New League of American Orchestras Study
Showcases Innovation in Orchestras
Fearless Journeys: Innovation in Five American Orchestras
Examines Promising Pathways toward Change at:
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Memphis Symphony Orchestra
Pacific Symphony
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
[New York] A new League of American Orchestras study showcases innovative developments in orchestra management, programming, and operations and proposes a model for fostering innovation in orchestras. The new publication Fearless Journeys: Innovation in Five American Orchestras presents case studies of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Symphony and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, which represent a wide range of budget sizes, business models, and geographic locations. The five orchestras were selected from a group of 150 orchestras that responded to a League survey on innovation. The publication is made possible by a grant from the MetLife Foundation with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The complete manuscript can be found on the League website.
The major discovery of the study was that all the orchestra initiatives contain six common factors: a committed and resolute leadership, an expansive vision, an open artistic decision making model, coordination by an explicit integrator, a prolific use of partnerships, and a foundation of artistic excellence.
“Orchestras seeking new ways to fulfill their missions in changing environments need more information about how to foster innovative change. The variety of strategies developed by these five orchestras, and the commonalities among them, offer a beginning for exploration,” said Jesse Rosen, President and CEO of the League of American Orchestras. “We hope that Fearless Journeys will encourage all orchestras to reflect on and develop their own capacity for innovation.”
The study defines innovation as activities that address areas integral to an orchestra’s health, solve specific problems, and that can be sustained, replicated, and adapted. Atlanta Symphony leaders restructured the decision making process to create a collaborative organizational culture that impacted every department of the orchestra. The opening of the Walt Disney Concert Hall provided a unique opportunity for the Los Angeles Philharmonic to reach a wider public by spotlighting its commitment to contemporary music and creative interdisciplinary projects. In response to an alarming decline in its audiences and revenue base, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra chose to embrace public citizenship anew by engaging in community partnerships and using musicians’ artistic talents and leadership to serve local needs. Pacific Symphony, in Orange County near Los Angeles, developed new approaches to contextualizing music that are sparking new cultural connections in its decentralized metropolitan community without a strong tradition of Western classical music. With a goal of building its strength as a leading chamber music ensemble, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra changed its leadership model, vesting decision-making power in musicians and replacing the music director with a rotating team of Artistic Partners. All of these initiatives are ongoing and continue to shape the orchestras’ relationships with their communities.
Dr. Lela Tepavac of Fit Leadership, an organizational psychologist experienced in working with leadership assessment and problem solving in Fortune 500 companies, developed the methodology and served as principal researcher for Fearless Journeys: Innovation in Five American Orchestras. The League appointed a steering committee from the field to oversee the project and provide guidance.
League of American Orchestras
The League of American Orchestras leads, encourages, and supports America’s orchestras while communicating the vitality and value of orchestras and the music they perform. The League strives to stimulate the exchange of ideas and practices, promote innovation, and foster unity across the orchestra field. The League delivers meaningful information, learning and leadership opportunities, grass-roots advocacy and other services to its diverse membership, which encompasses nearly 1,000 member symphony, chamber, youth, and collegiate orchestras of all sizes. Founded in 1942 and chartered by Congress in 1962, the League links a national network of thousands of instrumentalists, conductors, managers, board members, volunteers, staff members, and business partners. Visit americanorchestras.org to learn more.
Jayce Keane
Director of Public Relations
Pacific Symphony
3631 S. Harbor Blvd., Suite 100
Santa Ana, CA 92704
www.pacificsymphony.org
