Orchestras Canada

Congratulations to Nathan Brock, currently assistant conductor of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, who was awarded the Ontario Arts Council’s Heinz Unger Award at a concert by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra last Saturday evening. Speaking about his unique qualifications for this year’s award, the jury noted “Nathan is at an exciting stage in his career, and exhibits tremendous talent and promise. He has also demonstrated a lifelong interest in orchestral music. His strong commitment to growth and excellence in the art of conducting made him the ideal choice for the Heinz Unger Award.” The award is presented every second year to an outstanding early- or mid-career Canadian conductor, and is administered by the Ontario Arts Council.

We’d also like to convey congratulations to Tricia Baldwin, Managing Director of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Erika Beatty, CEO of Symphony Nova Scotia. They each won a 2012 John Hobday Award for Arts Administration, through the Canada Council for the Arts. Ms. Baldwin will use her award for professional development to travel to two international conferences and interview world leaders who are bringing music to millions through live, recorded and internet-streamed processes. Afterwards, she will present her findings at an Orchestras Canada conference and apply her new knowledge in her work as Managing Director of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir. Ms. Beatty will use her award to be mentored by Pierre Lamoureux, owner of Cinemusica / FogoLabs, one of the top concert film producers in the world. Her goal is to explore how digital and emerging technologies can be used to capture and communicate the beauty and intensity of the performing arts to Canadian and international audiences. Mr. Lamoureux has agreed to share the essentials of his successful commercial business model, including planning, filming and post-production work for clients as varied as opera and ballet companies, to touring bands and documentary productions.

We’ve got a pair of recommendations this week, both devoted to the evergreen topic of audience development.

March 2-4, Orchestras Canada and CCI, the Ontario Presenters Network co-presented an audience development workshop for small budget orchestras with master teachers Lendre Kearns, Cheryl Ewing and Judy Harquail and guest presenters Jennifer Green (late of Soundstreams), Allison Saretsky (Luminato Festival), and Alexandra Skoczylas (Tafelmusik), with the financial support of the Ontario Arts Investment Fund and the Ontario Arts Council. Almost 30 people from orchestras across Ontario took part in 2 full days of stimulating learning and discussion – and we’ve posted presentations and recommended readings from the workshop on our website, here.

A day or so after the workshop was done, we were delighted to discover a brand new report from the Wallace Foundation, entitled Building Arts Organizations that Build Audiences. It’s a relatively quick (16 pages) overview of breakthrough learnings about audience development – and it dovetails exceptionally well with our workshop’s focus on “broadening, deepening, and diversifying” audiences – and the specific strategies necessary to achieve each of these. You can download it here.

Late last week, the Ontario Arts Council announced the winner of the 2012 Oscar Morawetz Award for Excellence in Music Performance: Toronto-based cellist Shauna Rolston. The $20,000 award was presented on January 30 at the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s New Music Festival, where Ms Rolston performed the world premiere of a new cello concert by WSO resident composer Vincent Ho. Widely recognized as one of Canada’s most unique musical talents, Ms Rolston has commissioned more than 50 new works for cello, performed in many of the world’s major concert halls and was the featured artist at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. In addition to her touring and performance schedule, Shauna is also Professor of Cello and Head of Strings at the University of Toronto and a Visiting Artist for the Music and Sound Programs at The Banff Centre.

We’re issuing “hold the date” advisories for three upcoming Orchestras Canada learning and networking activities:

1. Webinar on Audiences, Markets and Engagement
Canada’s Performing Arts Alliance is presenting a webinar for performing arts managers and marketers.

Audiences, Markets and Engagement in the Performing Arts
Presenter: Kelly Hill, President, Hill Strategies Research

This webinar will highlight key information on performing arts audiences, marketing and engagement, with an emphasis on research findings that performing arts managers and marketers can apply to their day-to-day work in the sector. The presentation will include information about performing arts attendance, consumer spending, audience motivations and audience engagement. The goal of the session is to leave participants with relevant data that can help them increase the efficiency of their marketing, fundraising and communication endeavours, as well as inspiring participants to find new ways of reaching audiences and sponsors.

The webinar will be delivered three times in English and French:
Thursday, February 2, 13:00 (ET) – English -  Register
Monday, February 6, 13:00 (ET) – French -  Register
Tuesday, February 7, 14:00 (ET) – English -  Register

Cost:
• Registration is free for members of a Performing Arts Alliance association (Canadian Dance Assembly, CAPACOA, Opera.ca, Orchestras Canada, PACT).
• Registration is $25.00 + HST for all other participants.

Kelly Hill’s presentation is funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council in conjunction with their funding of the Statistical Insights on the Arts series.

2. Workshop on Promotion, Marketing and Audience Development

When? Friday, March 2 (evening) to Sunday, March 4 (noon).

Where? Toronto

What? A workshop designed to help Ontario’s small budget orchestras and volunteer classical music presenters
• diversify and engage audiences
• program with confidence
• sell more tickets

Who’s Putting It On? The workshop is a partnership between Orchestras Canada and CCI – Ontario Presenting Network, with support from the Ontario Arts Investment Fund. Lead presenters are Lendre Kearns, Judy Harquail and Cheryl Ewing – and there will be special guests as well.

Who’s It For? Volunteers and staff from Ontario’s small budget orchestras and volunteer classical music presenting groups. Enrollment will be capped at 50 people, and we’d encourage you to sign up two people from your organization to maximize your learnings!

How Much? Pricing and registration details are TBA, but we’ll keep it reasonable. We’re also working on accessing travel subsidies and great hotel prices for out-of-towners.

How Do I Register? Watch Orchestras Canada’s newsletter & website AND your email for updates.

