In Tuesday’s (8/3) Philadelphia Inquirer, Peter Dobrin writes that, at The Philadelphia Orchestra, “A new president, board chairman, and music director-designate are in place, embarking on a strategic planning process to reassess every inch of the organization. The change could be profound. … ‘I’m not going to predict the plan at this point,’ [President Allison B. Vulgamore] said recently. ‘We simply can’t go on doing the same thing and expecting a different result. We’ve got a great musical heritage and ensemble, but we have to pay for it. And we also have to be able to experiment with it.’ What will the Philadelphia Orchestra of the future look and sound like? To answer that, the orchestra has assembled a 27-member steering committee to develop a strategic plan. The process, managed by the nonprofit Boston consultant Technical Development Corp., is expected to be finished by year’s end. Whatever the outcome, one aim of stocking a committee with board, staff, and players is to develop buy-in for the results … ‘Obviously, we’re here to sustain a great orchestra for the city of Philadelphia, for the world, for the nation, for Asia, for Europe,’ [Vulgamore] says. ‘So what we have to do is balance the standard of excellence and the art with the business perspective that makes sure that we can operate by choice the way we want to.’ ”
Posted August 4, 2010
