Orchestral Quest

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The search for a music director and conductor isn’t something often undertaken by an orchestra. The Lexington Philharmonic, which opened its season at the end of September, is beginning the intensive, year-long process for only the third time since its inception in 1961. For the Philharmonic, the goal of the search is to bring the best new leadership to the group. For the community, the search is an opportunity to participate in the selection process and shape the orchestra’s future. 

The Lexington Philharmonic began as the all-volunteer Central Kentucky Philharmonic Society, created to provide music for a film produced by the University of Kentucky’s Department of Agriculture. The group soon became the largest arts organization in Central Kentucky and by 1965 had shifted from a volunteer orchestra to one that paid its musicians. 

In 1972, George Zack joined the Lexington Philharmonic as music director and conductor, a position he held until 2009. During Zack’s 37 years with the Philharmonic, the orchestra became broadly recognized in the community, and Zack was committed to creating a welcoming space for all audience members. 

For the past decade, music director and conductor Scott Terrell has led the Lexington Philharmonic, pushing the organization even further forward. 

Terrell used his time with the Lexington Philharmonic to push the orchestra to try new things, especially in the area of programming. According to Harris, one of Terrell’s biggest legacies was introducing contemporary music to LexPhil’s programming. 

“He’s a huge proponent of programming living composers – which is something that’s happening more often in the industry but is still not the norm,” Harris said. 

Both Zack and Terrell were concerned with making the orchestra available to the entire community. But the current board and staff see an opportunity to structure a search around the core value of building equity and diversity within both the audience and the organization. 

“Changing leadership creates space to revisit the accomplishments we’ve made and to revisit our values – what’s working and how we want to present ourselves to the community going forward,” explainsedHarris. 

The board and staff began the process of examining where the organization stood in regard to equity by hiring S&A Strategies – a consulting firm specializing in nonprofit and community development – to conduct focus groups that intentionally represented all facets of the community. 

“How do we reach a new audience? How do we make our audience look more like Lexington? How can we present programs that represent the full scope of our community? These are the questions we asked, and much of what we learned from the focus groups was that we needed to focus on building equity,” Harris said. 

One of the immediate ways the Philharmonic is creating an experience they hope reflects the community is by beginning every show this season with a work by a female composer. September’s season opening show was particularly special, as it opened with a work composed by Julia Perry, an African American female composer born in 1924 in Lexington’s East End. 

Perry, who attended Julliard and won two Guggenheim Fellowships, wrote nearly 80 pieces, including 12 symphonies, before her death in 1979, but for many years was somewhat forgotten within an industry that often placed more value on works by white male composers. 

A second way the Philharmonic is working to create a more welcoming environment is by changing how it markets many of its existing programs as well as the music itself. 

One misconception about LexPhil that the organization is working to debunk is that attending a performance is expensive and “stuffy.” 

“We write grants and fundraise in order to offer tickets at an affordable price point,” Harris explained. “Tickets can be purchased for as little as $25, with student tickets for students of any age costing $11 – and there’s no dress code.

For individuals who haven’t attended an orchestral show before or feel intimidated by orchestral music in general, the staff has created Spotify playlists that introduce listeners to the music they will hear. They also have started writing program notes that emphasize the story of the music rather than its technical details. 

“Some of what’s changing is the way we invite audiences, the way we make it welcoming, and the way we adjust aspects of the concert experience itself so everyone feels welcome and joyful and comfortable,” Harris explained. “It’s partly about creating content that makes the information about the pieces more digestible – people feel more confident in coming when they have some knowledge beforehand.”

Music education is also central to the mission of the Lexington Philharmonic. The orchestra works in public schools throughout central, south-central and eastern Kentucky, introducing many children to the wonder of orchestral music through ensemble performances in the classroom, providing opportunities for classes to attend an orchestra rehearsal, and the popular “Instrument Petting Zoo” program, where kids can try their hand at a variety of instruments they see on the stage at a performance. 

Shifting the culture of orchestral music to one that examines its processes through a lens of equity is an industry-wide movement. 

“Our peers throughout the country are all talking about the same thing – it’s time,” said Harris. “We must make it a priority. We must make it as essential as every other decision we make about programming. If we don’t adjust our approach and make changes, audiences will decline.”

Orchestras throughout the country are going through a process of self-reflection in their programming and hiring. Many are making it a priority to examine who their players are, how they advertise opportunities in their organizations, and how they can best reflect their community. These factors are important to everyone involved with Lexington Philharmonic, including current board president Colmon Elridge III. 

“As the first person of color to lead the Lexington Philharmonic [board], I view this as something I hope to be the landmark of my time on the board,” Elridge said. “I wish for my children and all children in our region and their families to feel that LexPhil is for them – not to the exclusion of anyone or group, but rather, as a means to reach new heights with our mission, which is to truly make live orchestral music approachable for anyone.”

For those who believe that orchestral music requires extensive knowledge to enjoy, executive director Allison Kaiser has a suggestion. “A great point of entry is to listen to the environment for those very frequent times that orchestral music is present – such as in films, TV shows, commercials, video games and even pop music. Once you become aware of how often orchestral music is with us in our day-to-day lives, the connection becomes much easier and so enjoyable! Introduction to orchestral music need not be through an academic or scholarly approach,” she said. 

The orchestra is also planning more ways to share its work outside of the concert hall. In addition to the popular summer favorite event Picnic with the Pops, which focuses on orchestral interpretations of popular music, the group intends to send more small ensembles out into the community. 

“We also want it to be a family experience, but we hadn’t done as much to let purchasers know about things like pricing for kids or what to expect when attending with children, and we want to share that information,” she added.

“While Scott has been here, the orchestra has received national attention, including winning grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and being broadcast multiple times on NPR’s ‘Performance Today,’” said Mollie Harris, the organization’s communications manager. 

“We want to put the music out into unexpected places, like bars and restaurants or in public places and at public events,” Harris said. “We want people to stumble upon it and be delighted.”

Each of the six shows this season is to be conducted by one of the candidates for the music director/conductor position, and the organization is also seeking the community’s voice in the search. Each candidate will spend a week in Lexington prior to their performances, meeting with the musicians, staff, board and leaders in the arts community, as well as rehearsing and talking to the community leading up to the performance they lead.

The excitement surrounding the search is obvious among the Philharmonic’s board and staff. Under Terrell’s leadership, the organization has built a reputation for world premieres, innovative and contemporary music experiences and has collaborative multimedia concerts, and has worked to bring the “highest level of artistry to its audiences by performing a diverse and sophisticated repertoire,” Kaiser said. 

“New artistic leadership will help us build on these strengths while also making the experience of live orchestral music more accessible and inclusive,” she said.

That inclusive community spirit of Lexington Philharmonic is a key selling point for Elridge when he tries to encourage new prospective audience members to explore the organization’s offerings.

“What many first-time attendees find out is that the live orchestral experience is awe inspiring and that the audience is made up of neighbors and friends,” he said. “I promise whether it is a member of our board, a musician, a staff member or a volunteer, there is a community of people to welcome you with open arms.”

For Harris, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly how attending an orchestral performance might affect you – but she is confident it will be powerful. 

“There’s an energy in the concert hall during a show – almost an electricity,” she said. “It’s loud. It can be emotional. You can feel extreme joy. You can feel sorrow that may bring you to tears….The beautiful thing is that the music means something different to everyone.” 

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Lexington Phil. Conductor Search

Good article! The first conductor, Thomas Heuser, the picture tells 1000 words, the only one with the broad smile and welcoming appearance, had a home run performance, at September’s concert! He’s the keeper!

Bonnie and Sam Avery more than 3 years ago

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