Ten-Month Leadership Program Offers
Mentoring with Top Leaders in the Field, One-On-One Coaching, In-Depth Seminars by Leadership Experts, and
Peer Network-Building Opportunities 

Los Angeles, CA (September 16, 2016) – Nora Brady is one of only nine participants in the 2016-17 League of American Orchestras’ Emerging Leaders Program. Viewed by the field as one of the best sources of identifying talented administrators with great leadership potential, the program is the flagship of the League’s leadership development offerings. The program, along with its previous iteration, the Orchestra Management Fellowship Program, has advanced the development of more than 180 alumni, from 25 current executive directors of orchestras to countless senior executives.

The League of American Orchestras’ Emerging Leaders Program is instrumental in identifying future leaders in our field,” said LA Phil President and CEO Deborah Borda. “We are very proud to see Nora receive this distinguished honor and look forward to seeing her continue her growth as an exemplary leader within our marketing department.”

Identifying and developing high-potential leaders has been a core commitment of the League since the organization’s earliest days, commented League of American Orchestras President and CEO Jesse Rosen. “The cultivation of leaders who can help orchestras adapt to the rapid changes in our society remains at the heart of our mission.” 

The participants were selected through a competitive application process and were chosen based on their potential to make significant contributions to their orchestras and to the field as a whole.

The nine men and women will take part in both in-person and virtual seminars and have the opportunity to learn from top leaders in the field. Their ten-month experience, beginning this month, will culminate with a joint presentation with the program participants at the League of American Orchestras’ 2017 National Conference in Detroit. Renowned leadership development expert John McCann is the lead faculty and facilitator of the Emerging Leaders Program.

The 2016-17 Emerging Leaders Program participants are:

Nora Brady, Associate Director, Sales and Marketing, Los Angeles Philharmonic
Benjamin Cadwallader, Executive Director, Vermont Symphony Orchestra
Susan Lape, Executive Director, Lake Forest Symphony
Elisabeth Madeja, Director of Marketing, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
David Renfro, Orchestra Personnel and Operations Manager, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
Kathryn Rudolph, Director of Education and Community Engagement, Jacksonville Symphony
Amanda Stringer, CEO, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra
Jodi Weisfield, Vice President of Development, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Randy Wong, Executive Director, Hawaii Youth Symphony

Bios and photos are linked here 

The Emerging Leaders Program is the newest chapter in the League’s history of distinguished talent leadership programs for American orchestras. These programs have included the Orchestra Management Fellowship Program, the Executive Leadership Programs, Institutional Vision and Critical Issues programs, American Conducting Fellowship Program, and Essentials of Orchestra Management. 

The inaugural 2015-16 class of the Emerging Leaders Program included Caleb Baily, Executive Director, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra (was Orchestra Manager Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra, Nebraska, when he participated); Jennifer Behr, Director of Patron Engagement, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra (was Individual Giving Manager when she participated); Nicholas Cohen, General Manager, OrchKids and Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Bradley Evans, Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager, San Francisco Symphony; Yoo-Jin Hong, Director of Programs, Learning and Leadership Development, League of American Orchestras (was Director of Civic Orchestra and Training Programs Chicago Symphony Orchestra when she participated); and Rebecca Zabinski, Manager, Artistic Administrator, Houston Symphony (was Artistic Associate when she participated).

The Emerging Leaders Program is made possible by generous grants from American Express Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Nora Brady is Associate Director, Sales and Marketing for the LA Phil, and has been part of its Marketing Department since 2009.  Led by Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, the Los Angeles Philharmonic is among the largest symphony orchestras in the United States, producing 200+ concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall and Hollywood Bowl each year. At the LA Phil, Nora oversees expense and revenue forecasting, pricing, sales analysis and strategy, direct marketing efforts, audience development initiatives, and customer research and insights. She has served as a leader on major institutional projects including the LA Phil's participation in the Wallace Foundation's Building Audiences for Sustainability Initiative and each phase of the Patron Growth Initiative. Preceding her time at the LA Phil, Nora worked for the LA Opera, House of Blues, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Voodoo Music and Art Experience, and the College of Music and Fine Arts at Loyola University New Orleans in a wide range of marketing and communications capacities. In addition to her professional background and sixteen years of experience in the music business, Nora is a passionate advocate of classical music. She received a BM in Vocal Performance and Music Industry Studies from the College of Music and Fine Arts at Loyola University New Orleans.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under the vibrant leadership of Music Director & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, presents an inspiring array of music from all genres - orchestral, chamber and Baroque music, organ and celebrity recitals, new music, jazz, world music and pop - at two of L.A.'s iconic venues, Walt Disney Concert Hall (www.laphil.com) and the Hollywood Bowl (www.HollywoodBowl.com). The LA Phil's season extends from September through June at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and throughout the summer at the Hollywood Bowl. With the preeminent Los Angeles Philharmonic at the foundation of its offerings, the LA Phil aims to enrich and transform lives through music, with a robust mix of artistic, education and community programs.

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 symphonies 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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