BOARDROOM

Passing the Baton

60 fast! There were The transition of board leadership at orchestras is always all these wonder- a delicate balancing act, and the pandemic has presented ful ideas that our dynamic (Vice unprecedented challenges to board chairs—as well as President of Sales unexpected opportunities. Here, incoming and outgoing and Marketing) board chairs at three orchestras reveal how they view their Ryan Lewis had,

and he began to Rosenberg Todd roles, what they foresee for the future, and how they got implement them as he took advantage Helen Zell has served involved with orchestras in the first place. as the Chicago of all this down Symphony Orchestra’s time to rejigger the board chair since 2015, by Nancy Malitz website and think when she became the of ways to commu- first woman to occupy nicate.” that position in the orchestra’s history. he coming season is likely new opportunities during this time, as The orchestra’s to be one of the most they work to make those opportunities a new digital chan- challenging for symphony reality in collaboration with top adminis- nel, CSOtv, has orchestras in recent history. tration: Executive Director Edgar Herrera video programs on demand including T For organizations in the in Annapolis, President Jeff Alexander in legendary TV concerts from the archives, midst of board-leadership transitions, Chicago, and Executive Director Mark with much of the content offered free. there is a complicated array of concerns C. Hanson in San Francisco. Each board Although the orchestra is planning its first to be considered. Some challenges are chair has her own distinctive style, even return to live concerts at the Ravinia Fes- shared by the industry as a whole—the as they all have in common the need tival this summer, there was no full-season constantly shifting threat of the pandemic for their orchestra to adapt to the “new subscription offering in January, as is itself, the impossibility of predicting when normal” for performances, increase and customary, and going without traditional audiences will return, and the urgent need deepen their community connections, and subscriptions at this time is among op- to remain flexible and ramp up digital address racial equity at their organizations. tions still being considered while the situ- skills. Still, with the latest round of federal As these board chairs continue to navigate ation remains fluid: “Subscriptions are not financial relief as well as the increasing the new COVID and post-COVID real- relevant,” Zell says. “People are uncertain, numbers of Americans who are fully ity, they offer their thoughts about what and they want some assurance that they vaccinated, many in the orchestra field lies ahead. can have control over what they are going are cautiously hopeful about the coming to do, and they don’t want to make huge season. CHICAGO SYMPHONY financial outlays. But do I think we’re In the midst of this time that is tran- ORCHESTRA going to abandon live music in favor of a sitional in so many ways, we check in on Helen Zell, outgoing board chair digital presence forever? Of course not.” three orchestras in the midst of their own Mary Louise Gorno, board chair-elect Zell has subscribed to the CSO for board-chair transitions. The three pairs Helen Zell, the Chicago Symphony Or- more than four decades, and she was ac- of incoming and outgoing board chairs chestra’s outgoing board chair, was elected tive in top committees for years prior to represent the larger-budget Chicago board chair in 2015 and concludes her joining the board. “There were times when Symphony Orchestra and San Francisco term in late 2021. it was hard for me to envision a win-win Symphony, as well as the smaller-budget Zell recalls that the CSO’s digital pres- for the orchestra, given the decline of Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. Board ence had to be invented almost overnight music education, the banking collapse in transitions in San Francisco and An- when COVID struck. “I now think of 2008 followed by investment struggles, napolis took place in 2020, while in COVID as an opportunity, not a stum- and then, after that, a recent painful work Chicago the board baton hand-off is set bling block,” Zell says. “I hate to say our stoppage [in 2019], followed by COVID,” for November. All of the board chairs, website was stodgy, though it really was, in she said. “But we have a support group past and present, are focused on finding some respects. But we went from zero to of incredibly dedicated people, some on

