Symphony chief ready to dive in
By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
In his first go-around as a temporary hire, new Honolulu Symphony interim president Gideon Toeplitz is already demonstrating the sort of quick-study qualities he'll likely need to guide the troubled organization through a pivotal transitional period.
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Toeplitz, 60, arrived in town Tuesday night from Newark, N.J. Noting the weather and the predominant mode of dress, he promptly decided that his jackets and ties should stay in his luggage.
Honolulu Symphony interim president Gideon Toeplitz says one of his first goals is to establish short-term priorities.
He spent much of his first official day on the job yesterday dressed in a loose aloha shirt he purchased at the Halekulani.
Toeplitz, a former executive vice president and and managing director of the Pittsburgh Symphony, comes to Honolulu via the Arts Consulting Group, which the symphony has retained to help find a permanent replacement for Stephen Bloom, who stepped down in April amid a brewing power struggle on the symphony board.
Bloom's resignation was followed by the departures of incoming CEO Vicky Cayetano and influential board members Mike O'Neill and Mike Fisch.
Age: 60 Birthplace: Tel Aviv, Israel Hometown: Tanglewood, Mass. Family: Divorced, two children (Shira, 23; Ilana, 18) Education: B.A. in economics and political science (Israel); M.B.A. in arts management (UCLA) Current position: Interim president, Honolulu Symphony; vice president, Arts Consulting Group Previous position: Executive vice president and managing director of the Pittsburgh Symphony, 1987-2003 Also: Toeplitz's father Uri was an accomplished flutist and one of the founders of the Israel Philharmonic
Toeplitz said he doesn't know the details of the controversy. The first order of business, he said, will be to quickly assess the overall situation and establish short-term priorities.
Gideon Toeplitz
"I'm not here to fix the next 30 years," he said.
Toeplitz, whose symphony management experience includes stints with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Houston Symphony Orchestra, said he favors a participatory management style that draws on the input of all parties: board members, management, musicians and volunteers.
Toeplitz met with symphony board members Judy Perry and Peter Shaindlin yesterday and plans to meet with musicians tomorrow before returning to the Mainland for his daughter's graduation and attend to other business. He'll return for a few days on June 22, then again on July 5.
"All I know right now is that the challenges this symphony is facing are similar to those faced by symphonies around the world," he said. "Unfortunately, the solutions are not written in a book someplace."
In general, Toeplitz said, many symphonies are suffering financially because they haven't been able to connect with the next generation of potential patrons.
"The generation that should be coming — people who are now around 40 years old — did not have the same (arts) education in school," he said. "They are not as educated in music as their predecessors and, as a result, orchestras have lost a substantial amount of audience in the last 20 years.
Andrew Shimabuku • The Honolulu Advertiser
"If symphonies are going to survive, they can't be so naive to think that the audience will come if they just play well. We have to first significantly change the experience."
Gideon Toeplitz says many symphonies are struggling because they haven't connected with the next generation of potential patrons.
Toeplitz said symphonies also have to approach fundraising with a clear direction and with the idea of bringing the organization closer to the community.
"You can't play to 1,000 people and then ask 100,000 people to donate money," he said.
"People don't give money for artistic excellence. You have to do things that people relate to, like education and outreach. They'll give money because you played at their child's school, not because you gave an excellent performance of Brahms."
Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2461.
