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Fearless Journeys: Innovation in Five American Orchestras League of American Orchestras fearless journeys: innovation fearless Fearless Journeys: Innovation in Five in five american orchestras “American Orchestras is a journeys: courageous book. Contrary to popular opinion that orchestras innovation are organizational dinosaurs, this book instead highlights five symphony orchestras that serve as models for organizational innovation. The book screams out: ‘If these institutions can do i n f i v e it, then surely innovation is possible in other fields,’ especially those less hampered by Fearless Journeys rigid hierarchies, large and expensive facilities, inflexible union contracts, inefficient cost provides insightful american structures, and the ‘dead hand’ of tradition. This “accounts of several book demonstrates that with visionary leadership, an open creative process, long-term thinking, orchestras that have and continuous monitoring and coordination, any found innovative solutions orchestras organization can successfully innovate and remain competitive in a changing environment.” to challenges that all orchestras face. Steven J. Tepper Associate Director, Curb Institute for Art, Enterprise, and Drawing on interviews with scores of participants, Public Policy, Vanderbilt University the book demonstrates, first, that solutions can be found and, second, that innovation requires strong leadership, flexibility, and an understanding that music and management are, for better or worse, inextricably intertwined in the pursuit of the orchestra’s mission. The volume will be a useful resource for managers seeking courage and guidance in taking the necessary steps to equip their institutions for the 21st century.” Paul DiMaggio league of american orchestras Research Director, Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies, Princeton University A publication of Made possible by 33 West 60th Street, Fifth Floor, New York, NY 10023 ii ASO Theater of a Concert—La Bohème at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre fearless journeys: innovation i n f i v e american orchestras By Lela Tepavac, Ph.D. Edited by Catherine Maciariello © 2010 League of American Orchestras Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Copies may not be duplicated for commercial purposes. Unauthorized posting of League of American Orchestras documents to a non-League website is prohibited. League documents are protected under copyright law. For information on additional copies, reprint, and linking permissions, please email [email protected]. Published in 2010 by the League of American Orchestras 33 West 60th Street, Fifth Floor, New York, NY 10023 americanorchestras.org 10 Digit ISBN: 0615338526 13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-615-33852-1 Fearless Journeys: Innovation in Five American Orchestras 3 MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife to continue the company’s long tradition of corporate contribu- tions and community involvement. The Foundation supports programs that improve education, promote health, encourage parental involve- ment and family engagement, help revitalize neighborhoods and stress accessibility and inclusion. The Foundation contributes to arts and cultural organizations across the United States, with an emphasis on The League of American Orchestras increasing opportunities for young leads, encourages, and supports people, reaching broad audiences America’s orchestras while com- Fearless Journeys: through inclusive programming, and municating the vitality and value Innovation in making arts more accessible for all of orchestras and the music they people. For more information about perform. The League strives to Five American the Foundation, please visit its web stimulate the exchange of ideas and Orchestras is made site at www.metlife.org. practices, promote innovation, and foster unity across the orchestra possible by a field. The League delivers meaningful generous grant from information, learning and leadership MetLife Foundation. opportunities, grass-roots advocacy and other services to its diverse membership, which encompasses nearly 1,000 member symphony, chamber, youth, and collegiate orchestras of all sizes. Founded in Additional support for 1942 and chartered by Congress in Fearless Journeys is 1962, the League links a national provided by a grant from network of thousands of instru- the National Endowment mentalists, conductors, managers, board members, volunteers, staff for the Arts. members, and business partners. Visit americanorchestras.org to learn more. contents 5 About the Author 6 Foreword: Why “Fearless” Journeys? 