In 2025, the American Musicological Society  will hold its first-ever Music Leadership Forum. This day-long event titled, “Navigating Crisis and Change,” will gather leaders in music studies, the performing arts, education, and nonprofit management to share, learn, and connect. Featuring workshops hosted by an impressive roster of experts, the Music Leadership Forum will offer opportunities for professional development and networking for attendees working on music programs within a variety of professional contexts.

At the Forum, you will connect with colleagues who are shaping the future of music education and performance and learn how to approach strategic planning, professional ethics, staff management, and partnership-building in uncertain times. The Music Leadership Forum will offer ways to:

• Motivate your team in the face of heightened stress and uncertainty
• Market and promote your programs to new audiences
• Assess the state of a rapidly changing industry or field
• Engage with local partners and strengthen community connections
• Evaluate shifting legal landscapes
• Raise money in a scarce funding environment

Through a combination of featured talks and collaborative workshops, Forum speakers will share practical strategies for solving the most pressing problems facing you and your organization. The Music Leadership Forum will be held in Minneapolis, MN at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on the day preceding the opening of 2025 AMS-SMT Joint Annual Meeting, which is the largest international conference in music studies. Forum participants are encouraged to attend the conference as well. The 2025 AMS-SMT Joint Annual meeting offers many more opportunities to network, trade ideas, and connect with colleagues who share your professional fears, challenges, and passions.

Who Should Attend

The Music Leadership Forum is intended to bring together a variety of organizational and thought leaders working in music, the humanities, and education. Its carefully curated program is intended to spark conversations that are relevant across a range of professional domains. Attendees may be:

• Nonprofit professionals at organizations dedicated to music and the arts
• Academic leaders in colleges, universities and conservatories
• Leaders and professionals at cultural institutions, like orchestras and theaters
• Cultural professionals work at museums, libraries, archives, and historical societies
• Lawyers and legal experts working on music and copyright
• Creative professionals working in production, composition, sound engineering, etc.

…and more

We define “leadership” broadly. We welcome new and aspiring organizational leaders who are seeking to build their professional skills and form connections within the community.

Forum Program & Schedule

Please see this document for a preview of the speakers and topics that will be explored at the first-ever AMS Music Leadership Forum. Additional details will be provided in the coming weeks, including abstracts of talks and speaker bios.

If you have questions or concerns about this event, please contact the American Musicological Society (AMS) at [email protected].