Dedicated to fostering community connection and insightful conversation, HearTOGETHER and Our City, Your Orchestra are free series that inspire, connect, challenge, and unite us. Both are back for their third seasons.
HearTOGETHER is a monthly podcast featuring artists and activists who discuss music, social justice, and the lived experiences that inform the drive to create a more equitable and inclusive future for the arts. These important discussions will continue in season three with a new host, Gambian-Canadian-American Khadija Mbowe, a social-cultural content creator, performer, and classically trained soprano. Khadija was joined by previous host Tori Marchiony for the first episode (October 7), which focused on Khadija’s experiences with race, gender, opera, and much more.
Additional season three guests include Philadelphia-raised soprano Karen Slack, winner of the 2022 Sphinx Medal of Excellence; Tailinh Agoyo, director of the Indigenous arts and culture organization We Are the Seeds; and Brooklyn-based trans composer and performer Theo Baer (aka iT Boy). Additional guests will be announced at a later date.
HearTOGETHER is available on Apple, Spotify, and more, as well as at www.philorch.org/heartogether.
HearTOGETHER is supported by lead corporate sponsor Accordant Advisors. Additional major support has been provided by the Otto Haas Charitable Trust.
Pianist Davyd Booth and violinist Hirono Oka at the Paul Robeson House and Museum Our City, Your Orchestra presentation. Photo by Jeff Fusco
Central to the Orchestra’s mission to connect with communities through music and dialog, Our City, Your Orchestra (OCYO) is a free digital series that uncovers and amplifies the voices, stories, and causes championed by unique Philadelphia organizations and businesses that align with the values of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and who we strive to be. Through thoughtful storytelling and musical collaboration, OCYO creates a bond between resilient Philadelphia communities and the Orchestra. Each OCYO partner is featured in two-part episodes, available for free (with registration) at www.philorch.org/ocyo on the 1st and 15th of the month. Season three, launching in January 2023, will feature the following collaborations, with more still to be announced:
Down North Pizza
A local pizzeria that exclusively employs formerly incarcerated individuals while providing culinary career opportunities at a fair wage
We Are the Seeds
An Indigenous women-led organization committed to amplifying Indigenous voices through the arts
Philadelphia Furniture Bank and Pathways to Housing
An organization whose aim is to empower people with disabilities to improve their housing stability, achieve better health, and reclaim their lives
Our City, Your Orchestra is supported in part by the William Penn Foundation, with additional support provided through the PNC Arts Alive initiative, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Presser Foundation.