LA Phil loses two key execs in a day
mainGretchen Nielsen, LA Phil’s Vice President of Education Initiatives, has jumped ship to become chief exec of the young-talent training org From the Top, based in Boston.
The LA Phil has also lost Nate Bachhuber, its Artistic Administrator for the past four years. He has gone off to become Director of Artistic Planning & Administration for the Cincinnati Symphony Orch.
That’s two gone in a day.
One more and it will look like mass flight.
Do you have any idea how the job market in the music industry actually works?
Only one rule to survive: the revolving door swings so fast you have to pay attention to whether you exit on the way in or the way out.
These sound like true professional promotions. No “mass flight” at all. Mr. Bachhuber may be moving to a slightly smaller orchestra but, in Cincinnati, he’ll be the number one person in artistic, whereas he’s number two in LA.
It highlights a problem in the industry too: if administrators want to move up the ranks, they often have to move in order to do so. So you could be working for a top organization in sunny, vibrant L.A., but with no other comparable arts group in the area, your options are limited. Thus, a move to a cold rust-belt city.
So he traded smog for rust.
A “cold rust belt city” which has just returned to a beautifully renovated/restored Music Hall, which has an exciting music director, which has a great annual choral festival, which is doing some outstanding community outreach programs, etc., etc. BTW, LA is not always “sunny.”
I interviewed for the job. I’d give my right you-know-what for it.
It all depends on your priorities. Cincinnati is indeed a fine orchestra and perhaps a good organization to work for. California isn’t perfect, but Ohio is also a red state now. That alone would give me pause.
Robert Holméthey announced on the same day to save paper.
“To lose one executive may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both…,” etc.
One can certainly view this as a challenge for LAPhil. But, consider this: this organization has developed incredible professionals, and they are now soaring their wings in new places. This is the kind of thing that does happen, even outside our sphere of the performing arts. Congrats to them both. LA’s loss is definitely the gain of the other organizations.