The first few years in a leadership role can be rewarding and challenging, exhilarating and frustrating, all at once. Depending on one’s prior experience, there may be a lot to learn about how orchestras operate and about how to do a particular job well. Many orchestras are faced with rapid turnover, resulting in little or no institutional memory and with no one else in the organization that fully understands the job and can serve as a mentor.
Mentoring Circles are designed to fill that gap, bringing those at similar points in their career trajectory together with a highly experienced field-based professional. Each Mentoring Circle meets once a month for six months, via conference call and or web conferencing (90-minute sessions). Content is flexible, confidential, and dynamic – driven by the group. One mentoring circle with a maximum of eight members is selected from each pool of applicants.
Mentoring Circles bring together orchestra staff and trustees who share experiences around topics of common concern, providing counsel and leadership, and those who need guidance. Together they create a network of people who can continue to provide information and support to one another over time.
If you are selected, the participation fee is $275, payable to the League in advance of the first session. Individuals and their orchestras will be informed about acceptance shortly after the application deadline.
Current Mentoring Circles:
For more details email Allison Ball at
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Mentoring Circles are made possible by grants from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Hearst Foundation, Inc., the Argosy Foundation, and The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.