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Over the past couple of years, many directors of Canada’s leading artistic organisations have retired, giving way to a new generation of executives. In the first part of a continuing series, we meet several of these new leaders to get their take on the current state of the classical-music industry. What specific challenges do they face as they begin their new roles? What changes do they feel are most vital? What strengths are already in place?
Alexander Brose is the Michael and Sonja Koerner President & CEO of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. For the past year, he acted as RCM’s President & CEO Designate alongside former President & CEO, Dr. Peter Simon, who retired in August 2024 after 33 years. Brose was previously the Inaugural Executive Director and CEO of China’s Tianjin Juilliard School, Vice-President for Development at the Aspen Music Festival, and held senior positions within admissions and development at the San Francisco Conservatory. Like all of the leaders who responded to our call, Brose has a bona fide musical background, having sung throughout his life—first as a child actor on Korean television (while growing up in South Korea), and later performing professionally in opera, musical theatre and the choral milieux.
Sam Deason became Executive Director of the Regina Symphony Orchestra in July 2024, taking over a role held by Sam Forrester since 2020. Deason previously worked for CCS consulting firm in Philadelphia, where he designed, assessed and led fundraising campaigns for non-profit institutions across North America. As a pianist, he has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and with orchestras internationally. Deason’s primary teachers have included Menahem Pressler, James Giles, Boris Slutsky, Marc Durand, and Bonnie Nicholson.
Sue Elliott, has been the General Director & CEO of Calgary Opera since November 2023. She took over the role from Heather Kitchen who led the organisation from 2019. Elliott’s deep experience in arts administration includes roles as Chief Audience Officer at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Founding Director of the Tanglewood Learning Institute, Director of Teacher Certification at the Royal Conservatory of Music and Director of Education for Seattle Opera. She was trained as a pianist and clarinetist.
Photo: David Ospina
Caroline Louis became Executive Director of Montreal’s Bourgie Hall in June 2022, replacing the organisation’s founding director, Isolde Lagace, who retired after 11 years in the position. Louis previously worked at Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for 13 years, first in communications and then as its Director of Education. Louis is an active pianist with an ongoing interest in chamber music.
Daniela Nardi was named Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s new Executive Director in March 2024. Before that, her positions included: Cultural Director of Villa Charities; Executive Director of the 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media and Education; and Interim Executive Director of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. Nardi is a trained pianist and singer.
Photo: Tam Photography
Chantal Poulin had already worked with Concours musical international de Montréal since 2019 when she became its General Director in July 2023. She took over the role from Christiane Leblanc who had led the organisation for the previous 10 years. Poulin had previously worked in other communications, production, management roles and has music conservatory training.
The LSM Questionnaire
LSM: What led to your professional interest in arts management/business and music?
AB: I started singing and acting at an early age and have always felt at home within the arts community. Though I have a degree in Asian Studies, I knew that I wanted to continue to work in the arts, either on or off the stage. I began investigating administrative opportunities within music education specifically, and ultimately found my first position at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in Student Admissions and Recruitment.
SD: Live orchestral music continues to change my life.
SE: I’m grateful to have played many roles over the course of my lifetime in music. First as a performer and (reluctant) teacher. When a playing-related injury derailed my performance career, I wanted to stay close to my life’s work in music without further physical consequences. So I moved on to become an opera stage manager, then worked in many different facets of opera, orchestra, museums, and now back to opera.
CL: I started playing the piano at the age of 4; it was the focal point of my interests and efforts throughout my career. I studied music at university and have always worked in this sector. Initially, I focused on performance and musicology; however, my interest in management came throughout my years at the OSM, as I discovered the challenges of administering a large orchestra. Today, my professional passion is really strategy in a cultural context: How can the arts have added value, both for the client, business partners and, on a larger scale, society?
DN: It was a natural transition from my life as a professional musician.
CP: My interest in music and its diffusion.
LSM: As someone relatively new to your organization, what do you perceive as its biggest challenges?
AB: Since The Royal Conservatory of Music is a multi-faceted organization, it means different things to different people. For music educators, it could mean teaching our vast curriculum; for students, taking an RCM exam. We also have concertgoers coming to the RCM in Toronto to attend performances in our exquisite Koerner Hall, or students from around the world coming to receive a music performance degree at The Glenn Gould School. A big challenge will be to create a single, unified brand that resonates with all our stakeholders and that is instantly recognizable by anyone who partners with us.
