Conferences and Meetings

The League brings together the best minds from in and outside the field to provide practical knowledge, develop effective leadership, relay best practices, provoke debate, and identify emerging trends.

In addition, please visit Learning and Leadership Development, where the League offers a variety of other learning opportunities and resources.

Are there topics that you think the League of American Orchestras should address in its bi-monthly webinars and online Conference, June 7-17, 2021? Presenters who you think would be valuable assets to the work of orchestras? Which issues do you find most interesting, pressing, and important these days? We want your ideas!

Please use this online form to submit a mini-proposal. The deadline and notification dates are rolling, and the process will be highly competitive; only a small number of proposals can be accepted.

         
   

This time we have been living through has made extraordinary demands on our members, as both orchestra musicians and staff experience painful layoffs and salary cuts. Like many of you, the League of American Orchestras has also been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have made the following decisions about upcoming League programming:

  • All League program activity during the 20-21 season will be delivered online.
  • The National Conference which was to have taken place in Pittsburgh will also be delivered online in June of 2021.
  • The Mid-winter Managers Meeting will be held online.
  • We will ramp up the volume, frequency, and variety of digital content, including peer group meetings, to meet the high demand evidenced in the Conference.
  • Select program activity that is dependent on live engagement will be deferred until the 2021-2022 season including the National Conductor Preview, Essentials of Orchestra Management, and the Emerging Leaders Program.

We will be telling you more about the coming season as it becomes available. Till then thank you for your dedication to orchestras and your continuing engagement with the League and our community.

    

 

Upcoming Meetings   

 

2021 Midwinter Managers Meeting

January 21-22, 2021

Through inspiring speakers and presentations, we will look at what role arts organizations can play when society begins to return to normal and how this can be a source of positive organizational momentum. As orchestras are compelled to re-examine their business models, values, and practices, we will consider how to integrate financial strategy with the commitment to our artists and art form. We will also explore the needs of communities as we put our organizations back together in new ways and how to be ambassadors of equity, diversity, and inclusion both inside and outside our institutions during this momentous time of change.

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Register

BURN BRIGHT
2021 Online Midwinter Seminar

Monday, January 25, 2021, 1:00pm Eastern/10:00am Pacific

Demanding and draining–even on the best of days–often describes our experience of life at home and work. The turbulence of 2020 further compounds this experience.

Join orchestra colleagues for a special 4-hour online seminar from the renowned Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). Thriving in every facet of your life happens with greater regularity when you first take care of yourself, fend off burn out, and create conditions for achieving aspirations in real, actionable, and impactful ways. BURN BRIGHT will help you develop a culture of sustainable peak performance.

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Register

Navigating Uncertain Times
How to use scenario planning to chart a course in new environments

Wednesday, January 27, 2021, 3:00pm Eastern/12:00pm Pacific

Daniel Payne and Natalia Vartapetova will present a scenario planning “how to” session introducing the concepts underpinning scenario planning, discuss how AEA Consulting created the tools, highlight key trends that may affect orchestras and music creation in each of the four scenarios included in the toolkit, and discuss how organizations can put the toolkit to use to extend their planning horizon and imagine new possibilities. The webinar will conclude with a question-and-answer session on scenario planning and the toolkit.

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Register

2020-21: The Resiliency Season
Case Studies of Two Different Approaches

Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 3:00pm Eastern/12:00pm Pacific

In this webinar, hear how this planning led to two different experiences at two different orchestras. Leaders from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Virginia Symphony Orchestra will share insights from their journeys this summer and what they have learned, so far, from their revamped 2020-21 seasons. This session will include discussions of digital vs. in-person performances, changes to patron engagement, and how approaches to leadership have evolved.

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Register

2021 Online National Conference

June 7-17

2022 National Conference

Los Angeles, CA

June 1-3

2023 National Conference

Pittsburgh, PA