Pooling our resources
I was able to sneak away from my registration area just long enough to catch about the middle 30-minutes of the break-out session called "Adventurous Programing" which was moderated by Ed Harsh of Meet the Composer and included Jennifer Higdon as one of the four panelists. The most encouraging thing that was talked about was new and interesting ways to commission new works. Over the years organizations such as Bang on a Can and Wind Ensembles from across the country (if you allow me to lump all of them together) have created interesting and powerful models for commissioning. Bang of a Can is now known for what it calls the "Peoples Commissioning Fund" in which anyone can donate any amount and will go directly to funding the creation of three new works for their "All-Stars" ensemble. Wind Ensembles (largely found in Universities) have for many years found the power of coming together as a consortium (perhaps a dozen or more) who will pool their funds for a new piece which each group will in turn perform at least once.
During the breakout session on Adventurous Programing it was encouraging to hear that these two commissioning models (and others) are becoming more and more common among orchestral, choral and opera organizations. Jennifer talked at length about her experiences as resident-composer in organizations of all sizes in all parts of the country and how asking a community to come together and invest in something new for THEM can bring more to a premier then simply: composer writes new piece, orchestra rehearses/performs new piece, composer comes on stage and bows, composer goes home.
I hope that these ideas continue to spread through the orchestral world as the successes continue to be noted as well in dance, opera, theater, and on and on.
Today - more time at my registration table but also the general session with José Antonio Abreu and tonight Nixon in China.
posted by James Holt.
During the breakout session on Adventurous Programing it was encouraging to hear that these two commissioning models (and others) are becoming more and more common among orchestral, choral and opera organizations. Jennifer talked at length about her experiences as resident-composer in organizations of all sizes in all parts of the country and how asking a community to come together and invest in something new for THEM can bring more to a premier then simply: composer writes new piece, orchestra rehearses/performs new piece, composer comes on stage and bows, composer goes home.
I hope that these ideas continue to spread through the orchestral world as the successes continue to be noted as well in dance, opera, theater, and on and on.
Today - more time at my registration table but also the general session with José Antonio Abreu and tonight Nixon in China.
posted by James Holt.
About
Be sure to check in all week for continuous blogging from NPAC. Attendees from across art forms and job functions report on their conference experiences. Comments from the convention and beyond are welcome!
Reporting from NPAC:
Amanda Ameer - web manager, NPAC
Sarah Baird - media and public relations executive, Boosey & Hawkes
Joseph Clifford - outreach and education manager, Dartmouth College Hopkins Center for the Arts
Lawrence Edelson - producing artistic director, American Lyric Theater
James Egelhofer - artist manager, IMG Artists
Jaime Green - literary associate, MCC Theatre
James Holt - composer; membership and marketing associate, League of American Orchestras
Michelle Mierz - executive director, LA Contemporary Dance Company
Mark Pemberton - director, Association of British Orchestras
Mister MOJO - star, MOJO & The Bayou Gypsies
Sydney Skybetter - artistic director, Skybetter and Associates
Mark Valdez - national coordinator, The Network of Ensemble Theaters
Amy Vashaw - audience & program development director, Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State
Scott Walters - professor, University of North Carolina at Asheville
Zack Winokur - student, The Juilliard School
Megan Young - artistic services manager, OPERA America
Please note: the entries posted by the attendees above represent their personal impressions, not the viewpoints of the organizations they work for.
About this blog From April 1 through June 9, 2008, weekly entries will be posted here by some of the performing arts community's top bloggers. This 10-week intensive blog will serve as a unique forum for digital debate and brainstorming, and both the entries and comments will be archived for use at the live NPAC sessions in June. New entries will be posted every Monday morning. Please note: the views expressed in this blog represent those of the independent contributors and participants, not the National Performing Arts Convention.
NPAC - the National Performing Arts Convention - will take place in Denver, Colorado on June 10-14, 2008. "Taking Action Together," NPAC will lay the foundation for future cross-disciplinary collaborations, cooperative programs and effective advocacy. Formed by 30 distinct performing arts service organizations demonstrating a new maturity and uniting as one a sector, NPAC is dedicated to enriching national life and strengthening performing arts communities across the country. Click here to register, and we'll see you in Denver!
The Authors Jaime Green, Nico Muhly, Kristin Sloan, Jason Grote, Jeffrey Kahane, Eva Yaa Asantewaa, Greg Sandow, Hilary Hahn, Tim Mangan, Paul Hodgins, Richard Chang and Andrew Taylor!
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