ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION AWARDS CHICAGO SINFONIETTA
$300,000 GRANT FOR PROJECT INCLUSION PROGRAM
Groundbreaking diversity initiative prepares musicians for careers in classical music
CHICAGO— The Chicago Sinfonietta, the nation’s most diverse symphony orchestra, has received a three year, $300,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support the continuing development and expansion of Project Inclusion, the orchestra’s industry leading mentorship program for musicians of diverse backgrounds who are pursuing careers in classical music. This follows a $35,000 planning grant that Mellon awarded the Sinfonietta in 2012 that served as a catalyst for the program expansion outlined below.
Surveys have shown that orchestra membership in the United States is nearly 90% white, 3% African-American or Latino, and most of the remaining 7% are Asian. Among music directors and conductors, 2.3% are black, 1.5% are Latino, and almost 90% are white. Project Inclusion’s goal is to identify, train, mentor, and ready classical musicians and conductors who are just beginning their pursuit of a professional career from diverse backgrounds, including, but not limited to diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds, that are traditionally underrepresented in orchestras to compete for, and win positions in America’s orchestras.
“Project Inclusion has been an impactful program since the beginning, and it has been wonderful to work with these talented musicians who might not otherwise have the opportunity.” says Chicago Sinfonietta Music Director Mei-Ann Chen. Sinfonietta Executive Director Jim Hirsch adds “Project Inclusion was conceived to expand the number and quality of diverse musicians competing for positions in American orchestras and pursuing a career in classical music. This grant will enable the Sinfonietta to serve more musicians and enhance the quality and depth of the fellowships through additional educational experiences.”
Project Inclusion (PI) was initiated in 2007 with an Orchestra Fellowship program that seeks to identify, train, mentor, and ready orchestra musicians who are traditionally underrepresented to compete for, and win, positions in American orchestras. In 2010, the program was expanded by creating Project Inclusion Ensembles (PIE) to increase the number of musicians served. It provides small group experience and mentoring through a chamber ensemble that performs at community events throughout the city and suburbs. Eighteen early career diverse musicians have been served by these programs from 2007-2012. There are currently eight musicians in the program. Elizabeth Diaz, a flutist who was an Orchestra and Ensemble Fellow from 2009-2012, says, “It is often difficult for people to pursue their passion, and being a musician of color brings its own challenges. However, the Chicago Sinfonietta has given me a unique opportunity to pursue my passion and begin a fulfilling career in music.”
Funding from the Mellon Foundation will enable the Chicago Sinfonietta to serve more musicians and enhance the fellowship program through the addition of master classes with Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Sinfonietta musicians, mock auditions, more one-on-one mentoring with experienced members of the orchestra, and through additional partnerships both locally and nationally.
In 2013, under the direction of Maestro Chen and Civic Orchestra Principal Conductor Cliff Colnot, who will serve as lead faculty member, the program will expand to include Project Inclusion Conductors (PIC). Ms. Chen, who was the recipient of a 2012 Helen M. Thompson Award for an Emerging Music Director, remarks “With the support of the Mellon Foundation, we can now help identify and prepare the next generation of conductors through this immersive fellowship experience. I have been so very fortunate to have mentors like Robert Spano and Marin Alsop in my life, and I am excited to share my knowledge and experience with these early career conductors.”
Three Chicago area music institutions were essential partners in the launching of Project Inclusion: the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, the DePaul School of Music, and the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. The Mellon Grant will allow the orchestra to fulfill an expansion of partnerships that include the League of American Orchestras, the Sphinx Organization, the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, Music of the Baroque, Fulcrum Point New Music Project, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and its training orchestra the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and others to be announced.
Afa Dworkin, Artistic Director of the Sphinx Organization, says “Sphinx is proud to support its long-standing partner, Chicago Sinfonietta, in their new important effort. We are excited about this added depth to our relationship and salute their commitment to developing the next generation of citizen-artists!”
About the Chicago Sinfonietta
The Chicago Sinfonietta has a proud history of having enriched the cultural, educational, and social quality of life in Chicago, while gaining significant recognition on the national and international stage. Performing in both downtown Chicago and in west suburban Naperville, the Sinfonietta presents a full season of symphonic concerts. Under the guidance of Founding Music Director Paul Freeman and now Mei-Ann Chen, the orchestra has performed at the highest artistic level since 1987. Ms. Chen was named Music Director of the Chicago Sinfonietta in July 2011, succeeding Freeman upon his retirement. Freeman remains Music Director Emeritus. The Chicago Sinfonietta musicians truly represent the city’s rich cultural landscape and continue to fulfill the orchestra’s mission of Musical Excellence through Diversity™.
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