Contributing to the Field: Nationally and abroad, Chicago Sinfonietta’s Project Inclusion Fellows continue the work of late founder/Music Director Paul Freeman

Chicago, IL – 13 years after its launch, Chicago Sinfonietta’s Project Inclusion program has granted more than 80 fellowships. Graduates of the program have gone on to work in numerous posts in the industry, from serving in orchestras, ensembles, education, and diversity programs (both in and out of the field), to assistant conductorships and music directorships.

Nationally recognized for its work in bringing together talent and mentorship to further develop diverse and emerging musicians, conductors, and administrators on and off-stage, and for helping to eliminate institutional bias due to factors such as ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic status, Project Inclusion is the largest and most successful program of its kind.

Since its launch CS has mentored more than 80 diverse early career musicians and conductors. Approximately 95% of graduates from The Sinfonietta’s Project Inclusion Freeman Conducting Fellowship program have worked within the industry. Kellen Gray, a 2016-18 Conducting Fellow and 2017-18 Assistant Conductor of Chicago Sinfonietta (CS) under Music Director Mei-Ann Chen, is the latest to be selected for an international post. Today, he has been announced as Assistant Conductor of the 125-year-old Royal Scottish National Orchestra, beginning his tenure this April 2021.

Current fellows are attracting attention as well. Conducting fellows Glenn Alexander II filmed a TedX talk “Unlock Your Mind” that premiered earlier this month, and Taichi Fukumura was interviewed for Northwestern University’s website about his career as a conductor and musician. Antoine T. Clark, this season’s Assistant Conductor, recently served on a panel of distinguished alumni of Ohio State University. Ensemble fellow Adrienne Sherrod was accepted into NYU and Berklee.

Chicago Sinfonietta is pleased to announce that applications for the 2021-22 program are being accepted in the following categories beginning this coming week: Project Inclusion Ensemble Fellowship and Project Inclusion Administrative Fellowship (April 18th application deadline).

Project Inclusion Freeman Orchestral Fellowship and Ensemble Fellowship alumni and fellowship recipients include: Denielle Wilson, cellist with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra since 2019; Chauntee Ross, violin, Progressions Viola Instructor, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra; Danielle Taylor, violin – Chicago Sinfonietta Project Inclusion Manager; Caitlin Edwards, violin, who has played and recorded with artists such as John Legend, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Common, as well as with classical orchestras; Kyle Dickson, violin, Concert master of Chicago Composers Orchestra, and a member of the Gateways Festival Orchestra in Rochester, NY and the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra in Branson, MO.

Project Inclusion Administrative Freeman Fellowship alumni work in the non-profit and for profits fields. Ryan Blocker is a Strategist for the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity; Miguel A. Garcia is at Chicago’s StriveTogether, a national network of local communities striving to achieve racial equity and economic mobility; Ashley Lugo is a Development manager for Chicago’s Tree House Humane Society. Kameron Locke is an Arts Diversity Consultant and creator and Co-Facilitator of London, England’s The Village at Goldsmiths Music Studio.

Numerous accomplishments have been achieved by former Project Inclusion fellows in the Freeman Conducting arm. They include: Roderick Cox and Sameer Patel – the first recipients of Chicago Sinfonietta Project Inclusion Freeman Conducting Fellowships. Cox has gone on to found the Roderick Cox Music Initiative (RCMI) – a project to help provide scholarship funds to young musicians of color from unrepresented communities, allowing them to pay for instruments, music lessons, and summer camps, and to develop a career as an international guest conductor. Patel has become Artistic Director of the Hot Springs Music Festival and Associate Conductor of the Sun Valley Music Festival. Kalena Bovell and Roger Kalia (2014- 15), the second graduating class, have both continued to expand their careers, Bovell as a guest conductor recognized internationally as a composer of color to watch and Kalia now holding Music Directorships with The Evansville Philharmonic, NH Symphony and Orchestra of Santa Monica. Deanna Tham, 2016-18 and 2017-18 CS Assistant Conductor, has become Principal Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras, and was appointed Assistant Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra (NYO-USA and NYO2) for summer 2019, working with Maestros James Ross, Joseph Young, and Sir Antonio Pappano. Alejandro Gómez Guillén is Artistic Director and Conductor of Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. Jonathan Rush was appointed Assistant Conductor of Baltimore Symphony in fall 2020.

