In Brief | Orchestras and their boards of directors know that post-pandemic life has affected the habits and priorities of their communities, from how they spend their money to what kind of programming they find most compelling. The League of American Orchestras’ National Conference takes place June 6-8 in Houston, so we asked leaders of orchestra boards across Texas to share their most pressing concerns and aspirations for orchestra leaders, musicians, and audiences, and how they plan to maintain cultural relevance across diverse communities.

The League of American Orchestras’ 79th National Conference, hosted this June by the Houston Symphony, is an opportunity for orchestras nationwide to get together and, as the Conference theme puts it, “Dream Big!” in the state where “everything’s bigger.” This makes it a great time to hear from board chairs and presidents of Texas orchestras about what’s currently top of mind for them. Speakers include board leaders of professional orchestras, community ensembles, and youth symphonies throughout the state; their comments provide insight into their day-to-day programs, pending projects, and long-term initiatives.

Leaders at several boards of directors discuss their orchestra’s role in enriching and connecting their communities, as well as their plans to foster curiosity and embrace change through innovative artistic and educational programming. While each organization has its own individual challenges and priorities regarding orchestral music, board chairs seem to agree that diversifying content and engagement is vital to developing and sustaining deep relationships with audiences for generations to come.

Barbara Burger, President, Houston Symphony

What inspires you to volunteer to serve on your orchestra’s board?

I moved from the [San Francisco] Bay Area in 2013, and in 2023, I assumed the role of board president of the Houston Symphony. That fact speaks volumes about Houston and the Houston Symphony. Where else would a transplant—who came with no references from the San Francisco Symphony other than that of a satisfied single-ticket patron—be able to join a century-plus organization and, within a decade, reach the volunteer leader position? In Houston, you are welcome, and I hope that the League of American Orchestra members feel that when they arrive this June for the Conference.

During the decade that I have been a part of the Houston Symphony family, we have endured natural disasters (Hurricane Harvey and the COVID pandemic being the largest), have transitioned music directors, chief executive officers, and senior staff, and progressed the first major building renovation in the history of Jones Hall. We have also grown our audiences and the number of schools and education programs that our musicians serve; have grown operating and contributed revenue as well as our endowment; and our musicians are playing better than ever with programming that draws from both the traditional as well as the new, and is diverse, thematic, bold, and innovative.

What do you see as the most pressing issues and opportunities facing your orchestra right now?

The biggest opportunities that we face lie in resourcing and executing on our ambitions as laid out in our strategic plan, and in leveraging and enriching our community in such a fast-growing and dynamic city and region.

We have grown our audiences and the number of schools and education programs that our musicians serve; have grown operating and contributed revenue; and our musicians are playing programming that draws from the traditional and the new.


Cathy Loving, President, Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra

What do you see as the most pressing issues and opportunities facing your orchestra?

Right now, our focus is rebuilding audience and attendance post-COVID. It has been our experience that the subscription model of years past has changed; while we are seeing a rise in custom packages and individual tickets, the full-season subscriptions are less than pre-COVID. Along with that, people are making last-minute plans instead of committing early. The Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra (BVSO) is adapting to these changes while still maintaining the unwavering commitment to deliver performances of unparalleled quality and richness. Now is the time to foster community partnerships and explore new and innovative formats to attract new audiences and adapt programming to appeal to diverse audiences.

What do you see as your orchestra’s role in your community?

Arts organizations enrich communities by providing avenues for creative expression and promoting social connection through shared experiences. They stimulate economic growth by attracting tourism and supporting local businesses while also nurturing individual well-being by offering opportunities for education, inspiration, and emotional connection. The BVSO is one of the few professional arts organizations in our community, and it is our mission to make sure our community knows the BVSO is accessible to all. Our goal is to enrich our community through transformative musical experiences, education, and community engagement.

What’s your vision for the orchestra field? How should orchestras adapt to changing times?

My vision for the orchestra field is centered on the necessity for innovation and adaptability to remain relevant in changing times. Orchestras must actively embrace digital platforms, diversify programming, and prioritize community engagement. These are key strategies for success.

