The Jacksonville Symphony has received a two-year, $200,000 competitive grant award from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund in support of its efforts to increase racial diversity within the orchestra.
“We applaud the Jacksonville Symphony for undertaking this important work to provide opportunities for Black and Latinx musicians, lowering the barrier to entry for new voices to join the incredibly high caliber group of musicians we’re fortunate to have in Jacksonville,” said Mari Kuraishi, president of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. “We’re proud to support this work to make our symphony more reflective of the diverse backgrounds and experiences of all of Jacksonville.”
In support of this initiative, the Jacksonville Symphony has partnered with the Sphinx Organization, a national nonprofit organization in Detroit dedicated to transforming the lives of young Black and Latinx musicians through the power of diversity in the arts. Founded in 1997, Sphinx is working to change the landscape of classical music by offering musicians a customized combination of mentoring, audition preparation, financial support and audition previews.
As part of the partnership, the Jacksonville Symphony participates in the Sphinx Orchestral Partners Auditions program (SOPA), which provides Sphinx musicians the opportunity to audition for a panel of orchestra representatives who seek to identify musicians for placement on substitute/contract player lists.
The Symphony hosted six Sphinx musicians in the 2022-23 season. Two musicians were part of the orchestra for the entire season, and four substitute musicians were brought on for four different classical concert weeks. Two full-season contract musicians have been hired for the upcoming 2023-24 season with plans to hire 10 substitute musicians for open positions week to week once they become known.