7 Introduction Case Studies 12 Los Angeles Philharmonic For the People: Democratizing Artistic Vision 26 Memphis Symphony Orchestra Service to Citizenship: Building Artistically Engaging Community Partnerships 40 Pacific Symphony Illuminating Meaning: Putting Music in Context 56 The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra To Boldly Go: Creating a New Artistic Leadership Model 72 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra From Silos to Synergy: Building a Collaborative Organizational Culture Practice makes perfect! Leading From Conclusion Every Chair® participants practice before performing their compositions before the entire workshop 86 The Road Less Traveled: Toward a New Foundation 96 Acknowledgements 98 Photo credits Fearless Journeys: Innovation in Five American Orchestras 5 about the author Dr. Lela Tepavac is the president and founder of Fit Leadership, a consulting firm dedicated to help- ing companies and their leaders agencies on diverse topics. A contrib- make the best personnel choices uting author to a number of articles, for top roles and build cultures she is a current member of the nosis, organization culture change, that can attract exceptional people American Psychological Association, intellectual capital building, and and fully leverage their talents. NYHRPS, and Women on Wall Street. She has developed several propri- change metrics. She has worked with etary Fit Leadership methodologies numerous Fortune 500 companies Dr. Tepavac holds a PhD in social/ and models, such as: “Leadership across the media and entertainment, organizational psychology from Due Diligence: Are the Leaders Fit publishing, banking, airlines, retail, Columbia University, an MA in to Lead?” and “Leading Creative insurance, pharmaceuticals, medical, social psychiatry from the School People: Building an Organization to manufacturing, and high technology of Medicine in Zagreb, and a BA in Enable Innovation.” industries. Her clients have included liberal arts from the University of The New York Times, PepsiCo, United Zagreb. Dr. Tepavac was a Partner at Mercer Airlines, Time Warner Company, Delta Consulting for thirteen years Citibank, Credit Suisse Asset (1993–2006), working with executives Management, American Reinsurance, of major corporations to strategically Best Western International, Shell, design and execute organizational Texaco, Saudi Aramco, Bristol-Myers change. She specialized in the areas Squibb, The Limited, International of executive leadership assessment, Paper, Lucent Technologies, Ford CEO evaluation and succession, Motor Company, Corning, Unilever, organization assessment and diag- and Raytheon. Before joining Mercer Delta, Dr. Tepavac held a research position at Columbia University and worked in the areas of conflict resolution and mediation. She has led a number of studies at the Institute for Social Policy in Zagreb, Croatia, and has consulted to several United Nations 6 foreword: w h y “ f e a r l e s s ” journeys? relative stability, significant improve- ments in compensation and working conditions for large numbers of musi- As I think about innovation in cians, and most importantly, more orchestras, I’m reminded that there service to American communities. is something wonderfully certain about the way that orchestral concerts are Yet as this goes to print, many orches- prepared. Musicians resolve technical tras are struggling. They are buffeted challenges, fine-tune coordination and not only by economic turbulence, collaboration, and align vision—often but also by the accelerating rate and in the course of three days and four degree of change in technology and in is defined as new practice that helps rehearsals. On the evening of the third American culture. Even the orchestra orchestras continue to fulfill their day, they turn out an exquisite perfor- field’s three unwavering values—the missions amid the reality of shifting mance. Mission accomplished! This commitment to excellence in all areas, environments, and enables them to be creation of performances is the abso- the primacy of virtuosic leadership, more flexible in adapting to change. lute center of the work of the orchestra and the adoption of best practices— organization. Is it any wonder that no longer are enough to sustain many The League of American Orchestras this field has been fiercely attached to orchestras as they confront the enor- views this book as a beginning. We longstanding practices? mity of change in the environment. hope that it will encourage all orches- tras and their stakeholders to reflect on The same predictably good outcomes This is why orchestras have—some- their own capacity for innovation, and have long held true for orchestras’ times reluctantly—turned to innovation. to pursue it at all levels of organiza- operational structures. The modern Today, experimentation and change tional activity. It is also a call to action. American orchestra was built on a are no longer organizational rarities It is time to accelerate the recognition body of practice that emerged to suc- among
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