Michelle Isaac, the first recipient of a Project Inclusion Freeman Composing Fellowship (launched this 2020-21 season) has written a work for Chicago Sinfonietta that premiered at the fall Ball.

ABOUT Project Inclusion Fellowships
All Fellowships are nine-months long, and financially compensated with practical, hands-on experience. The program is overseen by Project Inclusion Manager Danielle Taylor. This season’s class of fellows is the largest since its launch, with 15 fellowships awarded in the areas of Ensemble, Conducting, and Composition.

Project Inclusion Administrative Freeman Fellowship
includes training and mentoring from Chicago Sinfonietta’s experienced administrative staff in the areas of development and marketing; direct involvement with Sinfonietta’s audience and donor engagement and Project Inclusion Fellowships; community immersion opportunities; and performance collaborations.

Project Inclusion Orchestral Freeman Fellowship
Includes one-on-one mentoring from Chicago Sinfonietta senior orchestra members; performances at every concert during fellowship; opportunities to perform for additional services, extending the impact of the fellowship; full salary for all rehearsals and performances; and assistance in securing work after the fellowship has been completed.

Project Inclusion Ensemble Freeman Fellowship
Features professional, freelance musicians who often find work performing chamber music. Ensemble musicians may also be selected for an Orchestral Fellowship and are chosen through a competitive audition process. Fellowship includes appearances at community events; monthly rehearsals that address individual and ensemble work, as well as introduce new repertoire and performance skills; coaching on presentation and speaking skills, verbal feedback from principal mentors; and payment for all services.

Project Inclusion Conducting Freeman Fellowship
Introduced in the 2013-14 season, the Conducting Fellowship fosters the development of 4-6 conductors of diverse backgrounds who are on the verge of professional careers. The conducting fellows have the opportunity to work closely with Chicago Sinfonietta Music Director Mei-Ann Chen and other experienced conductors, and industry professionals. Fellowship includes: intensive and extensive training, mentoring and conducting activities over a nine-month period; coaching of on and off-the-podium topics to develop the 21st century conductor; development of basic orchestra management skills, including but not limited to marketing, programming, fundraising and finance; opportunities to conduct live ensembles through partnerships with leading Chicago classical music organizations and educational institutions.

Project Inclusion Composing Freeman Fellowship
Introduced this 2020-21 season the Composing Freeman Fellowship was created to include emerging composers best suited to the program’s criteria and offerings. Composing fellows are given multiple opportunities to learn, workshop, and share the craft of composition with leading composers throughout the nation. They also receive extensive mentoring, technical training, and workshop activities spread out over the course of the fellowship. Sessions include Sibelius, Musicscore, and Finale software training, contract negotiations, management skills in marketing, programming, fundraising, and finance, mock compositional pitches, as well as more nuanced discussions on cultivating diversity, and leadership.

Questions about the Project Inclusion program or audition process may be directed to Danielle Taylor, Project Inclusion Manger, at dtaylor@localhost.

Press Contact:
Laura Grant, Grant Communications
917.359.7319
Laura@grant-communications.com

We’re excited to introduce Spektrix, our new customer relationship management software that will make online ticket purchases and donations easier than ever before! Below are some of the new features you’ll experience with Spektrix and some of the ways our website will look different than before.

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New Features

• Personal log-in for faster checkout
• Buy, send, and redeem gift certificates online
• Digital and Print-at-Home tickets
• Membership benefits automatically applied to online purchases
• Update contact information and preferences online
• Choose your own seats when purchasing a new Season Subscription

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Set up your new CS Account – Easy as 1, 2, 3!

With Spektrix, all online purchases are made through your own personal account. Follow the steps below as we walk you through setting up your new CS account.

Step 1: Click on the profile icon in the top right corner of the CS website.

Step 2: Click “Register now.”

Step 3: The next three pages will allow you to enter your personal information, create a password, and sign up to receive Chicago Sinfonietta emails. All of this information can be changed at any time once an account is set up. When you’re done, click “Create My Account.” You’re all set!

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Membership pricing is automatically applied when you add two or more concerts to your cart. Follow the steps below as we walk you through a transaction with your new CS account.

