Cultivating Community
Lifting Our voices
Telling our Stories
We see a world where Black Orchestral Artists easily find reflections of themselves, and all their complexities, in the history and future of orchestral music.
Dear American orchestras,
We are a community of Black orchestral artists. We grew up enmeshed in classical music, in our homes and families, through the nation's band and orchestra programs, conservatories and schools of music, and as anchors, creators, and leaders in American orchestras. We love and care about the American orchestral community: from its history and roots, to how it is felt and experienced, to its sustained success and vibrant role in American life.
We are deeply concerned because the American orchestral community is not well…
FOUNDERS
The Black Orchestral Network (BON) started with a theory: if we increase our connection to one another, we can harness our creativity and develop initiatives that benefit Black musicians.
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Jennifer Arnold
Joined the Richmond Symphony (VA) as Director of Artistic Planning and Orchestral Operations in 2019 following 15 years as a violist with the Oregon Symphony.
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Alexander Laing
The principal clarinet of the Phoenix Symphony, a nationally recognized speaker, and an accomplished instrumental artist whose work represents a modern take on orchestral practice.
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Stephanie Matthews
A dynamic violinist and entrepreneur, Stephanie Matthews is a modern-day citizen artist championing artistic excellence and social consciousness.*
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Eliesha Nelson
Grammy-Award Winning Violist, passionate chamber musician, and member of the Cleveland Orchestra. *
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David A. Norville
Associate Producer for New York Public Radio’s WQXR and Oboist in the Sound Garden Woodwind Quintet.
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Joy Payton-Stevens
Member of the Seattle Symphony 2014-2021, now works as Innovation Strategist since receiving her MBA from Columbia University.
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Shea Scruggs
Director of Institutional Research and Musician Experience/Chief of Enrollment at the Curtis Institute of Music where he oversees admissions, alumni engagement, and institutional research.
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Weston Sprott
Dean and Director of the Preparatory Division at the Juilliard School and a trombonist in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
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Titus Underwood
Principal Oboe of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Associate Professor of Oboe at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
* = former board member