14 symphony SPRING 2021 the young side. The endowment is bigger York, where “My teacher than it has ever been. Fundraising is still convinced me that I was strong. And we have started collaborating the next Horowitz, and I with artists from the theater and dance even had a piano quartet community, such as John Malkovich and with three other people my the Joffrey Ballet. age, an experience that just “I think we have to take a deep breath. kind of solidified every- Do we make the orchestra smaller? I thing.” don’t think so. Basically we are commit- Mary Louise Gorno, the Chicago Symphony “If I could change anything, Orchestra’s chair-elect, assumes her new board Rosenberg Todd it would be to re-program the duties in November. She mindset of the people who run wants to see the Chicago Left to right: Chicago Symphony Orchestra cellist Brant Taylor, current CSO board chair Helen Zell, and CSO board member this country to the belief that Symphony become an Roderick Branch. classical music participation orchestra “without walls, in the school years has just whether the point of entry is a jazz concert or a wonderful experience point where we can feature the high- as much value as football.”— with Beethoven’s Ninth,” she says. “And est level of quality and at the same time Helen Zell, outgoing board we want to be talking with our full com- become more nimble and more innova- chair, Chicago Symphony munity. We want to make sure that our tive. I’ve done a lot of thinking whether Orchestra own symphony community stays reflective we want to put our foot on the brakes. If of that diversity, whether in programming anything, we should hit the accelerator. To ted to the historical precedent as to what opportunities or thinking about our board infuse new energy into these great institu- constitutes a first-class ensemble, and it’s and members and staff. What does an tions that so excel at what they’re doing a hundred people. That’s what our hall is orchestra look like today? And what could may be the greatest opportunity that we built for. When I was last in Vienna at it look like?” will ever have.” the Musikverein, I sat and thought about Like Zell, Gorno has strong memories what it was like a couple hundred years of early exposure to music, and not just ANNAPOLIS SYMPHONY ago, and how it is still going strong. One classical music: “Detroit was exploding ORCHESTRA advantage the Europeans have over us is with music: Soul, gospel, the blues— Jane Casey, board chair, 2018-20 the government’s support of the art form. Aretha Franklin, what a woman!” she Jill Kidwell, current board chair If I could change anything it would be to says. Her first exposure to classical music Jill Kidwell, the Annapolis Symphony re-program the mind-set of the people was “Brunch with Bach,” a Sunday series Orchestra’s current board chair, remem- who run this country to the belief that at the Detroit Institute of Arts featur- bers the day in mid-March 2020 when classical music participation in the school ing musicians of the Detroit Symphony most of the nation’s orchestras got shut years has just as much value as football.” Orchestra that she attended with her down. “It has been a rough year for our For Zell, that early participation in family. “Later, as a grad student at the musicians,” she says. “The orchestra is music started with piano lessons—and University of Chicago,” she says, “I would committed to doing all that it can to sup- having a father who served on his own get discount student tickets at $10 for port them financially and to keep them local orchestra board. “My dad’s job took afternoon performances [by the Chicago safe. They have lostincome. And last year us to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, [where] he Symphony], even box seats, and so I was they also lost what they love to do the was offered a position as board chair of immersed in the very best. I was still living most, which is to perform together, for an the Baton Rouge Symphony, which was in that area when I called to purchase my audience.” almost in bankruptcy. He became friendly first subscription, and I was told I needed A year later, things have improved with the conductor. Dad brought him over to give a donation, however small. And I significantly. Staffing a COVID check-in to our house. I played a silly little piece thought, ’Oh, okay, I have been a benefi- station at Annapolis’s Maryland Hall, the for him on the piano—I was maybe ten ciary all these years.’” orchestra’s primary performance venue, in or eleven—it wasn’t an audition, but it For Gorno, who is also a member of the March 2021, Kidwell greeted the string made a big impression to have him watch League of American Orchestras’ board players as they arrived for one of their me play. I learned to play the piano and of directors, the hope is that the Chicago many “virtual concert” recording sessions. loved every minute of it.” Zell kept up the Symphony can come back “refreshed and “Listening in the concert hall, out of the music when her family moved to New wiser” after COVID, and “build to the way of the cameras, it was as if I had americanorchestras.org 15 and who has handled everything thrown in May, Herrera was doing foundation at him,” Kidwell said. “We are hoping to work in Mexico City—and then COVID add some winds and brass this season. struck. Herrera was unable at first to And we now have an audience that knows travel to the United States, and did his it can watch from home. The videos are job remotely. Casey worked at making beautiful. Novo understands what it is like the physical move happen—which did to film while performing. The first concert finally take place in October. Despite the series was done at Strathmore Music Center, which has recording capability, Jill Kidwell, the Annapolis and we found a subcontractor to help with Symphony Orchestra’s current the video. It’s going very well.” Another bright light, a real showpiece, board chair, says, “It has been is the expansion of the orchestra’s training a rough year for our musicians. academy for young musicians, who can The orchestra is committed start as young as four, and includes need- to doing all that it can to based reduced tuition and full tuition support them financially and waivers for qualifying students. It’s the to keep them safe. They have brainchild of the orchestra’s concertmaster,

