SEATTLE SYMPHONY FLUTIST JEFFREY BARKER TO RECEIVE FORD MUSICIAN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE FROM THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS

BARKER IS ONE OF FIVE MUSICIANS BEING HONORED NATIONWIDE

SEATTLE, WA – Seattle Symphony Associate Principal Flute Jeffrey Barker is one of just five orchestra musicians from across the U.S. who will receive Ford Musician Awards for Excellence in Community Service from the League of American Orchestras at the League’s 73rd National Conference in Chicago, June 13–15, 2018. Recognizing the transformative power of music, the awards honor those in the orchestra field who employ music for the benefit of the greater community.

The awardees’ impact has been deep and life-changing; in partnership with their orchestras and organizations, the musicians have used music to engage, inspire and heal multiple populations: Latinx children and teens, rural communities with limited access to quality music education, cancer patients and their families, the homeless and housing insecure, and visual and performing artists united in support of sheltered animals.

“We are so proud of Jeffrey for being recognized for his service to our community. Jeffrey exemplifies our mission in every sense — he unleashes the power of music, lifts the human spirit and brings people together. Our Simple Gifts initiative is such a crucial part of the work we do at the Seattle Symphony, and we are so lucky to have musicians like Jeffrey to bring its impact to light,” said Seattle Symphony Board Chair Leslie Jackson Chihuly. 

“These five musicians are committed leaders and advocates who inspire their colleagues around the country with their skill and expertise in community settings,” said League of American Orchestras President and CEO Jesse Rosen. “We are grateful to Ford Motor Company Fund for supporting this vital work and helping us honor these role models.”

“We’re proud to recognize the generous service of these talented musicians, who go above and beyond to help make people’s lives better,” said Yisel Cabrera, Manager, Government and Community Relations, Ford Motor Company Fund. “Music and the arts bring people together and strengthen our communities, and that’s a benefit we can all share and enjoy.”

The musicians will receive their awards at the League of American Orchestras’ Conference Luncheon, June 14 at 12:30 p.m., and discuss their work at Social Impact Beyond the Concert Hall: A Musicians’ Panel, an elective session for Conference delegates on June 14 at 8:45 a.m.

Since joining the Seattle Symphony in 2015, Barker has immersed himself in community engagement work. He has collaborated on developing Sensory Friendly Concerts, coached sectionals for side-by-side performances with local high schools, and actively supported the Seattle Symphony’s Lullaby Project and Simple Gifts initiative, which empowers individuals experiencing homelessness to connect with their creativity. In addition to his work through the Seattle Symphony, he also advocates on issues of homelessness by speaking publicly and helping partner organization Mary’s Place raise money for shelters.

The five award recipients and their orchestras are:
Jeffrey Barker, Associate Principal Flute, Seattle Symphony
Lullaby Project, Sensory Friendly Concerts, Simple Gifts Initiative, among others

John R. Beck, Principal Percussion, Winston-Salem Symphony
HealthRHYTHMS drumming with cancer and pediatric behavioral health patients; collaborative research study with physicians on the benefits of interactive group drumming.

Jody Chaffee, Flute II and Piccolo Chair, Community Engagement Director, Personnel Manager, Librarian, Firelands Symphony Orchestra and Chorale (OH)
Providing in-school access to quality music programs for students in rural communities

 Erin Hannigan, Principal Oboe, Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Concerts for Kindness, DSO’s Young Strings program, DSO Teen Council

Juan R. Ramírez Hernández, Violin, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Musicians in Schools, Musicians in Communities, and Talent Development Program, among others

Now in its third year, the League’s Ford Musician Awards program, made possible by the generous support of Ford Motor Company Fund, honors and celebrates professional orchestra musicians who provide exemplary and meaningful service in their communities and make a significant impact through education and community engagement. The Awards shine a spotlight on the work of these musicians with people of low incomes, the homebound elderly, immigrants, veterans, prisoners, students, and all those who may not otherwise have access to — or who are not traditionally served by — orchestras.

