Dear American Orchestras,

Over the past three years, we have engaged in a critical dialogue about the past, present, and future of American orchestral music. We chronicled the long history of how American orchestras have excluded, marginalized, and tokenized Black musicians, and why this prevents them from expanding their reach and realizing their full depth and potential. We called on orchestras to "build a richer and more robust American orchestral community: one where musicians can share all aspects of their artistry and talents, where Black artists can see and center themselves in the history and future of the orchestral community." Several orchestras have already adopted many of our key recommendations.

And yet, the work is far from done. One problem we have repeatedly identified is the failure of American orchestras to invest directly in the development and early career growth of classical musicians more broadly – and Black classical musicians in particular. While early-career fellowships are often designed specifically to increase access for Black musicians and others to whom the doors of American orchestras have remained closed, in practice, they are inadequate to counter the legacy of exclusion and barriers to long-term employment. These programs are often not part of larger talent development programs within individual orchestras or across the field, and do not consistently provide a clear pathway to permanent employment. Instead, they further a perception that such fellowships are performative and outside the core work of orchestras.

A different model is needed – one that revitalizes and reorients fellowship programs away from symbolic support towards meaningful professional development and pathways to employment. In 2026, as the federal government, along with some state and local governments, attempts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, it remains important for Black musicians to have access to meaningful and effective opportunities for full participation in American orchestras.

Black Musicians Share Their Experiences

The fellowship programs differ, often widely, in the provision, funding, frequency, and support for mock auditions, lessons, and mentoring; compensation and benefits; performance time; and the role and position accorded to fellows. In addition, there were nearly always gaps – and usually significant ones – between the stated goals of the fellowship programs, the expectations and promises communicated to fellows, and what was actually provided and delivered. Below are a few examples of the differences between fellowships as well as the experiences within those fellowships, drawn from the interviews with Black orchestral musicians: 

Mentoring and support: Many fellows spoke about their desire for mentors who supported their development and integration into the orchestra. 

Fellowship Position and Role: Fellows often were not treated – and consequently did not feel – as if they were respected participants in the orchestra. They often felt like second-class citizens who weren't considered valuable contributors. 

Compensation and benefits: Fellowship programs offered varying levels of financial compensation and benefits

Culture and Respect: Fellows almost all reported experiencing marginalization, tokenization, disrespect, isolation, exclusion, and/or a feeling of invisibility, due to being Black and in a fellowship position. 

The League of American Orchestras, in a 2016 report entitled 40 Years of Fellowships, found that while fellowships had the potential to strengthen pathways and promote opportunity, in practice they often fell short. Fellowships rarely resulted in permanent hires and had weak or limited structures for onboarding and ensuring that fellowship professional development goals were met. Nine years later, little to no progress has been made.

Black Orchestral Network's Recommendations

Building an Investment Mindset: American orchestras need to approach fellowship programs as an investment in the field and in their future.

Access to fellowships: Fellowships should be designed to focus on musicians who have experienced exclusion and marginalization and to address the real barriers that exist in American orchestras. 

Economic and professional support for fellows: Fellowships should offer a salary and benefits that provide sufficient financial support to enable fellows to focus on the opportunity to learn how to be a member of a professional orchestra. 

Making the Career Path Meaningful: Fellowships should generally lead to permanent employment, and that goal should be embedded in every aspect of the program. 

Toward Meaningful Investments in Talent

A move towards collaboration, cohorts, and consortia would benefit fellows, orchestras, and audiences by strengthening these programs and making them more financially and operationally sustainable. Collaboration could include orchestras pooling resources to offer collective training, share best practices, and provide stronger professional development. A shared set of protocols and practices – a Fellows' Bill of Rights – would offer more consistent and reliable experiences to fellows. Consortium approaches to funding would make fellowship programs more accessible to smaller orchestras currently unable to sustain a program on their own, and provide longer-term funding for individual fellows, serving as an on-ramp to long-term employment.

We know a better model is possible. We see how European orchestras use the academy model as an investment in the future of classical music, with goals such as "securing the next generation of musicians" and preparing them for long-term employment. Fellowship programs should enable orchestras to reflect the full range of classical music talent and artistry.

We call on orchestras and funders to critically examine orchestra fellowship programs and address the barriers that prevent full participation and equal opportunity in orchestras nationwide. Our recommendations will make these programs true pathways to successful professional careers for the next generation of talent, while ensuring the doors of opportunity are truly open for Black classical musicians.