Organization

The Pasadena Symphony and POPS (Symphony and POPS), based in Pasadena, is the musical crown jewel of the San Gabriel Valley and attracts audiences from across Southern California. Founded 91 years ago, the organization has a rich history of musical and cultural investment in the region, performing an enriching and engaging classical and contemporary repertoire, and educating aspiring musicians.  Its mission is to provide musical concerts of the highest quality ranging from orchestral performances to world-renowned artists in recital, and to provide the broadest access to youth education programs and the performing arts through community engagement and artistic innovation. The organization provides year-round programming, featuring classical performances and holiday programming in the winter months, and POPS programming in the summer months.

The Pasadena Symphony is featuring Music Director candidates in the 2023-2024 season, and expects to conclude its artistic leadership search in early 2024. The POPS is under the artistic leadership of multi-platinum-selling, Emmy and Grammy Award-nominated entertainer and Principal Pops Conductor Michael Feinstein supported by Resident Pops Conductor Larry Blank. The organization employs approximately 60 per-service musicians, represented by American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 47,  many of whom are featured in countless motion picture scores and perform with a wide variety of ensembles. With their extensive recording and live performance credits, the musicians of the Symphony and POPS are among the most heard in the world. The Symphony and POPS showcases these fine artists, together with notable guest performers, in two exceptional venues — the 1,262-seat Ambassador Auditorium, known as the Carnegie Hall of the West, which houses the six-concert Symphony season, and the verdant Los Angeles Arboretum & Botanic Garden, which accommodates 5,000, as home to the six-concert summer POPS season. Additionally, the organization presents its Holiday Candlelight performances in the 900-seat All Saints Church in Pasadena and hosts a free Music Under the Stars event for the community on the grounds of Pasadena City Hall each summer.

The organization is committed to youth education and community through its partnerships with the Pasadena United School District and the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra (PYSO). Between both programs, the Symphony and POPS serves approximately 900 students each year, 400 through music education in area schools, and 500 students in the PYSO. The PYSO comprises students of all levels, from grades 4-12, from over 50 schools in Southern California, and has provided musical education and performance opportunities for more than five decades. Currently, dedicated youth receive advanced weekly instruction and exposure to challenging music through a rigorous program that emphasizes ensemble playing. In total, the Symphony and POPS serves more than 45,000 patrons through its educational and musical programming, educational initiatives, family events, PYSO, and additional community engagement activities.

The Symphony and POPS’ Board of Directors consists of 33 members, led by President Robert Michero. The Committees of the Board include Executive, Finance, Investment, Governance, Personnel, Education, Community Engagement and Development, and an ad hoc Audit Committee. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) serves as an ex-officio member of each committee. The CEO oversees a five-person senior leadership team and is responsible for a total team of nine full-time employees and several part-time employees, interns, and concert production staff. The organization enjoys the support of more than 250 volunteers each season, including The Women’s Committee, a dedicated affiliate group that fundraises for and promotes the Symphony and POPS by, among other activities, presenting their Holiday Look In and Boutique every December.

The organization anticipates approximately $5.8 million in revenue for fiscal year 2023 consisting of $2 million from contributions and grants and $3 million from program revenue, with the remainder derived from investments and other income. Its permanently restricted endowment stands at approximately $5.2 million. Additionally, the organization holds an unrestricted cash reserve of $3.8 million in its Board Designated Fund, which the Board may deploy to fund current operations or special projects, address emergencies, or as otherwise may be consistent with the organization’s charitable purposes.

Community

Located 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, the City of Pasadena is a center for arts and culture, entertainment, commerce, and education. Its high quality of life and thriving economy make it an attractive destination for residents, workers, and visitors. The Symphony and POPS serves the Greater Los Angeles region, and primarily engages communities located in the San Gabriel Valley, which covers an area of over 200 square miles and includes 31 cities and five unincorporated communities. Of its 1.5 million residents, 37% are European American, 30% Latino, 13% multiracial, 12% Asian, 7% African American, and 1% other. The American Community Survey estimates that, among residents 25 years of age or over, 85.5% are high school graduates and 45.6% have at least a bachelor’s degree.

Symphony and POPS is well-situated, as arts and culture thrive in the city and across the San Gabriel Valley. Pasadena Playhouse, winner of the 2023 regional Tony Award, has anchored Pasadena’s cultural life for more than a century, and it shares the theatrical stage with Boston Court Theatre, Sierra Madre Playhouse, and A Noise Within. To the east of Pasadena, the 130-acre grounds of the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens attract thousands of people each year to conduct research and enjoy its diverse works of art, including Thomas Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy.  Nationally renowned Pasadena museums also include the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena Museum of Art, Gamble House, and USC Pacific Asia Museum. Pasadena is a pioneer in the historic preservation movement and a must-see American architectural destination. It is best known for its iconic residential architecture featuring everything from Beaux Arts to Spanish Revival to Craftsman styles. Tree-lined streets feature beautifully preserved Craftsman bungalows by Henry and Charles Green, and 1920s revival style historic landmarks adorn Pasadena’s Old Town district.

