Nashville Symphony Association

THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY INSPIRES, ENTERTAINS, EDUCATES AND SERVES THROUGH MUSICAL PERFORMANCE, INNOVATION, COLLABORATION, AND INCLUSION.

ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING : LIKE COUNTLESS PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY WAS DRAMATICALLY IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC, WHICH FORCED THE CANCELATION OR POSTPONEMENT OF MORE THAN 65 CONCERTS FROM MARCH 2020 THROUGH JULY 2021, ALONG WITH THE FURLOUGH OF 79 MUSICIANS AND 49 STAFF MEMBERS. WHILE COVID-19 CAUSED TREMENDOUS DISRUPTION TO OPERATIONS, IT ALSO PROVIDED THE ORGANIZATION WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO REASSESS ITS PRIORITIES AND BEGIN REALIGNING ITS VISION WITH THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. STRATEGIC EFFORTS AT ALL LEVELS OF THE ORGANIZATION HAVE ENSURED THAT THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY IS HERE TO HELP THE COMMUNITY HEAL, TO SERVE FUTURE GENERATIONS, AND TO PRESERVE THE ARTISTIC LEGACY OF OUR 75-YEAR OLD INSTITUTION, EVEN AFTER ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT YEARS IN ITS HISTORY. EVEN THOUGH THE ORCHESTRA WAS UNABLE TO PERFORM FOR ALMOST THE ENTIRETY OF THE 2020/21 CONCERT SEASON, THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY SOUGHT OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE REACHING AUDIENCES, INITIALLY THROUGH VIRTUAL CONTENT. IN JANUARY 2021, NASHVILLE SYMPHONY'S VIRTUAL LET FREEDOM SING! PROJECT CELEBRATED THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. THROUGH ONLINE VIDEO PERFORMANCES OF MUSIC BY BLACK COMPOSERS AND MUSICIANS, AND DISCUSSIONS WITH MEMBERS OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY. THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT, THE SYMPHONY SHOWCASED CONTENT FROM 14 LOCAL BLACK ARTISTS, ENSEMBLES, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. NASHVILLE SYMPHONY ALSO PROVIDED ADDITIONAL CURRICULUM AND MATERIALS, AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR FREE ALONGSIDE THE PUBLISHED VIDEOS. BETWEEN MAY 21 AND JUNE 26, NASHVILLE SYMPHONY MUSICIANS WELCOMED THE COMMUNITY BACK TO THE SCHERMERHORN SYMPHONY CENTER WITH SIX SUMMER CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES CONCERTS, ALL FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THE SERIES SHOWCASED SMALL ENSEMBLES OF NASHVILLE SYMPHONY MUSICIANS PERFORMING CLASSICAL WORKS INCLUDING FLORENCE PRICE'S STRING QUARTET NO. 2 IN A MINOR, CAROLINE SHAW'S DOLCE CANTAVI, AND CHAMBER WORKS BY BACH, DVOAK, MOZART, AND MORE. ON JULY 4, 2021, THE FULL NASHVILLE SYMPHONY PERFORMED FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE MARCH 2020, AS PART OF NASHVILLE'S ANNUAL INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION. GIANCARLO GUERRERO AND A ROSTER OF 63 MUSICIANS PERFORMED FOR AN ESTIMATED 350,000 PEOPLE, WITH FIREWORKS CHOREOGRAPHED TO THE PROGRAM. AMID A YEAR OF UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES, NASHVILLE SYMPHONY RATIFIED A NEW THREE YEAR-CONTRACT WITH THE NASHVILLE MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION-AFM LOCAL 257 THAT WENT INTO EFFECT AUG. 1, 2021. THIS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BROUGHT OUR FURLOUGHED MUSICIANS BACK TO WORK FULL-TIME, ENDING A TEMPORARY AGREEMENT DURING WHICH THEY RECEIVED $500 WEEKLY STIPENDS AND FULL HEALTH INSURANCE.

EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS: THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY SERVES THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EACH YEAR FROM THE 41-COUNTY MIDDLE TENNESSEE REGION, AT SCHERMERHORN SYMPHONY CENTER, ON VIRTUAL PLATFORMS, AND IN LOCAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACES ACROSS THE REGION. DESPITE THE TREMENDOUS DISRUPTION CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY KEPT EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING AT THE CENTER OF ITS PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING DURING THE 2020/21 SEASON, UTILIZING A VARIETY OF VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES TO INSPIRE, ENTERTAIN, EDUCATE, AND SERVE MIDDLE TENNESSEE AUDIENCES, WHILE ALSO REALIGNING OUR VISION WITH THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: ACCELERANDO IS DESIGNED TO PREPARE GIFTED YOUNG STUDENTS OF DIVERSE ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS TO PURSUE MUSIC AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL AND ESTABLISH CAREERS AS MUSICIANS IN PROFESSIONAL ORCHESTRAS. DURING THE PANDEMIC, 24 STUDENTS CONTINUED TO RECEIVE WEEKLY INSTRUCTION, REGULAR MUSIC THEORY AND HISTORY CLASSES, VALUABLE PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES, MENTORSHIP AND GUIDANCE FROM PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS WITH DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, AND SUPPORT WITH AUDITIONS, SUMMER FESTIVALS, AND COLLEGE/ CONSERVATORY APPLICATIONS. DURING THE 2020/21 SEASON, ACCELERANDO STUDENTS LEARNED HOW TO RECORD THEMSELVES, EDIT AUDIO AND VIDEO, PRESENT THEMSELVES PROFESSIONALLY ON CAMERA, AND SHARE THEIR CONTENT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER ONLINE PLATFORMS. ON JUNE 7 AND 9, STUDENTS, FAMILY, AND THE COMMUNITY RETURNED TO SCHERMERHORN SYMPHONY CENTER TO ENJOY PERFORMANCES FROM ALL 24 ACCELERANDO STUDENTS IN YEAR-END RECITALS. STUDENTS WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE BUILDING BRIDGES SYMPOSIUM, A FORUM TO DISCUSS THE OPERATIONS AND STRATEGIES OF PROGRAMS LIKE ACCELERANDO THAT CREATE DIVERSE, EQUITABLE, AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS PURSUING A CAREER IN CLASSICAL MUSIC. EACH YEAR, ACCELERANDO SENIORS PARTICIPATE IN THE INTENSIVE COLLEGE/CONSERVATORY AUDITION PROCESS AND MUST MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE THEY WILL CONTINUE PURSUING THEIR MUSICAL DREAMS AND AMBITIONS. WE ARE PROUD OF OUR TWO GRADUATES THIS YEAR: VIOLIST TREASURE ECKLES IS NOW ATTENDING THE JACOBS SCHOOL OF MUSIC AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY, AND BASSOONIST XAVION PATTERSON IS ATTENDING THE COLBURN SCHOOL IN LOS ANGELES. THEY WERE AWARDED A COMBINED $334,000 IN SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING. THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY ALSO PROVIDED RESOURCES, INSTRUCTION, AND PERFORMANCE COACHING FOR SMALL GROUPS OF STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AROUND MIDDLE TENNESSEE. 958 STUDENTS AND ADULTS WERE ENGAGED OVER 51 SESSIONS, WITH PARTICIPATION FROM ANTIOCH HIGH SCHOOL, MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MAGNET SCHOOL, NASHVILLE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, AND MORE. IS IT A FIDDLE OR A VIOLIN?, OFFERED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME, INVITED 366 STUDENTS TO EXPLORE THE COMMONALITIES AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COUNTRY AND CLASSICAL MUSIC. THIS SUMMER, NASHVILLE SYMPHONY CONDUCTED A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT WITH THE HELP OF PAULA WILSON, AN INTERN FROM AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS' DIVERSITY IN ARTS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY METRO ARTS. THROUGH ROBUST DISCUSSIONS AIMED AT ADDRESSING INSTITUTIONAL GOALS ACROSS EVERY DEPARTMENT, THE SYMPHONY INTERVIEWED 42 COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN ONE-ON-ONE AND GROUP SETTINGS, INCLUDING PATRONS, FELLOW ARTS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDEPENDENT ARTISTS. THE FEEDBACK GENERATED THROUGH THIS PROJECT WILL HELP THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY IN ITS ONGOING EFFORTS TO INCREASE AUDIENCE DIVERSITY, REMOVE BARRIERS TO ACCESS, AND IMPROVE THE PATRON EXPERIENCE.