Rebecca Smackey'92 took a circuitous route to her current niche as director of communications and publications for the Philadelphia Orchestra– but to her the experience resulted in music to her ears.
After graduation she worked for the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and then earned an M.B.A. from Emory University. A two-year stint with IBM in New York City followed. Upon reexamining her goals, she decided she really wanted to “work for a cause.” She returned to Philadelphia, joined the orchestra staff in
the development office, and moved to her current post last year.
To some, classical music may be perceived as the exclusive province of the gray-haired set. Nothing could be more inaccurate. Smackey says the Philadelphia Orchestra “targets” every age group via its programming efforts. “There is an extensive outreach program involving our musicians and volunteer docents who travel to the schools in advance of the concerts, preparing the students for the music they will hear,” she says.
That outreach includes the Sound All Around series for ages three to five; the Family Concert Series for ages six to twelve and their families; the School Concerts for regional grade- and high school students; and Campus Classics for the college-age crowd. The orchestra also has the 21st Century Society, “a group of very active young professionals who create fundraising events around orchestra performances, network, and volunteer on projects,” Smackey says.
And, of course, she and her staff work hard to attract and keep patrons. She describes the orchestra website,
www.philorch.org, as a “work in progress” as “we see how we can leverage the experience on the web to better connect to the patrons–it's an emotional attachment,” says Smackey. “Converting a single ticket
buyer into a subscriber is one challenge, then demonstrating the importance of every subscriber also being an active donor is another critical component. Without contributed income, arts organizations wouldn't exist.”
The scope of the orchestra's venues is literally worldwide. It performs annually at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and frequently the itinerary includes overseas travel, such as its Tour of the Americas this spring.
Smackey says there is a lot of excitement and energy surrounding the orchestra because the present music director, Wolfgang Sawallisch, will leave this fall and Christoph Eschenbach will take up the baton. Both are accomplished pianists, but with distinctive individual styles, she says. The former's great love is Schumann-the impetus for a Schumann Festival with the orchestra. Eschenbach has a penchant for introducing new music-part of his philosophy of “raising the invisible curtain between the stage and audience,” Smackey says.
Despite its worldwide renown and world-class following, the orchestra has not forgotten its neighbors. Each summer its Neighborhood Concert program is performed regionally. “It becomes a true partnership between that community and the orchestra,” says Smackey, “with extensive programming pre- and post-concert.” The summer schedule also features a month-long outdoor season at Philadelphia's Mann Center for the Performing Arts and, of course, the annual summer visit to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “This is where many audience members come with a picnic under the stars to take in the magical sounds of our orchestra,” she says.
Perhaps in these unsettled times, she says, music is a “salve for your wounds” that provides “a sense of calm.” And that in itself is priceless.