Eighteen Black and Latinx Pre- and Early Professional String Players
to Participate in Group and Individual Performance Psychology Sessions, Instrument Lessons and Mock Auditions
Violinist Alex Kerr, Cellist Joy Payton-Stevens, Violist Edward Gazouleas and
Performance Psychologist Noa Kageyama, Ph.D.
to Lead Audition Intensive |
New
York, NY (May 24, 2018) – The National Alliance for Audition Support
(NAAS) will launch its first activities aimed at increasing diversity in
American orchestras with a three-day
Audition Intensive,
June 6-8 at the New World Center in Miami Beach, FL. Eighteen
pre-to-early professional Black and Latinx string musicians have been
selected by The Sphinx Organization to participate in the three-day
Intensive.
The Audition Intensive will give
participants the opportunity to work in group and individual settings
with professional musicians who understand the audition
process. Sessions will include peak performance psychology training,
mock auditions, and individual lessons. The mock audition jury is
comprised of the professional musicians. They will provide specific
feedback for each Audition Intensive participant.
"New World Symphony has crafted an
effective audition preparation process," said NWS President Howard
Herring. "It hones specific skills: intellectual focus, preparation time
management, emotional stability, aesthetic and technical confidence,
and steady nerves. We are eager to make this training available through
the NAAS program."
Ismar Gomes, a cellist that will be
participating in the Audition Intensive, said "The opportunity to work
intensely with outstanding coaches who regularly sit on audition
committees for major orchestras will be extremely valuable, not to
mention the benefits of exploring the psychological dimension of the
audition process. My hope is that this Audition Intensive will help
propel me to greater successes on the audition circuit and more broadly
as a performer."
Faculty for the Audition Intensive
include Edward Gazouleas, Professor of Viola at Indiana University
Jacobs School of Music; Alex Kerr, Concertmaster of Dallas Symphony
Orchestra and Professor of Violin at Indiana University Jacobs School of
Music; Joy Payton-Stevens, cellist at the Seattle Symphony and
co-founder / cellist at BetaSounds; and Noa Kageyama, Ph.D, founder of
Bulletproof Musician and faculty member at The Juilliard School.
The Audition Intensive will end with a
faculty panel—a session in which the three instrumental faculty will
discuss the audition process, their own careers, and answer any
questions from the participants.
For this first NAAS Audition
Intensive, the eighteen Black and Latinx musicians were selected from
the most recent Sphinx Orchestral Partners Auditions (SOPA), held during
the annual SphinxConnect conference in Detroit. SOPA brings together
orchestras interested in advancing diversity in their institutions with a
qualified pool of talented orchestral musicians of color, the ultimate
goal being job placement. For future Audition Intensives, musicians will
be selected through a competitive application
process open to a range of musicians—from recent conservatory graduates
to early- and mid-career professionals seeking to advance their careers.
Subsequent NAAS events will occur at
the League of American Orchestras' 73rd National Conference June 13-15
in Chicago, in the Fall at the New World Center, and in January 2019 at
the annual SphinxConnect conference in Detroit.
The
National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS)
is an unprecedented national initiative to increase diversity in
American orchestras. It will do so by offering Black and Latinx
musicians a customized combination of mentoring, audition preparation,
financial support, and audition previews. The NAAS is made up of
The Sphinx Organization,
the lead program and fiscal administrator for the Alliance; the
New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy;
and the
League of American Orchestras,
representing 700 orchestras. A group of Black and Latinx professional
musicians will be thought leaders, guides, and advisors for the
Alliance. The NAAS is supported by a four-year grant of $1.8M from The
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation as well as contributions from orchestras
across the U.S. Learn more at
www.auditionalliance.org.
Find more information, including faculty bios, at
www.auditionalliance.org
(click on the Audition Intensive tab in the middle of the page).
The Sphinx Organization
is a Detroit-based, national organization dedicated to transforming
lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Sphinx programs reach
more than 100,000 students, as well as live and broadcast audiences of
more than two million annually. Sphinx works to create positive change
in the arts field and in communities across the country through a
variety of programs organized into four main principles: Education and
Access, Artist Development, Performing Artists and Arts Leadership. Read
more about
Sphinx's programs at
www.SphinxMusic.org.
The New World Symphony,
America's Orchestral Academy (NWS), prepares graduates of music programs
for leadership roles in professional orchestras and ensembles. In the
30 years since its co-founding by Artistic Director Michael Tilson
Thomas and Lin and Ted Arison, NWS has helped launch the careers of more
than 1,000 alumni worldwide. A laboratory for the way music is taught,
presented and experienced, the New World Symphony consists of 87 young
musicians who are granted fellowships lasting up to three years. The
fellowship
program offers in-depth exposure to traditional and modern repertoire,
professional development training and personalized experiences working
with leading guest conductors, soloists and visiting faculty.
Relationships with these artists are extended through NWS' extensive
distance learning via the internet. NWS Fellows take advantage of the
innovative performance facilities and state-of-the art practice and
ensemble rooms of the Frank Gehry-designed New World Center, the campus
of the New World Symphony.
Learn more about the New World Symphony at
www.nws.edu.
The League of American Orchestras
leads, supports, and champions America's orchestras and the vitality of
the music they perform. Its diverse membership of more than 2,000
organizations and individuals across North America runs the gamut from
world-renowned symphonies to community groups, from summer festivals to
student and youth ensembles, from conservatories to libraries, from
businesses serving orchestras to individuals who love symphonic music.
The only national organization dedicated solely to the orchestral
experience, the
League is a nexus of knowledge and innovation, advocacy, and leadership
advancement. Its conferences and events, award-winning Symphony
magazine, website, and other publications inform people around the world
about orchestral activity and developments. Founded in 1942 and
chartered by Congress in 1962, the League links a national network of
thousands of instrumentalists, conductors, managers and administrators,
board members, volunteers, and business partners. Visit
www.americanorchestras.org.
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