“Writing a New Script for Classical Music” – San Francisco Classical Voice

“The arts industry is at an inflection point,” said Aubrey Bergauer, Executive Director for the Center for Innovative Leadership at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. “We can cling to practices that were proving ineffective before the pandemic hit, or we can embrace the potential for accelerated evolution that crisis brings. Now is the time to intentionally reassess the value of our approach and define for ourselves how best to move forward—and we can be doing that work together.”

Envisioned as a learning lab for the arts management talent pipeline, SFCM’s Center for Innovative Leadership (CIL) aims to develop powerful and replicable models that build a stronger future for arts and culture, while challenging assumptions about the status quo. Slated to welcome its inaugural cohort in 2021, CIL will first gather artistic leaders for a series of publicly viewable roundtable discussions this July, modeling the transparent collaboration the industry needs to move forward in a post-COVID world.

Leaders Reframe False Dichotomies • July 7-9, 2020

World-class artists and administrators, including soprano Julia Bullock, The Dallas Opera Artistic Administrator David Lomelí, LA Philharmonic trumpet player Christopher Still, and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra trombonist Weston Sprott, will gather in virtual roundtable discussions to expose false dichotomies prevalent in today’s rapidly evolving opera and orchestra workplaces. Topics explored will include content creation and pro bono streaming in a post-COVID world, collaborative decision-making and zero-sum ideology in collective bargaining, and finding a balance between tradition and innovation. Facilitated by Bergauer, this online series is free to attend, with registration required.

Learn more about the Center for Innovative Leadership and see the full list of roundtable speakers; registration now open.