1. From our Membership page, click the “Purchase Membership” Button.

2. Choose “Book and More Information” for either of our two remaining concerts. You will be able to go back and add the other concert once one is in your cart.

3. Once you have a ticket in your cart, find the Offers box at the bottom of the page and click “Pick 2 Membership.” This will take you back to the events list page, where you can choose the other concert to add to your cart.

4. When you have tickets to both concerts in your cart, you’ll notice that the price automatically updates to the Pick 2 Membership price of $65! Click Checkout to complete the transaction.

**Note: you will be prompted to sign into your account in order to complete your transaction. If you have not yet created your account before starting your purchase, you will need to enter your email address on the following page to be emailed a link that will allow you to complete the transaction before making an account. Click here to make an account before starting a purchase!

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If you have already purchased at least one ticket to any concert in the 20-21 Season, all additional tickets will automatically discount to $20 when logged in.

Cellist Ifetayo Ali-Landing is a guest soloist featured in the commissioned world premiere of Joel Thompson’s breathe/burn: an elegy.

Chicago Sinfonietta’s MLK Tribute Concert: The Arc premieres virtually on Sunday, March 28 at 3pm CT. Need tickets?

Favorite spot in Chicago?
This question is kind of hard to answer because it really depends on the season. In the summer, my favorite spot is The Ledge (more commonly known as Oak Street beach)! For a small part of the summer before and after my out-of-state music festivals, I would spend almost every day there with my friends. In the colder months, my go-to spot was the Water Tower Place!

What / who inspired you to be a musician?
Because my mother is a musician and a Suzuki teacher, it was mandatory that my siblings and I played instruments growing up (and practiced every day). However, she was also the person who inspired me to try and become a professional musician (even though I do not think that was necessarily her intention).  I used to go to all of her orchestra concerts with the Chicago Sinfonietta, and at some point, it clicked that I wanted to be just like her and perform all of the time. [Note: Ifetayo’s mother is a long-time member of the Chicago Sinfonietta.]

Your biggest supporters?
My biggest supporters by far are my family members! My mom, dad, sisters, aunt, grandma, and grandpa have been there every step of the way, cheering me on and making my dreams come true!

You chose your instrument because?
I believe I switched from violin to cello because my mother needed one of her children to help her start her cello program at her music school, which had previously only offered violin and piano. However, the adults in my family believe that I begged for years to play the cello.

Regardless, it is a decision that I am glad one of us made because I absolutely love the cello.

What inspires you?
What inspires me to keep practicing is that I love getting better at everything I do, I love learning, and I love seeing myself progress. What inspires me to keep performing is that I can impact someone’s day just by playing a few notes. That still blows my mind.

If you could collaborate with any artist from any field, who would it be?
100% Beyoncé. No brainer.
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If you could invite any three musicians to dinner, living or deceased, who would they be and why?
Beyoncé, because as a fellow Virgo, I have so many questions, Florence Price because I want to hear her talk about her life and her experiences more, and Flo Milli because I think she would be a fun person to have dinner with.

What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
I would probably be pursuing a career in dance, going to school for business or computer science.

Favorite way to relax?
Sleeping, watching a movie, or driving. I wouldn’t say I like driving, but it does put me to sleep instantly for some reason.

Featuring Dileep Gangolli (Clarinet) and Janice MacDonald (Principal Flute)

Interview by Taylor Brown

How did you two meet?

We met through our musical activities quite early on in our careers here in Chicago. We both performed in orchestras that were contracted for individual engagements such as the early years of the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Joffrey Ballet Orchestra, and various educational concerts and “jingle” engagements for commercials. We’ve known each other since the early 90’s.

How did the CS community play a role in the development of your relationship?

The Chicago Sinfonietta has come to be our primary musical activity and for that we are very thankful. Running an orchestra is not an easy task but the CS has had the benefit of two wonderful music directors (our founder Dr. Freeman and Ms. Mei-Ann Chen), savvy management/staff with recently departed Jim Hirsch and recent hire Blake-Anthony Johnson, and a dedicated board of directors that has believed in our mission of diversity and inclusion from the very beginning before it became a “fad.” As a musician, when one is in the middle of a concert season, it’s often hard to remember what it takes to keep an organization like this afloat. But with the benefit of this year where we have all been relatively inactive, we’re forced to think about what is meaningful in our lives. For Janice and me, we’re truly appreciative of the CS and look forward to making music on stage with our wonderful colleagues and for our appreciative audiences once the Pandemic is behind us.

