Craig Watson, director of the California Arts Council, wrote a feature for the magazine Western City about how cities increase economic activity through innovation and the arts. The essay contains many wonderful ideas and is highly recommended reading for all ACSO members.

Like thousands of other nonprofits in the arts, education, and human services, and other community organizations, most of America's orchestras are classified as 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. If it were not for this provision and the deductibility of private donations, orchestras and many other charitable organizations, would be unable to serve community needs. Urge Congress to support reinstatement of the IRA Charitable Rollover and increase support for America's nonprofit community.

Please visit the League of American Orchestras' website to sign the petition.

Classics Alive Artists presents violinist Lindsay Deutsch in an all expense paid residency program for the 2014-2015 season. Activities will include discussions, coachings, and masterclasses culminating in a recital and/or solo performance with Lindsay Deutsch. 

 

The Classics Alive Residency Program is designed to provide meaningful musical experiences to young musicians. Two youth orchestras will be selected for the 2014-15 season. All U.S. Youth Orchestras are eligible to submit an application. This past year's winner was the Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra!

 

Application deadline is June 15, 2014. Decisions will be made in July, 2014. Residency recipients will be notified by email.

 

Fill out the online Application Form.

The Ojai Music Festival was listed as one of NPR's Can't-Miss Classical Music Festivals. The Festival's 2014 music director is pianist Jeremy Denk.

The Pacific Symphony welcomes amateur musicians to join them in a performance of excerpts from Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique as part of its fourth OC Can You Play With Us? program. The program has openings for 180 community musicians to perform onstage during four sessions over two nights with conductor Carl St.Clair. 

The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra received a $1 million gift from the Waverley Fund to name its conductor's podium. It is the largest gift in its 33-year history.

The San Bernardino Symphony performed in late-March at the LEAD Summit at Cal State San Bernardino. Their concert was the first of three special performances created through a series of community conversations and was funded by the James Irvine Foundation. The event was televised to 150 universities and news outlets in 37 countries. 

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music announced major plans to bolster the Conservatory as a major force in music education. The plans include a string quartet residency program and a new residence hall which is already backed by $17 million in pledges. 

The San Luis Obispo Symphony welcomes applicants to its Summer String Workshop to join a distinguished faculty for a week of intensive string study combined with recreational and social activities in a gorgeous coastal location.

The Westmont College Choir and Chamber Singers will tour 

The Las Vegas Philharmonic has named Donato Cabrera its new music director. Mr. Cabrera is currently resident conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and music director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, California Symphony, Green Bay Symphony, and New Hampshire Music Festival. 

Jeffrey Kahane will step down as the music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season. Mr. Kahane will have been with the Orchestra for 20 years.

Tara Kayton has been named executive director of the Bear Valley Music Festival in Northern California. Ms. Kayton has previously worked with Marin Theatre Company in the Bay Area, Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, and the New Haven Symphony in Connecticut.

The San Francisco Symphony has named Edwin Outwater as its first director of summer concerts. For the next two seasons Mr. Outwater will assume creative leadership of the Symphony's Summer and the Symphony concerts. He is music director of Ontario's Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and regularly guest conducts the Chicago and New World Symphonies. 

The Oakland Youth Orchestra has named Omid Zoufonoun its new principal conductor beginning next season. Mr. Zoufonoun has an established relationship with the Orchestra, having worked with it as both a conductor and a composer. He also teaches at the Oakland School for the Arts.

If you haven't done so already, please read ACSO News Spring 2014 for the latest news and ideas circulating throughout our industry. 

Errata: The picture of Dr. Jindong Cai in Up and Down the Scale was accidentally replaced at the time of printing with a duplicate photo of another person. We apologize for the mistake.

Dr. Cai was named the ninth director of the El Camino Youth Symphony. He is currently music director at Stanford University and has previously held positions at the University of Arizona, UC Berkeley, and the Cincinnati Symphony. 

ACSO board members Kelly Ruggirello, Alan Mason, and Debbie Chinn pose in front of the governor's office in Sacramento at the May 5th board meeting.

ACSO president Kelly Ruggirello and vice president Paul Jan Zdunek blow out imaginary candles on their birthday cake.