Episode 5 - Leading the Change with Marie-Hélène Bernard

Today on Orchestrating Change, Marie-Helene Bernard guides us through a conversation about what it means to be a leader in the field of orchestral music. She speaks on her experience as both a female and an immigrant and how that has affected her leadership style and her view on the future of this field. She is dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusion in her organizations and strives to create an inclusive environment in her organizations so the future of orchestral music is more diverse and representative of the communities we serve.

Canton Symphony Orchestra knows the need for change within the orchestral community. The tradition of classical music has ignored many communities that have contributed to the development and canon of repertoire played in the concert hall. While Canton Symphony is a regional orchestral, change starts at the smallest level. With “Orchestrating Change”, the Canton Symphony Orchestra hopes to facilitate conversations that will make the concert hall a more welcoming place for previously ignored communities as well as create more acceptance and diversity on the stage.

In addition to Orchestrating Change internally, educating audiences to issues surrounding diversity and inclusion will be a priority. Music by Black, Latinx, female, Asian, and LGBTQAI+ musicians and composers has been noticeably absent in the programming produced by established institutions in comparison to those who are white and male. Canton Symphony Orchestra hopes to be a more welcoming community that is reflective of the demographics in Canton, Ohio and the surrounding major metropolitan areas.

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https://www.cantonsymphony.org/episode-5-marie-helene-bernard/