Todd Rosenberg Todd Netanel Draiblate. “He’s quite a force,” lost income. And last year they also lost what they love to do Mary Louise Gorno will succeed Helen Zell said Kidwell. “It was his idea. The goal is as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s board diversity.” the most, which is to perform chair in November 2021. The planning process for the Annapolis together, for an audience.” Symphony Academy began with con- versations as far back as 2015, says Jane difficulties, says Casey, “If it had not been emerged from a black-and-white world Casey, who stepped down as board chair for COVID, we would not be where we to technicolor,” she says. “The musicians in 2018 but remains a board member and are today with streaming. What I’m seeing were so happy to be performing again. serves on the finance committee. “Maestro is really a digital transformation, not just a Novo, our music director of fifteen years, digital strategy.” Mary Louise Gorno, is Spanish. But as with most orchestras, Both Novo and Herrera are native we were not where we would like to be Spanish speakers, and they made the deci- the Chicago Symphony in terms of equity, diversity, and inclu- sion during the pandemic to add Spanish Orchestra’s incoming board sion. If we want our onstage orchestra to subtitles to the spoken portions of the chair, wants to see the CSO look like our audience, we have to look orchestra’s streamed performances; in An- become an orchestra “without to them when they are young. We started napolis, the Hispanic/Latino community walls, whether the point of the Academy on the premise that there comprises 16.8 percent of the city’s popu- entry is a jazz concert or a was a gap in the marketplace for young lation, according to the 2010 U.S. census. musicians to learn how to play together in It’s all part of the orchestra’s increased wonderful experience with small groups. Our target was 50 percent focus on its community. Beethoven’s Ninth. And we White, 50 percent non-White, 50 percent want to be talking with our in need of financial assistance. We have SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY full community.” been able to hit those targets.” Sakurako Fisher, board chair, 2012-De- During her time as board chair, Casey cember 2020 One of them handed me an envelope with led the search for a new executive director Priscilla B. Geeslin, current board chair a check made out to the ASO and a note and found the ideal candidate in Edgar Outgoing San Francisco Symphony that said, ‘Let’s keep the music going.’” Herrera, a trained pianist who previ- President Sakurako Fisher still marvels at The musicians have been perform- ously had served as executive director of the experience of serving on the com- ing, though not, as of press time, for an the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra and mittee that chose Finnish composer and in-person audience. The orchestra has a director of marketing, public relations, and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen to take over collection of videos it says are comparable communications at the Syracuse Sympho- the music directorship upon the close of technically to the work of larger orches- ny Orchestra. He was also a participant Michael Tilson Thomas’s quarter-century tras. “I think we have hit the ball out of in the League of American Orchestras’ tenure. She noted how thrilled the musi- the park this year, thanks to Music Direc- 2004-05 Orchestra Management Fellow- cians involved in the search effort became, tor José-Luis Novo, who is quite brilliant, ship Program. At the time he was hired, once it dawned on everyone that they

16 symphony SPRING 2021 out of their comfort was so great, the music was so beautiful. zone. They liked the Why haven’t we looked at this before? idea of his pushing the I’m convinced that what great boards do envelope.” is help an organization ask these kinds of The San Francisco questions, to keep moving them forward Symphony became and holding everyone accountable.” involved in a discus- sion about what the definition of classical“ ” “If it had not been for actually means. “Is it COVID, we would not be a fixed place in time?” where we are today with Fisher asked. “But we streaming. What I’m seeing is are not a fixed-place- really a digital transformation, in-time entity. Our not just a digital strategy.”— Jane Casey, chair of the Jill Kidwell has served as musicians are wildly Annapolis Symphony the Annapolis Symphony Jane Casey, former board Orchestra’s board of trustees Orchestra board chair since creative, and we are from 2018 to 2020. January 2020. asking them to bring chair, Annapolis Symphony some of that expres- Orchestra, 2018-20 sion into the hall. had found their guy: “There were musi- Contemporary music, some of it gets a The announcement of Salonen as music cians, management, and board people all bad rap. It’s not all atonal twelve-tone director came in late 2018—and with it the involved in this search. The musicians music. It just means new. We recently news that he would adjust the orchestra’s actually wanted Esa-Pekka to take them featured five women composers, and it artistic model. As part of the redefined job,