3. Orchestras Canada National Orchestra Meetings
The program is being planned and logistical details are being sorted out – and we’re getting ever more excited about OC’s National Meetings 2012. They’re in Montreal this year, co-hosted by the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal, and they run from May 27 (mid-day) to May 29 (mid-day). More details will be available by the end of January – watch this space!

The Ontario Arts Council has issued a call for nominations for the 2012 Premier’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts. Nominations are due December 1, 2011. There are categories for artists and arts organizations, and significant cash awards are offered. Nominations can recognize a candidate engaged in any professional arts practice including community arts, crafts, dance, music, opera, theatre, visual and media arts, writing or cultural industries such as book and magazine publishing, digital media, film, television and sound recording. Details about the Awards, guidelines and nomination forms are posted here.

Orchestras Canada, through our membership in Canada’s Performing Arts Alliance, is happy to announce that we’ve received funding to present two bilingual webinars with guest presenter Kelly Hill, devoted to audience and marketing trends in the performing arts in Canada. We are grateful to the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for funding this initiative, in conjunction with their funding of the Statistical Insights on the Arts series.

Watch Orchestra News for more information about dates and sign-up!

The Sudbury Symphony has just announced the appointment of Erika Nielsen as its new principal cellist and teacher at the SSO School of Music. She’s a graduate of both Queen’s & the Glenn Gould School, and she’s performed with chamber ensembles, orchestras AND Kanye West!

The Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal has announced that Marie-Josée Desrochers has accepted the role of Director, Strategic Planning and International Affairs. In this newly created position, she will lead the OSM’s artistic department and will oversee artistic planning, partnership development at the local and international levels, recording and distribution contracts, and the development of the OSM’s strategy for international outreach. Most recently, she has headed the orchestra’s marketing and public relations department. In light of Ms Desrocher’s new role, Claudine Ferragut willtake over as Director of Marketing for the orchestra, and a search is now underway for a Director of Public Relations.

Amir Ali Alibhai, who has for the last 3 years led the Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture, has announced that he will be leaving that position to take up a consulting role with the new Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.

Congratulations to Toronto arts consultant and long-time cultural manager Jane Marsland, who has been awarded the Rita Davies and Margo Bindhardt Cultural Leadership Award at the 2011 Toronto Arts Foundation awards.

Earlier this week, Martha Durdin, Chair of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) announced the appointment of Peter Caldwell as Director and CEO of the Ontario Arts Council. He succeeds John Brotman who is retiring after ten years at the council’s helm. Speaking about the appointment, Ms. Durdin said, “Peter impressed us with his personal experience as an artist, his firm understanding of the arts community and the leadership skills that he brought to the remarkable transformations at OCAD University over the past several years. He takes over an organization that has not only thrived in the last decade but which, under John’s guidance, reflects the growth and diversity of Ontario’s arts community.” A career-long arts manager, Mr. Caldwell served as Vice President, Finance & Administration at OCAD University (formerly Ontario College of Art & Design) from 1994 to April 2011. He begins his new role at the OAC in February 2012.

Last week, we reported on a new study on arts engagement, commissioned by the Ontario Arts Council. Net learnings? People involved in a spectrum of arts participation (roughly defined as “enjoy – do – make”) may have a more durable relationship with arts organizations. This week, we’re happy to share a new study by WolfBrown that summarizes ways in which arts organizations in different parts of the world are adapting their offerings to better engage with current and potential audiences. You can download a copy of the study, commissioned by California’s James Irvine Foundation, here.

Last week, the Ontario Arts Council announced that it had awarded the Vida Peene Award for 2011 to the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. The $10,000 award is presented every second year to an outstanding Ontario orchestra, and this year the TBSO was cited by the peer jury as a “vital organization in this northern city, embraced by its community with a remarkable audience base. It regularly plays to capacity houses and shows excellent commitment to Canadian composers and soloists.”

For more information, please visit arts.on.ca.

We’ve got a pair of recommendations this week.

The first item is a report on the education programs of eight Canadian orchestras – the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Orchestra London, Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. The evaluation was undertaken by Measured Outcome, an organization that undertakes collaborative, web-based research on the impact of charitable programs, and the process gave voice to the experiences of students, teachers and orchestral musicians involved in the programs.

Key learnings?
99% of participating adults and students found the programs valuable;
96% plan to return in a subsequent year;
61% of young people get their first (and only!) exposure to symphonic performance through a school visit, compared with 24% who attend with family and 15% who attend with friends;
Only 62% of the participating teachers make use of the Study Guide material provided, and of those, only 17% (or 10.5% of the total number of participating teachers) make use of the podcasts provided;
Teachers, students and performers consistently report that rowdy behavior by certain attendees detracts from the overall experience;
There are a number of opportunities to strengthen these already-valued programs.

The report was the subject of Orchestras Canada’s first webinar for the 2011-12 season, an event that brought together over 20 representatives from member orchestras from Victoria to Halifax. We are committed to continuing the discussion with our member orchestras, with the goal of strengthening their programming and their opportunities for collaboration.

You can view the report here.

Our second recommendation? A major new research report on arts engagement, commissioned by the Ontario Arts Council, and undertaken by Alan S. Brown of Wolf Brown and Ipsos-Reid. The report builds on Brown’s existing body of work on arts engagement, and traces the connection between an individual’s “personal artistic practice” (be it listening to music on the radio, selecting CDs to purchase or tracks to download, taking music lessons, interpreting the work of others while performing as a soloist or in an ensemble, or creating new works of music) and their attendance at live performances. There are some particularly compelling findings about the levels of cultural participation of Ontarians from diverse cultural groups.

And we can’t resist leaving you with this inspiring statement:

“Overall, 95% of all respondents are interested in doing more arts activities than they presently do.”

You can find the report here.