Nestled at the intersection of several major thoroughfares and served by an efficient light rail system, Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley also enjoy ready access to three nearby airports. Bob Hope Burbank Airport is 20 minutes from Pasadena, Los Angeles International Airport is a 45-minute drive to the west, and Ontario International Airport is an hour east on Interstate 10. The city’s two largest employers are California Institute of Technology and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is operated by California Institute of Technology under contract to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Pasadena is also headquarters to significant financial institutions, as well as healthcare and research leaders, including Huntington Memorial Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, and Huntington Medical Research Institute, all of which are supported by Pasadena’s highly educated workforce. Additional and notable educational resources include ArtCenter College of Design, Pasadena City College, and Polytechnic School, a highly regarded, private secondary school.

Sources: Pasadena-chamber.org; cityofpasadena.net; visitpasadena.com; census.gov

Position Summary

The CEO will uplift the mission and vision of Symphony and POPS, guide the operational and fiscal functions, and co-curate inspiring musical programming with the Music Director, Principal POPS Conductor, and Chief Operating Officer, with an eye toward artistic innovation and audience development. Reporting to the President and working closely with the Board, the CEO will lead donor engagement, proactively recruit and retain exceptional board members, support and mentor the staff team, and inspire exceptional and collaborative relationships with stellar musicians. Leveraging the power of an expert and dedicated staff, and an energized and dynamic Board of Directors, the CEO will expand the organization’s reach and scope, creating meaningful partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders, musicians, and philanthropic partners. Building on the Symphony and POPS’ resilient financial performance during the pandemic, the CEO will maximize ticket sales and other earned revenue opportunities and execute the organization’s critical contractual relationships.

Roles and Responsibilities

Relationship Building, Donor Relations, and Communication

• Build strategic partnerships and cultivate meaningful relationships with donors, community stakeholders, strategic partners, volunteers, board, staff, and musicians.
• Inspire philanthropic engagement among board members, potential donors, and ticket buyers, as well as through management of a portfolio of current donors.
• Engage in individual and corporate cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation in support of programmatic priorities and sponsorship opportunities.
• Collaborate with the Chief Development Officer in the proactive identification of new individual and institutional revenue sources.
• Foster positive interactions and open lines of communication with local performance venues, the Pasadena Unified School District, the American Federation of Musicians, the municipal governments of Pasadena, Arcadia, and other cities in the San Gabriel Valley, the County of Los Angeles, regional and national membership organizations, and other collaborative partners. 
• Serve as a prominent, passionate, and inspirational spokesperson and ambassador at numerous public and private functions, in the media, and from the stage in ways that celebrate and promote the organization’s programming and community impact goals.
• Connect with the Pasadena Symphony and POPS’ musicians, consistently serving as a visible and available liaison to the organization overall.
• Embrace other relationship building, donor relations, and communication responsibilities, as needed.

Artistic Innovation and Organizational Strategy

• Co-curate artistic offerings with the Music Director and Principal POPS Conductor to inspire and welcome diverse guest artists, composers, and musicians.
• Establish the Symphony and POPS as an incubator of new ideas, creating opportunities to retain existing and attract new audiences through innovation and creative collaboration.
• Engage the board, staff, and external stakeholders in a planning process to set strategic direction and implement various initiatives for the next decade.
• Invest in innovative programs that build the organization’s reputation as a leading classical music and education organization.
• Champion Symphony and POPS’ education and community engagement programming and provide guidance and leadership to balance the programs’ growth with appropriate staff resources and in collaboration with the respective departmental Directors.
• Ensure that equity, diversity, inclusion, and access are integrated into all aspects of artistic, management, and board representation and decision making.
• Partner with the Director of Marketing and Public Relations to expand marketing strategies, increase ticket sales, and develop action plans for public performances, organizational initiatives, and in support of the organization’s brand.
• Embrace other artistic innovation and organizational strategy responsibilities, as needed.

Board Governance and Team Leadership

• Collaborate with Board and Committee Chairs to oversee meeting agendas, materials preparation, goal setting, and presentations at board meetings that result in action-oriented decision making.
• In partnership with board leadership, proactively cultivate diverse board members that reflect the skillsets, experiences, and community representation of transformational and visionary boards.
• Develop and advise on board recruitment, orientation, education, and engagement activities, as well as leadership succession planning strategies.
• Create and nurture a trusting partnership with the Music Director, Principal POPS Conductor, senior staff, and Orchestra Committee to build a resilient, high-performing executive leadership team with a welcoming and supportive organizational culture. 
• Supervise, mentor, and attract an exemplary staff that supports the ongoing initiatives of the organization and the dynamic communities it serves.
• Embrace other board governance and team leadership responsibilities, as needed.

