This award will be given to a young musician who is high school or college-aged, who is part of a performing ensemble, and who has shown remarkable potential to become a future leader in the performing arts field. This is NOT an award for musical ability – it is to highlight the leadership potential of those who have gone above and beyond in service to their orchestra, school, peer group, or community.
ACSO seeks to promote a more intentional pathway into the field of arts administration by recognizing students who currently show strong leadership potential. ACSO’s Young Musician Leadership Award comes with an optional mentorship opportunity between the awardee and an arts leader in ACSO’s membership network to support them and give them experience in their field of expertise. In doing so, we feel this award will help cultivate the future arts leaders of tomorrow.
To ensure that the field of arts administration becomes a place where diversity is exemplified and celebrated, ACSO encourages nominations of students from non-traditional pathways into music who represent a diversity of ages, genders, and ethnicities. This young person is the embodiment of ACSO’s vision that the classical music landscape of California and the region is vibrant, healthy, diverse, and connected to the communities it serves.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Nominee:
Must be a young musician in a performing ensemble
Must be a high school or college student
Does not need to be affiliated with an ACSO member organization to be considered for this award
Nominator:
Must be a member of an ACSO member organization
Should be well-acquainted with the student and the work they have done that demonstrates their leadership potential
NOMINATION & REVIEW PROCESS:
The Nominator must complete and submit the online application before Friday, May 17, 2024.
The ACSO Awards Committee is comprised of ACSO staff, board, and members. When they complete their review and selection process, the nominator and winner will be notified, and the public announcement to the field will be made in June 2024. ACSO will provide the nominator’s organization with a press release that can be customized to send to local media.
The recipient will receive a cash award of $250, as well as an optional mentorship from an arts leader from within the ACSO membership network. The recipient will also receive an ACSO individual student membership for a year as well as one (1) complimentary registration to the 2024 Annual Conference.
These awards are given solely based on the quality of the application and supporting materials. We encourage nominators to take their time and be intentional and specific when answering the questions on the award application.
The awardee will be recognized during the 2024 Annual Conference in San Francisco (July 25 – 27, 2024).
