Festival Musicians

Unbound Symphony is a professional women’s orchestra dedicated to expanding opportunities for women musicians and amplifying the music of women composers.

https://www.unboundsymphony.org/festival-application

Our inaugural Summer Festival will take place July 8 to July 10, 2026 at the Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien, WA. The festival will bring together musicians, conductors, educators, and community partners for performances, workshops, and conversations rooted in equity and the empowerment of women in classical music.

The program will feature a dynamic and diverse selection of works by women composers, including Starburst by Jessie Montgomery, Kauyumari by Gabriela Ortiz, (selections from the Montgomery Variations by Margaret Bonds OR A short piece for orchestra by Juilia Perry - Social Media Followers Choice, vote by April 18th!), and the Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra by our resident composer Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte, featuring soloist Rebecca Lawrence. The festival will also include a world premiere titled Spider Boots by Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte and Tessa Brinckman, incorporating audience participation as part of the performance experience.

Festival Structure

The Unbound Symphony Summer Festival will feature two conductors rather than a single central authority, broadening opportunities for women conductors while fostering a collaborative rehearsal environment. Each conductor will lead specific repertoire while encouraging open artistic exchange between musicians and artistic leaders.

We are honored to welcome Dr. Anna Edwards and Hsing-Hui Hsu as our 2026 festival conductors.

Rather than a traditional top down model, the festival emphasizes dialogue, curiosity, and shared interpretation of the repertoire. This approach reflects our broader mission of supporting artistic leadership among women while reimagining aspects of orchestral culture.

In addition to performances, the festival includes workshops and community activities designed to support connection, creativity, and professional dialogue. These sessions create space for reflection, collaboration, and shared learning among women musicians and artistic leaders. Festival orchestra musicians are expected to participate fully in the festival schedule, including rehearsals, workshops, outreach events, and performances.

Stipend Details

Festival musicians will receive a stipend for their participation. Selected musicians (including principals) will receive a minimum stipend of $800 for the full 3-day engagement. Auxiliary do not get paid double. Stipends will be issued following completion of the festival.

Meals

Breakfast and lunch will be provided during festival days.

Travel and Lodging

Musicians are responsible for their own travel and lodging arrangements.

Union Status

The Unbound Symphony Summer Festival Orchestra is a non-union engagement. We warmly welcome applications from professional non-union musicians.

Ability Level & Evaluation

Applicants should have professional or advanced orchestral experience and the ability to prepare challenging repertoire within a limited rehearsal schedule.

Please note that piano is not included in the festival repertoire, and as such, we are not accepting applications from pianists at this time.

Principal players and conductors are invited directly and do not need to complete this application. In addition to their artistic roles, invited principals and conductors will serve on the festival’s evaluation & adjudication committee alongside additional musicians from Unbound Symphony’s team, representing a range of orchestral instruments to ensure a balanced and well-rounded evaluation process.

The remaining seats in the orchestra will be filled through the applicant pool. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and positions will remain open until filled by section.

To ensure a fair and equitable process, all applications will be evaluated through blind review. Names, resumes/CVs, and identifying information will be withheld from the evaluation committee, allowing decisions to be made based solely on musical materials and responses.

While principal players participate in the evaluation process, they do not hand-select their sections. All musicians are selected through the same adjudication framework. Once the orchestra is formed, principals are expected to collaborate fully with their section and support a shared, non-hierarchical approach to music-making. This includes rotating parts when appropriate, ensuring that section members who wish to do so have opportunities to rotate, and maintaining awareness of workload balance across the section, particularly given the demands of the repertoire.

Application Timeline

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and positions will remain open until filled by section. Musicians are encouraged to apply early. Submitting this application does not guarantee selection. Selected musicians will be contacted once the review process is complete.

We look forward to receiving applications from women musicians of diverse racial, cultural, and professional backgrounds, including musicians with disabilities, and encourage performers from across the orchestral, chamber, freelance, and academic communities to apply.

Unbound Symphony is committed to ensuring that all participants are able to fully engage in the festival experience. If you require accessibility accommodations, please indicate this in the application so that we can work with you to support your participation.

We deeply appreciate your interest in contributing to this project and to the mission of Unbound Symphony!