The Charleston Symphony Fellowship is an intensive professional development and mentorship program for advancing talented individuals from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in classical music. Since the fellowship’s founding in August 2021, it has been the Charleston Symphony’s avenue of pursuit in directly addressing institutional barriers and issues of representation, by building a direct career pipeline.

The fellowship comprises two divisions: an Executive Fellowship for arts administrators working daily as an integral part of the CSO administrative team and an Orchestral Fellowship for string musicians, rehearsing and performing as a member of the Charleston Symphony.

In addition to their organizational role, all fellows participate in career-applicable enrichment workshops in topics such as: Personal or Organizational Identity, Leadership, Molding a Compelling Vision, Philanthropy, Marketing, Interview and Job Search Preparation, Issues & Strategies of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Health & Wellness, Audition Preparation, Mock Auditions, Masterclasses with guest artists and conductors, Alexander Technique and Body Mapping, Philosophies of the Community Embedded Musician, etc.