Announcing NOI+F’s 2019 Orchestral Futurist Fellow

University of Maryland’s National Orchestral Institute + Festival (NOI+F) has awarded Camille Jones the Sphinx Orchestral Futurist Fellowship, a 13-month opportunity starting in May 2019. A University of Maryland junior in the School of Music’s violin program, Jones will participate in orchestral, administrative and community engagement experiences that will empower her to further pave her path in the nation’s orchestral ecosystem.

Photo by Dave Andrews

As a musician of exemplary talent, Jones will receive orchestral leadership assignments during her two summers at NOI+F, performing as a principal player in at least one concert. She will also be a section leader in the unconducted Take the Reins concert on Fri, June 7, and participate in seminars, masterclasses and sectionals. In the fellowship’s administrative component, Jones will receive real-world arts administration experience working closely with NOI+F Director Richard Scerbo in the programmatic and recruitment elements of future seasons. She will concurrently receive mentorship in fundraising, marketing and production from professional staff at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. During her fellowship, Jones will work closely with The Clarice's Assistant Director of Community Engagement Jane Hirshberg in the curation of meaningful experiences between NOI+F and the surrounding community.

This fellowship is in partnership with the Sphinx Organization, a national pioneer dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Earlier this year, Jones was one of six University of Maryland students awarded a scholarship to attend the 2019 SphinxConnect conference in Detroit. “It meant a lot to me to see an orchestra comprised of so many musicians of color,” she shared. “After attending SphinxConnect, I knew I had joined another family.”

Photo by James Worley

Following in the footsteps of Adelphi Quartet founder and first NOI Sphinx fellow Marza Wilks, Jones is a pioneer in transforming the arts through diversity. In Fall 2018, she presented a self-curated performance of music by women, African-American and Latinx composers -- Voices Unheard. Through her project, Jones brought together 26 University of Maryland musicians plus a dancer to shine the spotlight on historically underrepresented compositional voices.