New World Symphony's JT Kane Selected For The League Of American Orchestra's Program

JT Kane is one of only twelve orchestra professionals participating in the League of American Orchestras' Emerging Leaders Program, the field's prime source for identifying and cultivating the leadership potential of talented orchestra professionals.

The competitive eight-month program begins with a three-day meeting in New York City and also includes one-to-one coaching, in-depth seminars led by leadership experts, visits with leaders in cultural and performing arts institutions, virtual convenings, and a capstone project culminating at the League's 2020 National Conference in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (June 10-12, 2020). The curriculum develops participants' individual leadership capabilities and advances strategic thinking, resiliency, and innovation throughout the orchestra field.

"JT Kane is a talented violist and a dedicated orchestral manager. Through the League of American Orchestra's Emerging Leaders Program, he will have the opportunity to grow as a leader and to gain national perspective on the future of the orchestral enterprise. We are proud to have a New World Symphony staff member selected for this prestigious program."

"These twelve professionals are stewards of our field's future," said President and CEO Jesse Rosen. "They will hone their leadership skills and strategic vision through this flagship League of American Orchestras' leadership development program, while building a cohort of colleagues they can learn from in years to come."

Launched in 2014, the Emerging Leaders Program is the newest chapter in the League's history of developing orchestral leaders. Along with its previous iteration, the Orchestra Management Fellowship Program, the Emerging Leaders Program has advanced the development of more than 200 alumni-now executive directors and senior executives of orchestras.

Additional League leadership and professional development programs have included the Executive Leadership Programs, Institutional Vision and Critical Issues programs, American Conducting Fellowship Program, and Essentials of Orchestra Management.

About the 2019-20 Emerging Leaders Program:

The current cohort is comprised of orchestra executive directors, a professional orchestral musician, and managers in a cross-section of orchestra departments, including education and community engagement, development, marketing, personnel, public relations, operations, programming.

The participants were selected through a competitive application process; the League sought individuals who bring the imagination, drive, and commitment to grow as leaders in their own orchestras and serve as champions for the field.

A trio themes underpin the curriculum for this intensive program:

Fostering a Vibrant Orchestra - Understanding and assessing organizational culture and developing the foundational knowledge to be able to build a thriving and effective organization with a healthy, diverse, and inclusive culture.

Taking Responsibility for Personal Development - Building reflective practice as a means of increasing self-awareness and self-management in ways that sustain a career of increasing responsibility, influence, and professional growth in the orchestra field.

Leading with a Unified Vision - Developing a unifying strategic direction, working across traditional boundaries to bring people together in support of shared purpose.

The League's Emerging Leaders Program is guided by renowned leadership expert John McCann as the lead faculty and facilitator. One-to-one leadership coaching is provided throughout the course by leadership development specialists Craig Coble and Mary Parish. Additional faculty-including Ama Codjoe, arts and social justice educator, and guest speakers from inside and outside the orchestra field-provide ELP participants with diverse perspectives and multifaceted learning experience. See faculty bios on our website; https://americanorchestras.org/emergingleaders

The 2019-20 Emerging Leaders Program participants are:

• Karina Bharne, Executive Director, Symphony Tacoma

• Robin Freeman, Director of Public Relations, San Francisco Symphony

• JT Kane, Dean of Visiting Faculty and Orchestra Manager, New World Symphony

• Giuliano Kornberg, Chief Development Officer, Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera

• Rachel Lappen, Senior Director of Development, The Cleveland Orchestra

• Monica Meyer, Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Public Relations Virginia Symphony Orchestra

• Brian Prechtl, Percussion, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

• Andrew Roitstein, Director of Education and Community Engagement, Orchestra of St. Luke's

• Ignacio Barron Viela, Executive Director, Billings Symphony Orchestra and Chorale

• Sarah Whitling, Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Dallas Symphony Orchestra

• Leah Wilson-Velasco, CEO, Walla Walla Symphony

• Michelle Zwi, Associate Personnel Manager, The Philadelphia Orchestra

JT Kane is currently the Dean of Visiting Faculty and Orchestra Manager for the New World Symphony (NWS). Before joining NWS, he worked as the Artistic Operations Manager for Artis-Naples, was the Personnel and Popular Programming Manager with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and spent five summers at the Aspen Music Festival and School, the last two as the Manager of Orchestral Operations. As a violist, JT was the Assistant Principal Violist for the Chattanooga Symphony, and for six seasons was the Acting Assistant Principal Violist with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa in Veracruz, Mexico. While in Xalapa, JT taught viola at the Facultad de Música-Universidad Veracruzana, and the Instituto Superior de Música del Estado de Veracruz. As a chamber musician, JT formed two string quartets, the KLEF Quartet in Miami, Florida, and the Tamayo String Quartet in Xalapa, Veracruz. JT received his Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance from the Harid Conservatory (now Conservatory of Music at Lynn University) and his Master of Music in Viola Performance from the University of Miami.

Founded in 1987, the New World Symphony is dedicated to the artistic, personal and professional development of outstanding instrumentalists. The NWS fellowship program provides graduates of music programs the opportunity to enhance their musical education with the finest professional training. Through a wide range of performance and instructional activities, NWS seeks to develop in its participants the full complement of skills and qualifications required of 21st-century first-class musicians. Under the artistic direction of Michael Tilson Thomas, the program offers in-depth exposure to traditional and modern repertoire, with the active involvement of leading guest conductors, soloists and visiting faculty. The relationships with these artists are extended through NWS's pioneering experimentation with distance learning and performance. While based in Miami-Dade County and rooted in local cultural life, NWS is the world's foremost post-graduate orchestral academy. Its educational mission, experimentation with new methods in concert presentation, and efforts to reach and engage diverse audiences underlies its approach to programming. Its impact is increasingly significant in South Florida, across the U.S., and around the world.

The League of American Orchestras leads, supports, and champions America's orchestras and the vitality of the music they perform. Its diverse membership of more than 2,000 organizations and individuals across North America runs the gamut from world-renowned orchestras to community groups, from summer festivals to student and youth ensembles, from conservatories to libraries, from businesses serving orchestras to individuals who love symphonic music. The only national organization dedicated solely to the orchestral experience, the League is a nexus of knowledge and innovation, advocacy, and leadership advancement. Its conferences and events, award-winning Symphony magazine, website, and other publications inform people around the world about orchestral activity and developments. Founded in 1942 and chartered by Congress in 1962, the League links a national network of thousands of instrumentalists, conductors, managers and administrators, board members, volunteers, and business partners. Visit americanorchestras.org

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