This should be a joyful week for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s celebrating its 90th anniversary, and its new music director, Arild Remmereit, begins his second season on Thursday night with a successful first year under his belt.
Success wasn’t guaranteed. Remmereit’s predecessor, the highly popular Christopher Seaman, was a hard act to follow. On top of that, Remmereit injected into his first-year programs a healthy dose of music new to the orchestra and to many of the RPO concertgoers. At the concerts I attended, though, Remmereit got enthusiastic applause. He was putting his own stamp on the RPO, right from the start. And many of us hoped he was proving that large RPO audiences could be introduced to orchestral works they had never heard and wouldn’t bolt for the door.
At least among my friends, there was a good bit of excitement about the RPO.
Unfortunately, this year’s season opens under a cloud. A looming deficit and rumblings about discord at the RPO – on the board and between Remmereit and the RPO’s CEO, Charlie Owens – turned into major news on Sunday with a Stuart Low article in the Democrat and Chronicle.
Conflict in arts organizations isn’t new. Nor is this the first for the RPO. And maybe it’s no surprise that it comes as the RPO, like many other arts organizations throughout the country, struggles with financial problems. Put any organization under financial stress, and conflict may very well break out.
Low’s article focused on both the interpersonal conflict and the financial stress. Some RPO supporters feel that the bigger challenge is financial. I’m not so sure. And best I can tell, financial challenges didn’t spur the conflict; personality did.
I haven’t talked to Remmereit or Owens, but I have talked to supporters of both men. And based on those conversations, I’m worried. If the RPO board can’t remedy the situation, it may be almost impossible to raise the money the orchestra needs.
In his article, Low says the conflict originated with disagreements between Remmereit and Owens over “artistic and administrative priorities.” Supporters with whom I’ve talked go well beyond that, complaining about what they see as problems in the management style and communications skills of both men.
One result is an RPO board that is divided – as are some patrons. Remmereit and Owens each have strong supporters and strong critics – so much so that when they talk about the two, it’s as if they are seeing entirely different people. And predictably, morale is said to be low.
As it should have, the RPO board brought in outside help to try to improve the relationship between Remmereit and Owens. Management coaches like this can do great things, and I’m relieved to hear that the board took this step, and that Remmereit and Owens were willing to work with the coaches.
The question is: now what? The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is a Rochester treasure, and not just historically. It’s important to the Rochester economy, contributing to a quality of life that few cities this size can match.
Can Owens and Remmereit heal their rift – and make whatever other “management style” changes they need to make? There are reports that they’re trying. Ultimately, it’s up to them – and just as important, it’s up to RPO board members and leaders. They must come together, agree on firm goals, state clearly what they expect, and hold everybody accountable.
The RPO will live through this. And I don’t want to blow the conflict out of proportion. But I do think it’s serious, and fixing it won’t be easy. The level of animosity and mistrust seems deep.
People on both sides of this conflict believe sincerely that they are right. Maybe one side is. But it would be a good idea for each side to listen to the other, to stop pointing fingers. The RPO is far more important than personal allegiances.
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This article appears in Oct 3-9, 2012.
One reason why people aren’t coming to see the RPO may be the ‘boiler room’ method they have of shaking-down previous supporters. We subscibed to a Philharmonic series about 5 or 6 years ago, and afterwards, we were absolutely innundated with requests for money, renewal of membership, etc., etc, even AFTER we told them 7 or 8 times to stop calling! Finally, after 3 YEARS of this, they gave up. We will probably never again buy a subscription to the RPO after this experience, and I’ve heard from many, many other people who say the same thing. It’s a shame, but we value our peace and quiet more than the RPO.
Remmereit is a breath of fresh air after the dull Seaman years. AR’s conducting has renewed my interest in coming to concerts. It is the music director that creates what the audience comes for. The orchestra seems to like him— Over a 25 year period, I have not heard the musicians play as consistently well, even considering the amount of new music they now need to learn. If it were up to me, I would suggest getting rid of Owens if he cannot get along with the music director.
If the RPO board had to make a choice between Arild Remmereit and Charles Owens, the choice is simple. Get rid of Owens and keep Remmereit. Even the board acknowledged that Remmereit brought new vitality and energy to the orchestra. CEO’s are easily replaced. Artists such as Arild are not . The people I have spoken with are not anxious to pledge more money to the RPO if it continues on this tack. If you were a conductor looking for an orchestra to lead, would you come to Rochester and have to deal with a Board that wouldn’t honor a contract? Unlikely.
The “shakedown” referred to by Alex is management’s preferred method. A look at the revolving door in the Development department may tell you how comfortable professional fundraisers feel about these techniques.