SD: One particular challenge I’m excited to tackle is determining where it makes the most sense to invest for growth. While the RSO is not unlike most professional orchestras in terms of the financial pressures it faces, Regina has a rich ecosystem of musicians and passionate audiences that continue to want to see the RSO take on new and exciting challenges.
SE: Understanding how the context for our work has changed and ensuring that we are more engaged, engaging, and relevant moving forward.
CL: Bourgie Hall was founded in 2011; it is a young organisation when compared to several players on the Canadian music scene and, therefore, it is normal that it is less known to the general public. We believe that there is significant customer potential available, which has not yet been reached. We are investing efforts to position the hall as a cultural and tourist destination on a provincial scale.
DN: Trying to get up to speed quickly when you are part of a very small team and having to wear many hats.
CP: Financing of the business.
LSM: What do you feel are your organisation’s greatest strengths?
AB: While also a challenge, The Royal Conservatory’s greatest strength IS our brand and our reputation as the gold standard in music education, regardless of age. We leave “no stone unturned” when it comes to access for those seeking an education in music. We are very excited about our early childhood program, Smart Start, which seamlessly links neuroscience with music education and has proven benefits on brain development. Smart Start is starting to roll out across North America, building on the foundation created by our 138-year-old RCM Certificate Program.
SD: In my humble opinion, the RSO’s greatest strengths are twofold: resilience and community. Despite its beginnings in 1904, the RSO has remained highly relevant to this day and continues to present innovative and captivating musical experiences throughout Saskatchewan.
SE: Calgary Opera is a resilient organisation with a storied history among Canadian opera companies. Our partnerships with the Calgary Philharmonic, Cantaré Children’s Choir, and the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium mean mainstage performances have all the ingredients for enthralling mainstage performances. We’re also grateful to exist in a dynamic, multicultural city where music and story resonate so strongly.
CL: Bourgie Hall has many strengths: first of all, it is an ideal format to offer an intimate concert experience, which serves our specialty repertoire well (recital, vocal art, chamber and early music, jazz). Then, its location in the city centre is extraordinary: located in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the room is in synergy with it. Furthermore, in just 13 seasons, the hall has built an important reputation in the music industry, which allows us to welcome the greatest international and national artists. Finally, the venue is supported by the Arte Musica Foundation, which has strong backing thanks to the vision of its founder, Pierre Bourgie. This gives us the means to plan the next seasons with confidence, an invaluable opportunity in the current context.
DN: Organisational culture, strategy, partnerships.
CP: Our notoriety, uniqueness, Montreal and its international roots; partnership with other cultural entities.
LSM: What, if any, are the most significant changes you have already made?
AB: I’ve spent the last year of overlap with Peter getting to know the DNA of the RCM, trying to figure out why it acts the way it acts. Much of this has been done through individual conversations with over 180 RCM staff and faculty. It’s been wildly helpful to hear about their relationship with this storied institution and I know that these discussions will help guide the evolution of the RCM.
SD: Being one month into the job, I’d say that my single most overarching change would be in terms of our narrative. While the past few years haven’t been easy for many in our industry, the future is full of unique opportunities. There are so many different ways that one can be an integral part of the RSO’s story, now and in the future!
SE: The biggest shifts will relate to:
1) our purpose: our focus on finding ways that opera—with collaboration and timeless, human stories at its core—can create a more civil society, and
2) moving from nostalgia-based to audience-centric programming.
CL: Bourgie Hall had been masterfully managed by Isolde Lagacé since its beginnings, so I took over a solid organisation in 2022. Since my arrival, I have worked to rethink the strategy by updating the brand image, a significant investment in digital marketing, canvassing target audiences and the integration of sound business practices. With my colleague Olivier Godin as artistic director, we have optimized the structure of the programming and we are developing musical projects that reinforce the hall’s signature. We are seeing these changes already bear fruit.
DN: Created an internal marketing department, created a more affordable 24/25 season, implemented stricter finance controls such as invoice and contract trackers.
CP: Montreal roots, increased relationships with institutions and students. Development of a new Quebec component.
LSM: So much has changed in the classical music world in the past few years. What are you hoping to see happen at your organisation over the next five years? What do you hope will change? Stay the same?