The musicians were selected by a panel of peer professionals through a competitive nomination process to receive the awards, which include a $2,500 grant to each musician, as well as an additional $2,500 grant to the musician’s home orchestra to support professional development focused on community service and engagement for musicians.

Previous Award Recipients:

2017 award recipients included Mark Dix, viola, Phoenix Symphony; Michael Gordon, principal flute, Kansas City Symphony; Diane McElfish Helle, violin, Grand Rapids Symphony; Eunsoon Lee-Coroliss, assistant principal violist, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra; and Peter Zlotnick, education manager/principal timpani, Greensboro Symphony. Videos of the 2017 awardees can be found here.

2016 award recipients included Penny Anderson Brill, viola, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Shannon Orme, bass clarinet, Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Jeffrey Paul, Principal Oboe, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra; Brian Prechtl, percussion, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; and Beth Vandervennet, cello, Oakland Symphony.

This is the League’s second partnership project with Ford Motor Company Fund, which was the title sponsor of Ford Made in America, the largest commissioning consortium in the country’s history.

The Seattle Symphony’s Community programs are supported by the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation, Citi Community Capital, KeyBank Foundation, the League of American Orchestras, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Tulalip Tribes Charitable Fund, the U.S. Bank Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, the Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation, and individual contributions to the Seattle Symphony Annual Fund.

SEATTLE SYMPHONY

The Seattle Symphony is one of America's leading symphony orchestras and is internationally acclaimed for its innovative programming and extensive recording history. Under the leadership of Music Director Ludovic Morlot since September 2011, the Symphony is heard from September through July by more than 500,000 people through live performances and radio broadcasts. It performs in one of the finest modern concert halls in the world — the acoustically superb Benaroya Hall — in downtown Seattle. Its extensive education and community engagement programs reach over 65,000 children and adults each year. The Seattle Symphony has a deep commitment to new music, commissioning many works by living composers each season. The orchestra has made nearly 150 recordings and has received three Grammy Awards, 23 Grammy nominations, two Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades. In 2014 the Symphony launched its in-house recording label, Seattle Symphony Media.

JEFFREY BARKER

A Seattle native, Jeffrey Barker began his position as Associate Principal Flute of the Seattle Symphony in the 2015–2016 season. Previously, he played as Principal Flute of the Boise Philharmonic since 2009. He has performed as guest principal flute of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Oregon Symphony, and as a substitute in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Jeffrey is passionate about connecting with audiences of all ages and backgrounds, collaborating with the Seattle Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement team in a variety of programs including the Lullaby Project, Sensory Friendly Concerts, and Tiny Tots. Jeffrey received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music under the instruction of Bonita Boyd, and his Master of Music degree from Carnegie Mellon University, where his teachers were Jeanne Baxtresser and Alberto Almarza. 

FORD MOTOR COMPANY FUND AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services — the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company — works with community and global partners to advance driving safety, education and community life. Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 67 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford Driving Skills for Life is free, interactive, hands-on safety training focused on skill development and driving techniques, while addressing inexperience, distractions and impaired driving. Innovation in education is encouraged through Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Driving Dreams, Ford Next Generation Learning and other innovative programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. The Ford Volunteer Corps enlists more than 30,000 Ford employees and retirees each year to work on local projects that strengthen their communities and improve people’s lives in more than 40 countries around the world. For more information, visit http://community.ford.com.
 

LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS

The League of American Orchestras leads, supports, and champions America’s orchestras and the vitality of the music they perform. Its diverse membership of more than 2,000 organizations and individuals across North America runs the gamut from world-renowned orchestras to community groups, from summer festivals to student and youth ensembles, from conservatories to libraries, from businesses serving orchestras to individuals who love symphonic music. The only national organization dedicated solely to the orchestral experience, the League is a nexus of knowledge and innovation, advocacy, and leadership advancement. Its conferences and events, award-winning Symphony magazine, website, and other publications inform people around the world about orchestral activity and developments. Founded in 1942 and chartered by Congress in 1962, the League links a national network of thousands of instrumentalists, conductors, managers and administrators, board members, volunteers, and business partners. Visit americanorchestras.org.

# # #