As the Columbus Symphony prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary next year, it’s also preparing to welcome a new leader.
Maureen O’Brien will start in her new role as CEO July 15. She most recently served as executive vice president for institutional advancement for the New World Symphony in Miami.
O'Brien takes the reins as CSO embarks on a major capital campaign to build a new performance hall.
Matthew Rand: First off, could you tell us a bit about your background and what led you into the world of classical music?
Maureen O'Brien: Well, my family has some musical people in it, including my mother, who was a piano teacher, so I grew up with the sounds of classical piano ringing throughout the house. My maternal grandfather was actually an avid jazz trumpet player, although he did not make his living doing that. And my uncle, my mom's brother, is a professional jazz pianist in Indianapolis. So, I’ve got a few musical figures in my life, and I grew up with piano as my first instrument.
My mom was my teacher, and I started playing the flute in elementary school, continued that all the way through college, sang in choirs growing up, and did some musical theater and things like that. So, music has played a really important part in my life and then ended up translating into a career in arts administration. So, I have stayed working in music-related organizations my entire career.
Matthew Rand: Most symphony goers are focused on what’s happening on stage, and might not realize what goes on behind the scenes to make it all happen. Where do you see yourself fitting into that picture here at CSO?
Maureen O'Brien: There's a lot that goes into bringing that music that you see on stage. And of course, the musicians are part of it and the ones performing the music, preparing it, the conductor, the ones that you do see on stage. But there's a whole world of marketing, fundraising, the business model of nonprofits and of most classical music organizations is such that we cannot rely only on ticket sales to make the budget whole. And so, there is a large operation behind the scenes, raising money from generous donors, again, marketing the concerts, thinking about the programming, engaging with the community is a larger music education focus as well at CSO.
So, there's a whole army of people behind the scenes making it happen, and I see my job as making sure we're growing in the same direction, making sure we share the same vision, that everybody has the resources they need to get their job done and feels empowered to do that within their own areas of expertise.
Matthew Rand: Last year, the Columbus Symphony unveiled plans for a major project — a new music hall near COSI, with a potential price tag of up to $275 million. Can you share any updates on that effort? And what’s your mindset as you prepare to lead such a large-scale capital campaign?
Maureen O'Brien: Yeah, I'm really excited about being part of a team that's working on the creation of a new purpose-built space for the symphony, having worked at New World Symphony in Miami for the last 10 years. I had the great fortune of working in a beautiful Frank Gehry-designed space that was acoustically attuned for that particular ensemble. There's a lot of advantages to having a space that is really created for the organization. So, I'm excited to dive into that. A lot of conversations and relationships that I'm looking forward to fostering as I get started in July.
Matthew Rand: Could you say a bit more about your vision for CSO looking toward the upcoming 75th season and beyond, especially when it comes to things like getting more young people to attend concerts and ensuring the symphony stays on firm financial footing?
Maureen O'Brien: Yeah, I'm very passionate about trying to attract younger folks to come. And I think this music is absolutely relevant to today. I think it has a transformative power. So, I think it's a really exciting thing, and we have to be creative in how we reach out to people today and show them that this is a good use of their time, a good use of their discretionary money that people could be spending on any number of other activities. But I believe the case is there to be made and I'm excited to continue to invite the community to come out and experience classical music.
