“The Berkeley (CA) Symphony will enter its 48th season next month with a realigned executive structure, as well as a new music director in Joseph Young,” writes Nicholas Beard in Wednesday’s (9/18) Musical America (subscription required). “In the new arrangement, René Mandel will move from the post of executive and artistic director to simply artistic director, but, in an unusual twist, with responsibility for fund raising, which the orchestra calls ‘a key component in achieving the organization’s artistic goals.’ Mandel, a professional violinist and member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, has been executive director since 2011 and served in a variety of roles with the orchestra before then.… ‘Exploring a different approach to how a symphony orchestra is led is simply another step in the [Berkeley Symphony’s] evolution as we navigate an ever-changing landscape,’ said Mandel in his comments. Moving full time into the post of executive director is current associate executive director Jim Tibbs, whose business experience, in construction and merchandising, equips him to preside over the orchestra’s administrative needs; he’ll also oversee fund raising. The idea is for the threesome—Mandel, Tibbs, and Young—to be at the helm together, with Mandel working with Young.”
Posted September 18, 2019