What is your favorite CS memory together?

Our most favorite memory is shortly after we started dating, we were able to perform the Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet and String Quartet which was written by Maurice Ravel in 1905. After the harp, the flute and clarinet are the most important musical voices and we have a good deal of dialogue. The harp soloist for the series was Ms. Faye Seeman, one of the orchestra’s original members.

How are you incorporating music in your life in the time of COVID-19?

Janice is active in the CS Audience Matters education program which is being taught online for the time being. She is also on the music faculty of Loyola University Chicago where she is the adjunct professor of flute. She is currently teaching these students using online platforms.

Dileep is in the first stages of starting a chamber orchestra (the Chicago Pocket Orchestra) which will perform in open public venues during the month of August on a moving van that has been converted into a portable concert hall. He is also starting a music festival in the Indiana Dunes National Park which will feature concerts at a small church in Beverly Shores IN. Of course, the big unknown in all this is where our communities will be if the Pandemic is still raging in the summer.

What’s your ideal Valentine’s Day date together?

Our dates are always focused on wine. Janice and I own a specialty grocery store in West Town (Green Grocer Chicago) that is very wine-centric. I also own a wine distribution business and do tours during the summer to vineyards around Chicago (yes…there is a wine industry in the Midwest!). But to be honest, we love staying at home with our dog, Isabel, cooking our own meals using organic ingredients from the store, and enjoying a nice wine that pairs with our meal. We love to binge-watch TV shows (we recently completed Ozark, Billions, and are in the middle of Money Heist). We spend a good deal of our life these days in Indiana where we share living space with Janice’s Mom and Aunt. It’s in the middle of the Indiana Dunes National Park and without traffic, only an hour from Millennium Park!

Q & A with Project Inclusion Freeman Fellow and 2020-21 Assistant Conductor Antoine T. Clark

As part of its Conducting Freeman Fellowship, each season Chicago Sinfonietta selects one rising conductor to serve as Assistant Conductor to Music Director Mei-Ann Chen.

This 2020-21 season, Antoine T. Clark will serve in this post. As Assistant Conductor, in addition to his duties assisting Maestra Chen, and receiving additional mentoring from her, Mr. Clark will have the opportunity to conduct on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert on March 28, 2021.

We asked Antoine a few fun questions – read on below.

Favorite spot in Chicago?
My favorite spot in Chicago is Symphony Center.

What/who inspired you to be a musician?
My father was a Gospel and Rhythm and Blues guitarist, and he inspired me to be a musician.

You are a conductor, but you are also a clarinetist. You chose your instrument because?
I chose the clarinet because of if its beautiful, dark, and woody sound.

Favorite way to relax?
Watching horror movies.

Do you have a favorite work or composer?
Alpine Symphony – Richard Strauss.

If you could collaborate with any artist from any field, who would it be?
Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic

Advice for others entering your field.
Dream big and never lose your drive even when you come up short because music is not a competition; it is your joy.

Who are your biggest supporters?
My family and friends are my biggest supporter.

What inspires you?
Seeing my music students make musical advancement.

Favorite restaurant in Chicago?
MingHin Cuisine is my favorite restaurant in Chicago.

What is your Desert Island disc selection (3 CDs)?
Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life
Nielsen: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5 – Herbert Blomstedt and San Francisco Symphony
Rufus Wainwright – Poses

If you could invite any three musicians to dinner, living or deceased, who would they be and why?
African-American conductor Dean Dixon, because I would want to hear him recount his life story as one of the first Black international conductors. Richard Strauss, because he is one of my favorite composers. Joseph Bologne, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, because there was no musician like him in the place and time that he lived.

What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
A marine biologist.

What is the best advice you’ve been given about pursuing a career in music?
Be genuine when working with others, and always be prepared to the best of your ability.

What does diversity, inclusion, and equity mean to you?
The application of diversity, inclusion, and equity allows for hearing different voices, which is essential to comprehending humanity’s total beauty.