Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) has announced a partnership with the National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS), a program led by The Sphinx Organization of Detroit. With a mission to transform lives through the power of diversity in the arts, NAAS provides mentoring, audition preparation, financial support, audition previews and more.
“Women and people of color have been mostly excluded from classical music throughout history because of a structure that favors white men,” says VSO Executive Director Ben Cadwallader. ”Our partnership with Sphinx continues the hard work of shifting long-held systemic structures and beliefs as the VSO creates new conditions throughout our organization where people from all different perspectives and identities are welcomed and musically celebrated.”
By forming this partnership, the VSO commits to providing support to both current and future black and Latinx musicians. The transformative and powerful resources that are available through NAAS include orchestral mentorships, a variety of audition preparation initiatives and stipends for audition travel and professional development.
“If we perpetuate this obsolete structure of exclusion,” says Cadwallader, “we are ignoring a huge pool of creativity and genius. In short, we are all missing out on something amazing! Like most organizations, we want the VSO to be inclusive and welcoming, making music for everyone — but discussion alone does not drive change. Thus, the VSO is honored to be a partner orchestra with The Sphinx Organization.”
Partnering with NAAS and The Sphinx Organization is just one of many initiatives to come as the VSO commits to encouraging and maintaining diversity and accessibility. For more information about The Sphinx Organization and the National Alliance for Audition Support,visit: www.sphinxmusic.org/national-alliance-for-audition-support/
Source:VERMONT (November 5, 2018)— The Vermont Symphony Orchestra