Your Network, Voice and Forum for Classical Music in the West

At this time of Thanksgiving we pause to count our blessings.

The freedom of this great country in which we live.

The friendship and confidence you have shown in us.

For all of these things we are deeply thankful.

Wishing all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

the ACSO Board and Staff

Maximize Year-End Giving

Now in its fourth year, #Giving Tuesday has really gained traction in our organizations. Use the growing social media movement to compliment your year-end appeals. The #GivingTuesday website has all kinds of tools and tips, including a couple of webinars this week.

According to Charity Navigator, nearly 40% of all charitable gifts come during the giving season. Here are a few tips from the Chronicle of Philanthropy to maximize your year-end giving.

ACSO Career Center

Post a job or browse our listings for your next dream job.

Organization members may post listings for free, and you must be an ACSO member to browse listings.

Click here for the most recent listings.

Check out these great job application tips from our colleagues at the League of American Orchestras.

Got a question? Drop us an email at office@acso.org. We're happy to assist!

Time to Renew Your ACSO Membership!

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!

Read The Latest ACSO News

Save the Date

The California Arts Council will celebrate 40 years this year. The celebratory event will take place January 27th, 2016 at the Crest Theater in Sacramento.

Join First Forty! This unique opportunity is open to only forty California businesses - join the campaign to put more California Arts Plates on the road and support arts education today. Read More.

Up and Down the Scale

Rachel Fine is the new managing director at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Fine has been serving as a senior consultant to Wallis through the DeVos Institute of Arts Management. Prior to that Ms. Fine was the executive director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra from November 2010 through February 2015.

Sally Galler is the new development associate & IT manager of the

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. Before joining Philharmonia she worked as a freelance sonic artist, creating works for the Riverside Museum in Glasgow and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh.

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra announced the appointment of Myles K. Glancy as production and education manager. Prior to this new positon, Glancy served the American Boychoir for the past two years as tour manager.

The Santa Cruz Symphony has hired Loretta McClellan as its new marketing and communications director to further its brand, public relations, marketing and development initiatives. Formerly director of communications at Arcadia Health Care in San Francisco and marketing director with a San Jose Real Estate Corporation.

Noelle Moss has joined Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra as its director of development. Prior to coming to Philharmonia she served in the development department for Marin Agricultural Land Trust in Point Reyes Station. Noelle complements her fundraising background with experience in event management, having directed major university events at USC and UCLA, as well as overseeing donor events and galas for the Merola Opera Program.

Dianne Provenzano was appointed director of marketing & communications at Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra.Most recently she served as the director of marketing for the Marin Symphony.

Elizabeth Shribman has accepted the position of general manager at the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. Previously she worked in operations and artistic administration for the Czech Philharmonic in Prague. She has also worked as an orchestra manager for the Aspen Summer Music Festival and School and completed a board governance evaluation project for the San Francisco Symphony.

Paul Jan Zdunek, former president and CEO of the Pasadena Symphony and POPS and a former ACSO Board Member, was appointed senior consultant, business transformation, at KGI Advisors. Paul brings over 15 years as a chief restructuring officer and business transformation advisor for companies experiencing business transition or financial distress. Paul's experience includes crisis management, organizational development, branding, international businesses, sales and marketing, as well as strategic and financial management.

Music Notes

Pacific Symphony received a $40,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to support economic revitalization and community development. The award is part of a regional approach to economic stimulation across Orange County as Bank of America provided grants to 12 local nonprofits that play a critical role in connecting low-income people to such resources as affordable housing, financial coaching, neighborhood preservation and arts and culture programs that spur economic growth.

Pacific Symphony has also received a $1.6 million New California Arts Fund grant from The James Irvine Foundation for bridge-building efforts with China, specifically for expanding and diversifying its core listenership. The Symphony has been working behind the scenes to build stronger links with Orange County's Chinese and Chinese-American communities. Some (but not all) of these efforts have been directed at the guest artists and repertoire being brought to the stage.

The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera has announced that they have broken a 10-year subscription record high including a 60% increase in subscriptions since the 2012-2013 season.

The orchestra also announces the "Fortissimo Challenge." Through the generous gift of $100,000 from an anonymous patron, every dollar donated will go toward the match.

Final audited figures confirm that the Santa Rosa Symphony for the twelfth consecutive fiscal year, ending June 30, 2015, finished in the black, realizing a record level of ticket sales and donations contributing to an operating surplus of $104,486 with $4.14 million gross revenues. The completion of the For the Love of Music Transformation Campaign helped raise the endowment to exceed $10 million for the first time and brought total assets to a record level of $15,673,000.

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