Your Network, Voice and Forum for Classical Music in the West
Fall Membership Drive
Building a thriving community takes passion, 
energy and commitment.

ACSO is a focused and dynamic cohort of emerging leaders, trustees, arts professionals, musicians, conductors, artist managers, donors, and patrons. We work to support you.
And just like NPR, it's our fall membership drive time!
 
Membership in ACSO Delivers:
  • Networking and Inspiration: channels to communicate and collaborate with peers, professionals and experts.
  • Professional Development and Education: regional annual conference, convenings, consultants for your organization, and mentoring for you and your staff focusing on the shifts, trends, and movement in culture and community.
  • Advocacy and Resources: a voice to your concerns and issues, and the resources to solve them.
Click the button to renew your organization or individual membership or join today!
Advocacy 

 

Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 189, a measure empowering the California Arts Council to designate areas as cultural districts. The districts will be approved by the Council through a competitive application process, and will provide technical and promotional support as well as cross-agency collaboration. We'll keep you updated!

 

Despite strong opposition from the nonprofit community, SB 549 also was signed, which would selectively expand charitable raffles and let professional sports teams and their foundations play by different rules than the rest of us.  However, the provisions are not permanent and will expire in 3 years, giving us time to propose a fairer system.


 

From our partners at the League of American Orchestras:

  • Calls for progress and clarity in new ivory rules
  • IRA Rollover status still uncertain
  • Federal Gov't averts shutdown
  • Education Act re-write awaits action

           Read More.
Funding

 
The California Arts Council will invest $8.6 million in a total of ten competitive grant programs serving a variety of California's communities through engagement, creative expression and cultural experiences. Read More.
Up and Down the Scale

Jaime Bennett is the new staff president of the Ojai Music Festival beginning October 19. Bennet holds an MBA from Harvard University and a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. He has served on the Public Television Advisory Board at the Annenberg School at USC, and on the boards of the National Environmental Trust in Washington, DC, Northfield Mount Hermon School in MA, St, Nicholas Theater in Chicago, and Marlborough School in Los Angeles, among others. 



The California Symphony and Musicians Union Local 6 have announced the ratification of anew, three-year musicians' contract. California Symphony music Director Donato Cabrera has also signed a new three-year contract with the orchestra. Both agreements are retroactive to August 1, 2015, and run through July 31, 2018.
Read More.

Matthew Spivey is the San Francisco Symphony's new director of artistic planning. Spivey, who had been with the Baltimore Symphony since 2010 has held positions as vice president and general manager and vice president of artistic operations. Spivey previously held positions with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.  He studied clarinet at the New England Conservatory of Music before earning an Executive MBA at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Kely 3


Kelly Ruggirello, executive director of the Long Beach Symphony, named a city commissioner to be the QueenMary Land Development Task Force by Mayor Robert Garcia. The Task Force is comprised of representatives from downtown neighborhoods as well as experts in tourism and hospitality, architecture and design, economic development and historic preservation. 


Frequent ACSO guest speaker Brian Taylor Goldstein, has been named to the list of 2015 New York Metro "Super Lawyers" in the field of entertainment for a second consecutive year. He is a partner at the law firm of
GG Arts Law and a managing director of the project and artist management agency, Goldstein Guilliams International. His practice concentrates on issues including copyright and licensing, arts and artist management, contracts, business formation and practices, and immigration issues of foreign artists. 
Music Notes

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra received a new grant from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts Innovation and Management Program. Through the two-year initiative, Bloomberg Philanthropies is providing $30 million across 262 small and mid-sized cultural institutions across the country. LACO will use the grant to expand strategic fund raising efforts and enhance the artistic excellence and community programs for which it is recognized.  The grant will enable the Orchestra to bolster audience engagement and capacity building in anticipation of its 50th anniversary and beyond.


The Los Angeles Philharmonic recently awarded Andrew Hewitt and Bill Silva the LA Phil's Distinguished Service Award - which recognizes the recipient's involvement, support and service to the Philharmonic and its community. The two gentlemen formed Andy Hewitt & Bill Silva Presents to produce pop and rock concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. 

Sacramento Philharmonic introduces Tweet Seats- a new initiative that brings the reach of social media to the art of classical music. The first live tweeting will take place October 17 when 18-year-old violinist Simone Porter plays the 
Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1.
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ACSO Out and About
New North State music director Scott Seaton with Board President Richard Macias
ELECTRIC! Full house at San Luis Obispo Symphony opening night, October 3

Debbie Chinn and Aubrey Bergauer at an ACSO Board dinner
Kris Sinclair with Keith Herritt and North State Symphony patron
Association of California Symphony Orchestras
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