ASTRAL BLOG

A message from Astral’s Board of Directors

Astral | Thursday June 18, 2020

Astral stands against racism, oppression, violence and injustice across the arts, our city of Philadelphia, and the world. In the face of the murders of Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and too many others, we say clearly: Black Lives Matter.

We know that our solidarity means nothing without meaningful action. To truly serve Astral’s emerging classical musicians and our community, our work must develop in deeper ways. This includes a stronger commitment to justice and equity in the classical music world in which our artists work, live and create.

We will be listening, learning and developing purposeful steps to address issues of systemic racism. These steps will include reviewing our National Auditions process, Board membership, and professional development approach with our Board, Staff and Artists. We do not intend to stop our work with these efforts. This journey is just beginning and you will hear more from us as we move forward.