conductors, managers and administrators, board members, volunteers, and business partners. Visit americanorchestras.org.

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