(Philadelphia, June 16, 2020)—The Philadelphia Orchestra is pleased to announce the appointment of Nicole Jordan as principal librarian beginning in the 2020–21 season. The position will bring her back to Philadelphia, where she was raised and began her career as The Philadelphia Orchestra’s library fellow from 2008 to 2011. Jordan will be the first African-American woman to join the Orchestra as a full-time member.
“We are beyond excited to welcome Nicole Jordan back to our Orchestra family,” said Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. “Nicole will be an invaluable partner to me and my colleagues on the stage, and those in the administration, as we look to the future of The Philadelphia Orchestra. This is a critical and influential role in the Orchestra, and Nicole was deeply impressive throughout our lengthy audition process, from her knowledge of the repertoire to her inspiring view of what her role can and will be.”
As principal librarian, Jordan will be responsible for researching, preparing, and distributing scores and parts for all performances, auditions, tours, and educational initiatives. She will maintain archival records of performance data and library holdings, coordinate and arrange music licensing for copyright permissions, and consult conductors and artists regarding editions, cuts, edits, transpositions, string reductions, and more. Beyond these responsibilities, the Orchestra relies on the principal librarian as an intellectual and musical resource in the artistic planning process, shedding light on everything from new editions, her work with composers, the interesting stories behind the Orchestra’s historic music collection, and the music being performed and commissioned. Jordan will also help to create a digital future for the Philadelphia Orchestra library.
Nicole Jordan began her musical studies at a young age, first learning the trumpet before switching to viola while attending the Philadelphia High School for Girls. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in viola performance from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and a Master of Music degree in music history from Temple University. Following her fellowship with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Jordan was appointed assistant principal librarian of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in October 2011. In 2016 she was promoted to principal librarian, becoming the first African-American to hold that position at a major orchestra. Jordan has also held library positions at the Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Aspen Music Festival and School.
Jordan is an active member of the Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association (MOLA) and frequently serves as a moderator/presenter on varying topics in the performance library field. A passionate advocate of education, she served on MOLA's Education Committee for several years and acted as co-chair of that committee from 2017 to 2019. She is also active in planning MOLA’s annual conferences, as well as advising composers, conductors, and librarians who are new to the field.
Nicole Jordan’s headshot is available here.
About The Philadelphia Orchestra
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Ashley Berke
215.893.1939
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Natalie Lewis
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Ashley Stahmer
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