“These are the stars of the next generation.” - THE WASHINGTON POST

SAXOPHONE

Randall Goosby DOUBLE BASS Steven Banks Photo: Kaupo Kikkas Xavier Foley VIOLIN ACCORDION PIANO Benjamin Baker MEZZO-SOPRANO Hanzhi Wang Martin James Bartlett Randall Goosby *Megan Moore COMPOSER YOUNG CONCERT ARTISTS Albert Cano Smit Risa Hokamura Do-Hyun Kim SooBeen Lee BASS-BARITONE Saad Haddad BE THE FIRST TO BOOK THE BEST Maxim Lando *William Socolof Chris Rogerson yca.org/roster 212.307.6657 [email protected] Nathan Lee CELLO president Jonathan Swensen FLUTE *Winner of the 2020 Daniel Kellogg Aristo Sham Monica J. Felkel director of artist management Anthony Trionfo Young Concert Artists *Zhu Wang International Audition Vicki Margulies artist manager americanorchestras.org 17 Salonen works with eight Collaborative Partners: a group of musicians and other artists who curate programs for the orches- tra. Salonen started his new job in 2020, when the pandemic forced the orchestra to pivot to virtual formats—including mul- tiple filmed episodes curated by Salonen and the eight partners. Among the partners is composer Nico Muhly, whose first work for the ensemble, Throughline, presented an

The San Francisco Symphony recently became involved in a discussion about what the definition of classical“ ” actually means. “I’m convinced that what great boards do is help Brandon Patoc an organization ask these Incoming and outgoing San Francisco Symphony Orchestra board chairs Priscilla Geeslin (left) kinds of questions, to keep and Sakurako Fisher (right). moving them forward and holding everyone accountable,” says Sakurako Fisher, who been lucky to work with great development pulling out of this. Certainly COVID gives stepped down as the San people,” in her prior work with universi- us that opportunity to start making digital ties, museums, opera companies, and other changes we’ve all been talking about. We’ve Francisco Symphony’s board Bay Area cultural institutions. Geeslin just been nibbling at the edges. chair in December 2020. admits the pandemic presents a daunting “We’re thinking about some virtual situation, financially and otherwise: “It’s salons, starting in June or July, maybe intricately filmed solution to the challenge going to be incredibly difficult for all of us two a month. We used them as a way last of writing for an orchestra when only six players could be on stage at a time, unless it was a breath-based instrument, in which case only one. The orchestra has also taken this time away from in-person performances to refocus its energies in other areas as well. “COVID has been super trying, forcing us to do things we had procrastinated on, and getting us to do a lot of work on ac- celerating diversity,” says Fisher. “Michael [Tilson Thomas] led us to that place where we could really make that deep intrinsic commitment to bringing more people into the tent, and taking a look at what that will mean when it becomes more natural. One of the things he taught me for sure was that you can never zone out, because you never know what to

expect. I love that sensation.” Kim Huynh Priscilla B. Geeslin, who took office as the San Francisco Symphony’s board San Francisco Symphony percussionist Jacob Nissly and Stan Muncy perform Ellen Reid’s Fear / Release for the orchestra’s 2020-21 filmedThroughline: San Francisco Symphony—From Hall to chair in December 2020, says, “I’ve always Home virtual season.

18 symphony SPRING 2021 “But the issue for people is not just NANCY MALITZ is the founding music critic about opening the hall. Restaurants have of USA Today, an editor at ClassicalVoiceAmerica. to open. People need to feel comfortable org, and publisher of ChicagoOntheAisle.com. She about coming back into the Bay Area. I has written about the arts and technology for the do think they will. I think they are hungry New York Times and Opera News, among other for it. I hope that is the case.” publications. Kristen Loken

Sakurako Fisher, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Executive Director Mark C. Hanson sit down to sign the contract appointing Salonen as the San Francisco Symphony’s music director, December 2018. summer to give an update on what was happening. It will also be an opportunity to have musicians talk about what they have been doing during the lockdown, what they’re working on, how they’re keeping up their skills, which always fascinates me.”

“It’s going to be incredibly difficult for all of us pulling out of this,” says Priscilla B. Geeslin, the San Francisco Symphony’s newly elected board chair. “Certainly COVID gives us that opportunity to start making digital changes we’ve all been talking about. We’ve just been nibbling at the edges.”

Geeslin is still new to her working relationship with Salonen, but they meet regularly. “I’ll see him leading a rehearsal. We will share Zoom calls. We had an in-person meeting, which I felt terrible about, because I only had coffee at the house and I had to tell him I hoped he didn’t take cream. He is a delight, though. In talking about what he wants to do, I become more and more excited to see where all this is going, particularly for the digital side of it. He’s incredibly flexible. americanorchestras.org 19