Note from ACSO: The author of this blog, Leslie Schlussel, is ACSO's Summer 2018 Conference and Membership Intern and her internship is supported by a grant from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. She is entering her senior year at UCLA, majoring in Music Performance with a minor in Music Industry. She aspires to be a professional horn player in a symphony orchestra as well as work in arts administration.

What is my role as a classical musician in today’s world? In what ways can I help protect orchestral music’s integrity and further its efforts to address audiences’ evolving needs and expectations?

Sharing the latest developments and changes in the professional lives of our members. This edition covers announcements made spring and summer of 2018.

Individuals

The Santa Rosa Symphony has announced four new appointments to its board of directors. They are Marty Behr, Betty Ferris, and Jacki Reinhardt of Santa Rosa, and Andrew Lewis of San Francisco. 

Earlier this year CalNonprofits told us about Assembly Bill 2252, to create a searchable database of state grants —from all state agencies— on a single portal accessible to the public.

The bill also would enable nonprofits to submit state funding applications electronically. AB 2252 is sponsored by CalNonprofits and authored by Assemblymember Monique Limón, who is also Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on the Nonprofit Sector.

ACSO welcomes two new board members and elects new officers for 2018/2019. New board members include Steve Friedlander, executive director of the Carmel Bach Festival and Scott Vandrick, chief development officer, Pasadena Symphony Association.

Steve Friedlander is the executive director of the Carmel Bach Festival and was previously the Managing Director of Artistic Operations of the Grand Teton Music Festival with responsibility for the administration of the music program, musician housing, facilities, and education and outreach. Mr. Friedlander joined GTMF as Stage Manager for the 2011 summer season and joined the full-time staff in November 2011 as Director of Artistic Operations. During the 2012 summer season Mr. Friedlander served as Acting Executive Director and Director of Artistic Operations.

The Association of California Symphony Orchestras (ACSO) announced today that the San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory is the recipient of the 2018 Kris Sinclair Leadership Award for its Community Opus Project, a music education program for elementary students.

This award is named after Kris Sinclair who was the executive director of the ACSO for 31 years and is given to an ACSO Organizational Member that demonstrates recent and measurable leadership initiatives by its staff and/or board in one or more of the following areas: finance, governance, staff development, audience development, education, or community engagement.

It is an honor and pleasure to officially welcome you to the 2018 Annual Conference – the first of many events leading up to our 50th Anniversary celebration next year. Look for special programs and activities to take place over the next twelve months as we celebrate this milestone.

We applaud our members from across the state and region for the work you do in your communities, and we are especially grateful that you made the journey to Sacramento to help us kick-off ACSO’s year-long anniversary celebration.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018.  Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $15,000 to the Association of California Symphony Orchestras (ACSO).

“The variety and quality of these projects speaks to the wealth of creativity and diversity in our country,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Through the work of organizations such as the Association of California Symphony Orchestras, NEA funding invests in local communities, helping people celebrate the arts wherever they are.”

The California Arts Council announced its plans to award $25,500 to ACSO as part of its Statewide and Regional Networks program. The Statewide and Regional Networks program is rooted in the California Arts Council’s commitment to supporting arts service organizations reflective of California’s diverse populations. The program provides general operating grants for arts service organization networks with regional or statewide reach. Arts service organizations serve as networks to provide specialized, practical services for artists, arts organizations, and cultural communities.

ACSO is one of 43 grantees chosen for the Statewide and Regional Networks program. The award was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council.