Our Mission

Classical music is a field steeped in traditions curated by a group of predominantly white males, resulting in an incomplete and inaccurate historical narrative. Even those with the best intentions may face a variety of logistical roadblocks. Newer music can be expensive or simply difficult to find. A piece with no recording or reference material leaves musicians gambling their money and time on something potentially pointless for a specific endeavor. Finding financial backing for commissions can be extremely challenging, especially as an independent entity. These are just examples of potential challenges, and all before the already difficult task of learning the piece begins. 

We know we are not alone in our pursuit to reconstruct the Western Canon. We regularly hear about the importance of playing works by marginalized groups, new or underplayed pieces, and programming in new and exciting ways. While we wholeheartedly agree, completing them effectively on top of practice, reed making, and maintaining finances takes significantly more labor than just playing a “standard work.” All worthwhile endeavors take time and effort, but the necessary work to redefine our musical canon should not be an uncompensated passion project. None of us went into classical music dreaming of fame and fortune, but the amount of labor, financial privilege and free time it takes to engage in this vital work only makes it less likely to get completed.

Arundo Initiative seeks to counter this stagnation by providing a platform that allows the entire oboe community to actively take part in shaping our future.