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First time an Inland Empire Orchestra has hosted.
SAN BERNARDINO, CA— For the first time in its 54-year history, the Association of California Symphony Orchestras (ACSO) has selected an Inland Empire orchestra to host annual conference. The San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra (SBSO) will not only host the conference, but will also perform on the opening evening, and it will receive two prestigious awards.
Explained ACSO Executive Director Sarah Weber, “For our first in-person conference since the pandemic, we not only want to showcase the Inland Empire as an arts-rich region of California, but we also want to inspire, revitalize, connect, and support those working in orchestras and the performing arts. We hope that this conference will generate profound and creative ideas about how the work we do and the influence that we have as arts organizations can be used to build a better world.”
This year’s conference theme — Uplift & Amplify — emphasizes the foremost work of the orchestra industry today: to center the needs of audiences, welcome new artistic voices, and use the power of music to serve and connect communities. The conference is being held at the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside, CA from August 16th to the 18th, 2023.
Shared Dean McVay, ACSO Board Member, conference co-chair, and Immediate Past President of the San Bernardino Symphony Board of Directors, “We at the SBSO have been planning and preparing for this ACSO Conference in the Inland Empire for several years, and in many respects it is a dream come true. Bringing the best and brightest industry leaders, musicians, and artists in the West Coast for this conference is an honor and a privilege, and we look forward to sharing the beauty and talent that is so abundant here in the Inland Empire – with performances from the San Bernardino Symphony, and from our conference partners from the Redlands Symphony and the Riverside Philharmonic.”
ACSO is a member service nonprofit with nearly 120 classical music organizations and their 2,000 board and administrative staff in its network. ACSO’s members are comprised of professional, academic, youth, and community-based orchestras, choruses, and festivals in California and the Western United States.
The conference gathers 300 orchestra professionals and leaders to hear from impactful thought-leaders and learn about the big-picture issues and opportunities for the field. The convening includes keynote sessions, peer forums, networking events, and more. Sessions will focus on the vital issues facing California’s orchestras, such as audience regeneration, advancing equity, strengthening partnerships, and building relevance and impact. Bookending this year’s incredible lineup of speakers are opening keynote speaker Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Vice President & Artistic Director of Social Impact for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and closing keynote speaker Lara Downes, classical pianist & cultural activist.
The first night of the conference, the SBSO will reprise their annual subscription concert, “Movies with the Maestro,” at the Henry W. Coil Sr. and Alice Edna Coil School of the Arts Auditorium. The concert, which is also available to the general public, will draw from an eclectic mélange of film favorites, including several pieces in which SBSO Music Director Anthony Parnther has either personally conducted or performed in the film score. Repertoire includes John Williams’ “Hooray for Hollywood” and “Born on the 4th of July”, Simon Franglen’s Suite from Avatar: The Way of Water, Pinar Toprak’s Suite from Slumberland, and Bernard Herrmann’s “Salaambo’s Aria” from Citizen Kane. Young patrons will particularly enjoy Steve and Julie Bernstein’s Suite from Animanics, John Powell’s “Poisonous Love” from Rio 2, and Jerry Goldsmith and Sherri Chung’s “Gremlins” from Gremlins: Secrets of Mogwai.
Los Angeles Philharmonic Principal Horn Andrew Bain will be among a number of internationally lauded artists joining the Orchestra and will perform Kris Bowers’ (Green Book, King Richard, and Bridgerton) Concerto for Horn which, under the baton of Maestro, Parnther, premiered in 2021 as part of the Philharmonic’s Reel Change series. As is done at the Orchestra’s annual cinematic performance in San Bernardino, patrons are highly encouraged to bring their light sabers to wave along to William’s “Imperial March” from Star Wars and to Ludwig Goransson and Joe Shirley’s Main Theme from Star Wars-The Mandalorian.
This year’s event also includes a trip to the Redlands Bowl summer Music Festival’s 100th season finale, a visit to the iconic Kimberly Crest House and Gardens, and an opportunity to tour the newly opened Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture.
Among conference happenings are several award presentations, including two to the SBSO. Assistant Conductor Raphaela Correa De Lacerda Campos will receive the 2023 Emerging Professional Award, which recognizes the current contributions and the future potential of an individual who has been in the orchestra/classical music field for less than five years but who has already made significant contributions to their organization and has demonstrated the potential for leadership and continuing professional growth. This individual has experienced early career success in the field, has helped elevate the mission of their organization, and thus is actively making an impact in the community.
“Raphaela has only been with the SBSO a short time, but her work distinguished her as a true emerging professional from the day we met her,” said Anne Viricel, Executive Director of the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra. “In December of 2022, she conducted a performance of Bizet’s Farandole from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2 to significant community acclaim. We even received phone calls from community members and local music teachers asking when she would be back on the podium! It was the maturity of her conducting ability and demonstrated interest in orchestra operations that brought her to the attention of our Music director and Conductor Anthony Parnther.”
SBSO Board of Directors Member John Rogers will be named Symphony MVP. ACSO launched the MVP Volunteer Award in 1996 to recognize exemplary volunteers, volunteer projects, and volunteer organizations and to thank a few of the hundreds of dedicated, hardworking, and committed volunteers that orchestras and classical music organizations depend on every day.
“John Rogers is the Board Member every symphony wants. He is an incredibly generous and equally active advocate for the SBSO. He always brings guests to concerts and events, including purchasing more than 30 tickets for each of our holiday concerts,” said Anne Viricel, Executive Director of the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra. “He has connected us with other arts organizations in his area of residence, thus expanding our regional presence. He never misses a board meeting and is always a greeter at our concerts. And he is always the first to volunteer when extra help is needed.”
Registration for the annual conference is available at various rates for individuals, music organizations, and students. While ACSO primarily serves orchestras in California and the western United States, the conference is open to anyone working in the arts. Further information about the conference, visit ACSO’s website at www.acso.org/conference or contact ACSO at (800) 495-2276 or at office@acso.org.
Concluded McVay, “We are excited to welcome our colleagues in the industry to the Inland Empire and know that all attendees will leave feeling reinvigorated, inspired, and edified in the knowledge and connections they have gained through this valuable conference experience.”
