Exclusive: NY Phil’s executive director quits

Exclusive: NY Phil’s executive director quits

News

norman lebrecht

October 13, 2021

We hear that Adam Cox, executive director of the NY Philharmonic and the man representing the orchestras on the $550 million David Geffen Hall renovation has left abruptly.

‘Personal reasons,’ we’re told.

His page has been deleted on the orchestra website.

Cox was previously executive vice president of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas.

 

It’s turning into quite a week for the Philharmonic, having to replace a pianist, a conductor and now an executive director.

Comments

  • CA says:

    Sounds like someone is cleaning house.

    • Tiredofitall says:

      Or there’s blood on the walls…If Borda wanted to intentionally clean house, I would think she would space out the announcements. Public perception counts.

      She’s pretty much a one-(wo)man band, which is fine, except in a very few years the Phil will be left with a management vacuum.

      Something’s afoot…

    • Sisko24 says:

      Or perhaps someone knows something about the ‘renovation’ of Geffen Hall and he decided to ‘git while the gittin’s good’?

  • Minnesota says:

    Cox seems to be a turnaround specialist, as his several jobs over the years have averaged 2-3 years.

    • CA says:

      But what exactly has he turned around at NYP? He can’t take credit for getting the orchestra back on stage after the pandemic-that would have happened with anyone in that job.

      • Simon Reginald Esq says:

        He “turned around” quite a bit.
        The New York Philharmonic musicians gave up more than any other orchestra has in it’s most recent contract by a long shot. Mr. Cox and a management-centric lead committee by trombonist Mr. Williams successfully put cuts in place that see some principals losing over half their salaries and section players 25 percent with little to no push back from musicians and cuts that never return in the life of the contract.
        To do this while building a new hall and taking more than 10 million in grants and forgiven PPP loans is a slam dunk for management.

  • John Borstlap says:

    It’s NY, so: never a dull moment.

  • JoshW says:

    It must have been frustrating having the title “Executive Director” while having no power.

  • Nick Kalogeresis says:

    The NY Phil is not as great an institution as people think.

    • Tom Phillips says:

      Vastly inferior to Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland and probably LA not to mention the finest orchestras in Europe. And it is clear to me – as a New Yorker – that would not be considered in the American “top 5” were it located in any other city. And that’s been true for at least 50 years now.

  • George says:

    Perhaps the emerging list of candidates to replace Jaap didn’t bode well in his view and he decided it was time to jump ship.

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