JoAnn Falletta Conducting Fellowship — Fellowship

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra runs a two-year paid fellowship for an emerging conductor in Buffalo, New York. The orchestra now presents it as the JoAnn Falletta Conducting Fellowship, named for its music director. The Sphinx Organization directory still lists the same program under its earlier name, the Conductor Diversity Fellowship.

The fellow joins the artistic team full time for two concert seasons. The work covers youth concerts, BPO Kids family concerts and community engagement performances, cover-conducting for the music director and guest conductors, and structured training and professional development.

The program exists to open orchestral leadership to conductors from communities that are underrepresented on American podiums. Grant O’Brien holds the 2025–27 term and is the third conductor in the role.

Benefits & funding

$25,000 stipend for services, per year of the two-year term.
$15,000 housing stipend, per year.
Medical benefits package.
Funded attendance at the Sphinx Connect conference in Detroit.
Podium assignments across the BPO regular and summer seasons, including youth concerts, BPO Kids family concerts and community engagement programs.
Mentorship from the music director and the artistic team, plus a seat on the BPO Diversity Council.

Eligibility

Open to U.S. citizens and permanent legal residents. There is no further nationality bar, so a citizen of any country holding U.S. permanent residence qualifies.
Applicants self-identify as members of groups historically underrepresented in American orchestras. The notice names African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent as examples rather than a closed list.
Conducting experience, formal conducting training, and thorough knowledge of classical and popular orchestral repertoire are required.
Experience in artistic administration is described as helpful, not required.
The fellow must take up residence in the Greater Buffalo Area for the term.
No degree, age or minimum years-of-experience requirement is published.

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Application process

1
Watch the BPO employment and auditions page for the next vacancy notice; no cycle is open at the time of writing.
2
Apply through the BPO institute page on OrchestraPlan, the portal named in the most recent notice.
3
Submit a current resume and cover letter.
4
Submit links to three video selections from performances in the previous 12 months, filmed from the orchestra’s perspective, plus a two-minute introductory video.
5
Arrange three letters of recommendation.
6
Finalists attend a closed round in Buffalo: conducting the orchestra, a spoken presentation to musicians, artistic leadership and the Diversity Council, and interviews.

Program timeline

Application deadline for the most recent cycle
Feb 7, 2025
Finalists notified
Mar 7, 2025
Conducting auditions in Buffalo
Apr 22, 2025 to Apr 23, 2025
September 2025
Two-year term begins, covering the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons
Next cycle
not announced; the term now running ends after the 2026-27 season