The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts’s All-City Fellowship Program Helps Cultivate the Next Generation

The 2024–25 All-City Fellows

By Steve Holt

The Philadelphia Orchestra has been dedicated to presenting the best classical music in the world for over a century. But how to develop future generations of audiences and performers, to ensure that this jewel in Philadelphia’s crown continues to glitter?

The All-City Orchestra and Jazz Fellowships address that challenge on several fronts, by offering in-depth support to promising high school students across the city. How did this vital partnership between The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts and the School District of Philadelphia get started?

For one thing, Orchestra Vice President of Education and Community Danielle Allen explains, the community was speaking out. “We were constantly hearing from parents and students: ‘Can I get lessons from an Orchestra member?’ Or: ‘My kid plays well, but we can’t afford lessons, or an instrument.’ Because we believe very strongly that it’s our duty to cultivate the next generation of artists and audiences, we decided to create the Fellowship Program. We were already partnering closely with the School District of Philadelphia on the All-City Music Program, which features the best and brightest musicians throughout the school district. So it was a natural step to audition those participants for the Fellowship.”

Director of Instrumental Music Education Maya Jacobs says the auditions can be daunting. “We have a nice pool of candidates, but we always try to reach out to more. We have to realize that kids are really busy, and a lot of them don’t know about the program. Some of them are intimidated by the competition. We’re trying to make the process accessible to more and more students.”

Once chosen, the fellows have access to a treasure trove of support, starting with weekly private lessons from the best of the best. “The orchestra fellows get to study with members of The Philadelphia Orchestra,” Jacobs says. “The jazz fellows get lessons with some of the most famous jazz players in Philadelphia. The fellows also get financial support: to purchase instruments and for repairs, for sheet music, or to cover the costs of an audition. We can also help with applying to college or music school, or dealing with performance anxiety. We’re paving the way for them to be well-rounded musicians.” 

Other benefits range from access to select master classes, meet-and-greets with guest artists, educational workshops, and free and discounted tickets to Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts concerts. An extra bonus for the fellows: professional headshots.

The jazz fellows are a recent addition to the program. As Allen explains, “Both classical music and jazz have really deep roots here in Philadelphia. When The Philadelphia Orchestra merged with the Kimmel Cultural Campus to form Ensemble Arts, Kimmel had its Jazz Collective, which was a similar program, but it wasn’t a formalized fellowship. We wanted to provide those students who want to seriously study jazz with the same opportunities as our orchestra fellows. We’re trying to be responsive and meet the needs of the community.”

Allen admits, the price tag for all these benefits is substantial. “That’s why we’re beyond grateful for our donors. They’re people who really care, or they might have a really compelling personal story about their connection to the arts. And we also have corporate donors and foundations that believe so much in the work that we’re doing.”

One grateful current fellow is Sonya Dobi. She began playing violin when she was eight years old, thanks to the music instruction program at Robert B. Pollock Elementary School. She’s now a senior at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA).

“I had some older friends who were fellows and they kept telling me to audition. And then some of my teachers did, too, especially my orchestra director, Nanette Foley, who’s very supportive in finding opportunities for students. But I missed the deadline! [Kids are really busy!] I kept asking for more information, and finally at the end of my sophomore year I was able to audition and got in.”

As a fellow, Dobi has lessons every Saturday with Assistant Principal Second Violin Dara Morales. “And along with that, last year I got to perform on the Plaza Stage at the Kimmel Center. That was a lot of fun!” She says that’s just one example of the unique opportunities the Fellowship offers. And they’re not all strictly musical.

“This program has really taught me how to manage spending,” she says. “They offer us money to spend on music and music supplies, so I’ve had to learn a lot about budgeting. I’ve also learned to advocate for myself, because I have to reach out when I need something; for example, when I had to set up lessons with my teacher. I wasn’t very comfortable with that in the beginning, but it’s really helped me grow in that aspect.”

The fellows also get help with what people of a certain age refer to as “sheet music.” Isn’t everything digital now? “Oh yeah, we’re definitely in a digital age,” Dobi says, “but I still get sheet music on paper. I like to be able to write notes on it. I also feel way cooler carrying around music paper than a tablet!”

Now, Dobi is one of those dedicated fellows who tries to convince friends to sign up. The free music lessons are a huge selling point. But she does meet some resistance. “I think the biggest objection is from people who don’t want to do music seriously in the future. And I think that’s a little sad, because music doesn’t have to be just a profession. It can be a teaching tool, and it also gives you so many important life lessons.”

Recently, Dobi has been very busy preparing for college. But perhaps surprisingly, she doesn’t plan on majoring in music. “I thought about it very seriously. I was concerned that maybe the pressure of it, and the competitiveness, would have made me start to dislike playing, in a way that having it as a hobby or as a minor wouldn’t. I want to keep music as a part of my life.”

Allen supports Dobi’s plans. “This is about so much more than just performance, music, theater. None of these things exists in a vacuum. They are also means of expression, where students can work through life issues. There’s data over many decades that proves the benefits of arts education in other subject areas. We’re just doing our part to try to help supplement some of the arts education that might be missing in some learning environments.”

Of course, Allen will be equally happy with fellows who go on to careers as professional musicians. “We’re always dreaming of the day when our students come back to perform on our main stages, or maybe even win a seat in the Orchestra. I hope I’m alive to see that!”

Steve Holt, managing partner at re:Write, is a veteran journalist and musician.