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ATA Carnets: The Easy, Economical, Essential Passport for Orchestral Touring
Friday, June 20, 2025
Call Boomerang Carnets, Your Carnet Specialists
Music knows no boundaries, and with an ATA Carnet in hand, neither do the artists who create it. International orchestral touring is essential to artistic growth, reputation building, and global audience engagement. However, the logistical and financial challenges of international touring can be daunting. Enter the ATA Carnet, a unified customs document that provides a cost-effective, reliable solution making cross-border customs clearance of instruments and equipment possible for orchestras of every size.
Boomerang carnets® has proudly supported the orchestra community with ATA Carnet services since 1987 in the U.S. and 2014 in the U.K. We’ve worked with world-renowned symphonies, acclaimed soloists, and emerging ensembles—ensuring the seamless transport of instruments, equipment, and production gear across international borders.
Our commitment to musicians on world stages was created by the vision of our company’s founder, Bruce A. Wilson, who strongly believed that every orchestra should have the opportunity to share its music internationally, and ATA Carnets are an essential tool in making that vision a reality.
Benefits of International Touring:
- Enables orchestras to perform in renowned music capitals of the world.
- Strengthens the bond between conductors and musicians.
- Creates positive transformative experiences for orchestras and audiences.
- Builds reputation, and global recognition.
- Expands organizational identity and audience reach.
80th National League of American Orchestras Conference
Boomerang carnets was proud to be a sponsor and exhibitor at the 80th National League of American Orchestras (LOAO) Conference, held June 11–13, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hosted by the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera, this milestone event—centered around the theme ASCEND—offered three dynamic days of learning, networking, and innovation. The conference kicked off with a highly anticipated Tech Fair, spotlighting cutting-edge solutions in audience engagement and performance management.
Representing boomerang carnets this year were Monika Jadeszko, Vice President, Global Carnet Operations, and Marge Walsh, Carnet Specialist. They were happy welcoming visitors to the boomerang carnets booth and answering questions about ATA Carnets and international touring for orchestras, individual musicians, or small groups planning a tour.
Monika and Marge’s expertise was honed over their combined twenty-five years of experience assisting orchestras planning international tours with ATA Carnets. They have issued ATA Carnets for many symphonic orchestras from the Big Five to youth orchestras.
Fresh orange juice and snacks (also boomerang carnets socks) were offered at our booth as a pick-me-up for attendees on breaks between conference sessions—a welcome treat for all who stopped by.
Congratulations to the Boomerang Raffle Winners!
Boomerang Raffle winners this year were: Yzabella May Estacio, Arts Administration Intern at The Cleveland Orchestra and Alice Sauro, Executive Director for the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2011, Ms. Sauro was one of our Carnets “Play the World” Grant recipients—and, at the time, was Director of Operations for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Each were happy to receive a VISA Gift Card for $50. The grand prize raffle winner of the TUMI travel case was Megan McFadden, Marketing Director for the Bozeman Symphony.
Celebrating 15 Years of the Carnets “Play the World” Grant!
We are thrilled to mark the 15th anniversary of our Carnets “Play the World” Grant program—launched in 2010. This year, we were honored to recognize Gregory Patterson, President & CEO of the Plano Symphony Orchestra, as the 2025 grant recipient. Mr. Patterson received full funding to attend the 80th Annual LOAO Conference, with all registration fees covered by the grant. Congratulations, and we look forward to assisting you with your next international tour.
Grant Opportunity!
You can apply for a Carnets “Play the World” Grant that supports LOAO members and eligible members of the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) with their delegate/booking fees to upcoming conferences. Our Carnets “Play the World” Grants can make all the difference in attending a conference. Click here to view eligibility criteria, how to apply, with a link to access our easy-to-fill-out Grant Application form for upcoming LOAO and ABO conferences.
Thank You for an Inspiring Conference in Salt Lake City
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this year’s Conference such a meaningful and memorable event. Special thanks to Simon Woods, President and CEO of the League, and Stephen Alter, Director of Conferences and Business Engagement, for their outstanding leadership and dedication. Your efforts helped create a truly impactful and special gathering for all.
Boomerang Carnets Has a Long Tradition of Supporting Orchestras
International touring is more than a performance opportunity—it’s a strategic investment. Tours raise an orchestra’s global profile, enhance artistic cohesion, and build connections with conductors, venues, and new audiences. Rising costs create new challenges for international orchestra tours. The ATA Carnet is a stable, cost-effective means to help mitigate those expenses by allowing duty- and tax-free temporary entry for instruments, equipment, and production gear into over 90 countries, saving significant funds on every leg of your tour for up to a year.
As orchestras and musicians strive to reach new heights, we remain steadfast in our support to ensure that no musical journey is limited by borders.
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