What’s your vision for your orchestra in the future? What’s your message for orchestras in the future?

My vision for the BVSO is to thrive as a cultural institution in the Brazos Valley, in a way that is deeply connected to and reflective of our community. I see the BVSO actively embracing change, exploring new avenues to introduce classical music to our community, and finding innovative ways to showcase our talented musicians to a wider audience. We are committed to making the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra accessible to everyone, ensuring that no one is left behind in experiencing the beauty and richness of our performances.

Orchestras must actively embrace digital platforms, diversify programming, and prioritize community engagement. These are key strategies for success.


Brian Petkovich, President, San Antonio Philharmonic

What do you see as the most pressing issues and opportunities facing your orchestra right now?

The San Antonio Philharmonic has an historic opportunity to re-envision what symphonic music can mean in San Antonio and the surrounding community. The isolation that the pandemic caused gave new importance to live public performance. Welcoming everyone back has been rewarding after being off the stage for so long. Live performance is part of a healthy society.

This reset also gave us an opportunity to reach out to our whole community. Taking the time to build relationships with different groups and neighborhoods throughout San Antonio and finding and supporting leadership who are willing and excited to do that work have been key. Without investing deeply in these relationships, our efforts would be disingenuous and flat. This means reaching people where they live, literally and figuratively. Being adventurous in programming has also fostered curiosity. This led automatically to an opportunity to learn, since even the grizzled orchestra musicians need to find out about what is new. Regardless of age this spark begins an exploration across genres for a deeper understanding of our world.

The perseverance to make great music is driven by the need to share empathy and humanity with one another. The commitment to making memorable concerts has galvanized the San Antonio Philharmonic.

Welcoming everyone back has been rewarding after being off the stage for so long. Live performance is part of a healthy society.


Ellen Salyers, President, Mid-Texas Symphony

What do you see as the most pressing issues and opportunities facing your Board right now?

The Mid-Texas Symphony is at a moment of transformation. The May 2019 hire of two outstanding professionals—Music Director Akiko Fujimoto and Executive Director Jason Irle—put us on the path to think of ourselves as an orchestra that is a treasured artistic jewel. We plan to use the summer of 2024 to put together a four-year plan that will take us to our 50th anniversary in 2028. Issues we will need to address are increasing donor and corporate contributions, raising musician pay, enhancing our community presence, and diversifying our audience.

What inspires you to volunteer to serve on your orchestra’s board?

My inspiration has changed since joining the Board in 2006. After the first few years, what inspired me the most was the boldness of the vision of our founder, Professor Anita Windecker. I wanted to emulate her spirit of bold, well-crafted vision.

What’s your vision for your orchestra’s future? What’s your message for orchestras in the future?

We are in one of the fastest-growing areas of the country, and our challenge is to ride that wave of energy to benefit us. One of our major funders recently told us to continue doing what we are doing, but to do it better. Our new four-year plan will lay out the steps we need to take to increase contributions and musician pay, weave ourselves more firmly into the fabric of the community, and diversify our audience. My message for orchestras of the future is “Play to Win.”

One of our major funders recently told us to continue doing what we are doing, but to do it better. My message for orchestras of the future is “Play to Win.”


Ashlie Skidmore, President, Mesquite Symphony Orchestra

What do you see as the most pressing issues and opportunities facing your orchestra right now?

The Mesquite Symphony is a mostly volunteer orchestra with a modest budget, when compared to other similar organizations in our region. The most pressing issue facing our orchestra currently is twofold: time and money. Finding musicians to volunteer their time, and finding funding to program exciting, culturally relevant music by historically underrepresented populations. Our volunteer orchestra routinely performs programs which would be right at home with the LA Phil, Boston Symphony, and the like, but finding volunteers who are willing to perform demanding repertoire at a routinely high standard is a hard-fought endeavor for our personnel managers. Secondly, these programs often involve expensive rental music, which takes a significant percentage of our operating budget; however, this cause is something that gives us a unique identity among many orchestras that choose to play the canonical classical repertoire.