Fiscal and Contract Management

• Participate in collective bargaining agreement negotiations and engage with AFM Local 47 and other entities to ensure accountability for multi-year contracts in partnership with the Chief Operating Officer and outside legal counsel.
• Strategize with the Chief Operating Officer in negotiations and contracts with artist managers and guest artists, as well as with the Music Director, Principal POPS Conductor, and others.
• Serve as the Music Director’s main point of contact and engage with the musicians regularly in deepening authentic relationships and adhering to the collective bargaining agreement with the Chief Operating Officer.
• Guide budget creation, monitoring, and reporting with the Chief Financial Officer, which includes establishing financial goals, controlling expenditures, maximizing revenues, understanding cash flows, creating forecasts, managing investments, and modeling financial scenarios. 
• Embrace other fiscal and contract management responsibilities, as needed.

Traits and Characteristics

The CEO will be a human-centered, emotionally intelligent leader possessing a deep passion for the arts and an inherent eloquence in discussing classical music and music education. Demonstrating deep strategic and business acumen, the CEO will have strong listening and interpersonal skills. With an affinity for people and frequent interactions with others, the CEO will be open-minded, excited to gather information, and will explore new ideas before coming to a collaborative decision. The CEO will be proactive, business-minded, and decisive, but also invested in setting realistic goals that achieve impactful results. The ideal CEO will be even-tempered and convey gravitas through their experience while demonstrating humility and a willingness to adapt to changing circumstances.

Other key competencies include:

• Leadership and Resiliency — The dexterity to organize and motivate others to accomplish goals, create a sense of direction, adapt to changing global circumstances, develop a deeply rooted organizational culture, and gain active participation from board, staff, musicians, donors, and strategic partners.
• Interpersonal Skills and Decision Making — The flexibility to anticipate, meet, and exceed stakeholder and partner needs while analyzing information to make consistently sound choices.
• Customer Focus and Diplomacy — The ability to understand diverse stakeholder perspectives and set a course of action that respects others, treats them fairly, regardless of personal biases or beliefs, while also effectively addressing difficult situations with grace.
• Personal and Professional Accountability — The capacity to take responsibility for meeting the highest ethical standards in establishing relevant, realistic, and attainable goals and objectives while anticipating the effects, outcomes, and calculated risks of various options.

Qualifications

A minimum of seven to nine years of relevant senior management experience in maximizing philanthropic support, increasing earned revenues, and demonstrating financial accountability is necessary. A bachelor’s degree is required and a master’s degree or equivalent work experience in business, arts administration, nonprofit management, or a related field is preferred. A highly developed interest in classical music, popular music programming, and the performing arts is appreciated. Demonstrable experience in strategic partnerships and active community participation is needed, with innovative business experience welcomed. Candidates must also have exceptional writing and verbal communication skills, the ability to regularly travel throughout the region, and the capacity to attend evening and weekend performances.

Compensation and Benefits

The Pasadena Symphony Association offers an attractive compensation package with a competitive salary estimated in the range of $180,000 to $220,000. Employee health and insurance benefits are underwritten by the Symphony and POPS and include medical insurance via Kaiser Permanente along with life, dental, and vision insurance via Guardian Insurance, as well as a 401(k)-retirement plan. The Association also offers a generous flexible personal time off policy. The quality of life in the vibrant Pasadena community and San Gabriel Valley region is an inherent benefit of leading this unique and dynamic organization into the future.

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable revenue, fiscal accountability, programming, and community engagement accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit artsconsulting.com/employment. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

Bruce D. Thibodeau, President

Shawn D. Ingram, Vice President

8581 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 406

Los Angeles, CA 90069-4120

Tel       (888) 234.4236 Ext. 201 (Dr. Thibodeau) or Ext. 220 (Mr. Ingram)

Email    PasadenaSymphony-POPS@ArtsConsulting.com           

The Pasadena Symphony Association is committed to creating a sense of belonging by providing broad access points to the world of symphonic music through our concert presentations, community engagement activities, and educational programs. We are committed to racial equity, and to fostering an environment of inclusion at our concerts, in our education programs, among our workforce and on our Board of Directors. Within this commitment, we strive to be a gathering place where people, regardless of background, feel welcomed to fully participate in the joy of live music. The Pasadena Symphony Association strives to reflect the broad culture of our community.