League of American Orchestras Forms Student Leadership Council

Five students will meet quarterly to work on bringing youth issues to the forefront of the League's work

The League of American Orchestras has formed a new Student Leadership Council, with the aim of amplifying the voices of young people within the organization.

The Council will comprise five high school, college, and graduate students from around the US. For the 2023/24 season, the selected students are Lorin Green, Julia Jacobsen, William Ryan, Max Stephenson, and Lauren Zwonik.

The Council will meet once every quarter. They will take responsibility for issues such as membership growth, marketing and recruitment, and programming for the League's National Conference — which will be held in Houston in 2024.

Another key area the Council will work on is the strategic building of inclusive pathways for a new generation of diverse and creative professionals to enter the orchestra field and flourish as leaders.

"It has so often been proven to me that young people hold the answers about the future," said Simon Woods, the League’s President and CEO. "Not only do they bring creative thinking and fresh ideas, but they also view the world through the lens of fairness and equity, which is so vital for our field. They will be the next generation of orchestra musicians, staff, audience members, donors, and volunteers, so we need to be listening to them now if we are to future-proof our field for the coming generation."