What do you see as your orchestra’s role in your community?

The Mesquite Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Music and Artistic Director Felix Torres, is an ambassador to our community, consistently breaking down stereotypes and barriers of getting first-time audiences into the concert hall! We routinely ask from the stage during a performance, “Who’s attending their first Mesquite Symphony performance this evening? Who’s attending their first orchestra concert this evening?” We celebrate—through programming, mission, advertisement, or other means—the fact that there are consistently new members of the public in our audience during a time in our society when so many orchestras are struggling to sell tickets and subscriptions while maintaining cultural relevance, particularly to younger generations.

We celebrate—through programming, mission, advertisement, or other means—the fact that there are consistently new members of the public in our audience.


Cece Smith, Board Chair, Dallas Symphony Orchestra

What do you see as your orchestra’s role in your community?

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, like all the leading American orchestras, serves as a cultural cornerstone of the city. Our role is to serve the community, and we are committed to doing so, not just through presenting world-class performances in the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, but also by bringing great music to audiences beyond the concert hall, from parks to shopping centers to street fairs. The DSO fosters meaningful connections with the community through outreach events, more than 200 free concerts across the city each year and collaborations with local organizations all year long. Additionally, the DSO is unwavering in our commitment to educational outreach. Among other wonderful education offerings, we provide free music lessons to more than 1,200 students as part of both our Young Strings and Kim Noltemy Young Musicians programs.

What is your philosophy of governance for nonprofits like orchestras? How involved should boards of directors be in day-to-day operations?

Our philosophy for governance is that we, the strategic leaders of the organization, are some of the primary ambassadors for the DSO in the community by growing our audience and ensuring long-term financial success and sustainability. We take a more hands-off approach to day-to-day operations and focus on overall strategy and vision for the organization; I have the utmost confidence in our President and CEO Kim Noltemy’s ability to lead the charge in daily operations.

What’s your vision for your orchestra in the future? What’s your message for orchestras in the future?

My vision for the DSO is international visibility and recognition for the partnership between Music Director Fabio Luisi and our incredible musicians, which has created a strong ensemble with a uniquely “Dallas” sound. Overall, we must continue to expand our impact, offering diverse programming at the highest artistic level as well as transformational education initiatives to ensure that the orchestra’s relevance and influence endure for generations to come.

We must continue to expand our impact, offering diverse programming at the highest artistic level as well as transformational education initiatives.


Rachel Woodson, Chair, Youth Orchestras of San Antonio

What inspires you to volunteer to serve on your orchestra’s board?

What inspires me to serve on YOSA’s board is the profound potential to make a lasting impact on the wellbeing of our community. In a world where disconnection feels all too prevalent, I am driven by the opportunity to create a sense of belonging, especially among younger generations who are navigating a landscape shaped by technology and isolation. Additionally, the chance to expand creativity into new minds and foster diversity of innovation fuels my dedication to this role.

What do you see as your orchestra’s role in your community?

Our orchestras are the pulse of the city, fostering a sense of belonging, and inviting everyone to share in its rhythm. Our intentional programming sends a message of inclusion to our musicians and community. With initiatives like YOSA Rising Star Fellows, YOSA MÁS, and curated programs, we deepen our commitment to the community, amplifying our mission to change lives through music.

What’s your vision for the orchestra field? How should orchestras adapt to changing times?

I believe that orchestras of the future must be not only relevant and vibrant but also inspiring, reflecting the diversity of the communities they serve. To adapt to changing times, orchestras need to creatively innovate in their artistic programming, program delivery, and audience development strategies. YOSA continues its Classic Albums Live series with this in mind, reinventing classic rock and pop songs with orchestral accompaniment, with past celebrations of Prince, Queen, the Beatles, and Selena.

Our orchestras are the pulse of the city, fostering a sense of belonging, and inviting everyone to share in its rhythm. Our intentional programming sends a message of inclusion.