AB: What will stay the same is this organisation’s status as a national cultural treasure and a leader in the arts in Canada. The plan over the next several years is to expand awareness of the RCM’s excellence in music education so that it enjoys this same near-ubiquity at the global level.
SD: Over the next five years, we want to continue to add meaning and value to all aspects of Regina’s musical ecosystem while creating opportunities for our musical voices to be heard in new and exciting places.
CL: A major trend in the current industry is a focus on the social experience of a cultural outing. So, this includes all the facilities that surround the show and allow the client to socialize. I believe that we must move in this direction, especially in the post-pandemic context where demographic shifts have changed the composition of the clientele. Our team is currently considering adjustments to customer contact and welcome, in order to offer an even more attractive experience. I don’t see any major changes to the programming itself. The artists and their proposal must be put forward and respected, once the concert begins.
DN: I hope for it to continue to be self-sustaining and innovative. Community building is key for us: I wish for that to evolve and for TMC to be the leaders in Canadian choral music.
LSM: Maintaining and building a loyal audience is challenging. What is your philosophy with regards to audience growth in the current climate?
AB: For our RCM teachers and students, we will look to increase the openness and accessibility of our programs, whether at our schools here in Toronto, or through diversity in our curriculum, teacher training, and digital offerings. Furthermore, by expanding the reach of Smart Start and introducing more children to music education at an early age, our hope is that this will create lifelong learners and appreciators of music, thus generating growth across the RCM’s various audiences.
SD: My philosophy is that any orchestra needs to re-examine what it means to create a season full of captivating, one-of-a-kind, in-person experiences that resonate with people from all walks of life and that reflects your community.
SE: Calgary Opera is implementing an Affinity Model I created, the result of 20 years of research, program development, assessment, and refinement. This audience development framework is unique in its approach to participant segmentation, partnership development, program intensity, and levels of interaction. When implemented at Seattle Opera, the company increased annual participation by a factor of 10, earned revenue for public programs and partnerships by a factor of 4, and contributed revenue for public programs and partnership by a factor of 5. Similar results have been achieved at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Norman Rockwell Museum.
CL: In my opinion, a central aspect of audience loyalty is the notion of empathy: How can I meet the customer’s needs, am I honest with them and do I make the necessary efforts to facilitate their experience? Then, I believe that we can learn from digital media, which have built their business model on audience loyalty. The notion of building communities and, above all, maintaining them, is very important in loyalty. We must be interested in what motivates people, what nourishes them and what brings them together. For example, I am thinking of early- and baroque-music lovers, who are very present in Montreal and who represent a significant segment of Bourgie Hall’s clientele because we have developed specific programming for them. We are, in fact, in the process of building new communities of fans for different repertoires (vocal music, strings, etc.).
DN: I believe in stewarding the current fan base. We have an audience, best to take care of them.
CP: Staying focused on quality and putting artists more in the spotlight.
LSM: What are you most looking forward to this season at your organisation?
AB: This year’s concert season in Koerner Hall will be spectacular—I look forward to welcoming the diverse array of classical, jazz and world music artists, whether established musicians or rising stars. I am also looking forward to connecting even more deeply with the diverse RCM community of teachers, students, donors, concert patrons, faculty, and staff—each of whom continue to be so dedicated to the success of this magnificent organisation.
SD: I’m most looking forward to building out the RSO’s vision as a reflection of its many stakeholders. There are so many incredible stakeholders: musicians, board members, staff, community leaders and concertgoers across the Regina community, all who bring a unique perspective to what the RSO is and can be.
SE: Calgary Opera is producing more performances, events, and programs than it has in many seasons, some of which are tried & true and others that are experimental in nature. All with music and story at their core. We’re really looking forward to reconnecting with our loyal audience members and welcoming many new participants!
CL: This season we are starting a complete presentation of Schubert’s lieder. This project will be ongoing at the Bourgie Hall for several years and will involve great singers and pianists from all over the world. I invite the public to join us to delve into this magnificent repertoire.
DN: All of it. quite frankly. We have a beautiful season planned, we have some great events planned for our donors. I look forward to engaging with our donors, our audience and celebrating our 130th anniversary. I look forward to increasing the visibility of our brand.
CP: Increased positioning.
We thank all the company directors who responded to our questions. Look for Part 2 of this survey in our October issue.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
