November 18, 2024 • 21 mins
Blending a deep love of classical music with a passion for business, Peter Kjome is recognized as a thoughtful leader who engages key stakeholders to achieve artistic and economic success. He became President and CEO of The Phoenix Symphony on February 1, 2023.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining me now on the latest edition of CEOs you
should know Phoenix. He is the president and CEO of
Phoenix Symphony. Peter Chomey joins us here. Good afternoon, Peter,
how are you.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning. It's great to be here today.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Thanks for joining us. We got a lot to talk about.
This is a huge organization that's been around for nearly
eight decades and an integral part of the art scene
and the culture of Phoenix. But let's start with how
you got here. You've been on the job for almost
two years. How did you arrive in Phoenix.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I came to Phoenix in early twenty twenty three and
it's been an amazing experience. Phoenix and Arizona are such
an incredible place with an inspiring spirit of optimism, and
that's how we feel about our future at the Phoenix Symphony.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
You've been through two summers now, so you've been through
two Phoenix summers. How do you feel about the Phoenix summers.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, I've really enjoyed the summers, and it does get
a little bit hot at times, but that's what air
conditioning is for.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You know. At the Phoenix Symphony, as I mentioned, seventy
eight years, it's been in the valley of reputation. Did
the symphony have prior to you arriving and what drew
you to this job, because I'm sure you had opportunities
across the country.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
The Phoenix Symphony has been an important organization in the
valley for many, many years. This is our seventy eighth season,
and when I began to have conversations with folks in
Phoenix about the possibility of joining the organization to come
into the community, one of the things that really impressed
me was the spirit of collaboration, how people are working together,
and that's something I've really seen. We think about our
(01:33):
musicians and our staff, our boarder, directors and leaders in
the community who care about the Phoenix Symphony and its
mission and the work it does in the community. And
I've seen that, and that's something that continues to make
me optimistic about our bright future at the Symphony.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
So you mentioned that with sixty five full time musicians,
is there is your day to day, day to day
job dealing with the musicians and sort of the on
the ground part of the symphony or is it more
or from a ten thousand foot level, You've got obviously
well equipped people to deal with that, like what's your
day to day look like?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
With the Phoenix Symphony, it's really important to me to
help all of us work together and to help support
the success of everyone in the organization. We have sixty
six full time musicians, we have about forty staff, We
have a very strong board of about thirty people. All
of those people are working together along with our foundation board,
(02:28):
and so I want to help to support the success
of everyone else. I think about what a great orchestra
conductor does. They're helping to bring out the best of
all of those on the stage and help them to
work together, and that there's a lot of similarities in
that way with what we are doing and leading the organization.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
So when it comes to the symphony, what I immediately
think is, and I know this from researching your background,
has music just been a calling for you your entire life?
I know you are an accomplish oboist. If I'm not mistaken, correct.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
So let's talk about was that just a lifelong passion
of yours? Is being involved in the arts in the
music landscape.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
When I was very young, I played the piano when
I was five, and I was a very poor piano player.
I was a very poor saxophone player. I was a
poor drummer and a poor violinist. So I tried all
those different instruments. But then someone introduced me to the obo.
My dad had actually played it in high school, so
there was an obo sitting in the basement. We got
that out, and within a year I had decided to
(03:32):
become a professional oboist, and even picked where I was
going to go to college and picked who my teacher
would be.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
So what's interesting thing for our listeners is whether their
parents and have kids that are playing musical instruments or
adults like me and I've got kids but they're not
at the musical instrument stage yet of their lives. I
will plead ignorance. I didn't know that all of the musicians,
or at least sixty plus are full time musicians with
the Phoenix. It's a career path that you can pursue
(04:00):
as a full time career.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
That's absolutely right, and our musicians live and work here
in our community. One of the things that's so powerful
about that is that it helps enable us to not
only present a wide range of concerts on the stage
of Symphony Hall and other venues, but it also allows
us to provide a really wide range of community engagement
and education programs. One of the things that surprises some
(04:23):
people is that more than half of those who participate
in our programs are not attending concerts in the concert hall,
but they're participating through our community engagement and education work.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Wow, that's pretty incredible. And now is there within the symphony?
There is the Phoenix Symphony have a woodwinds percussion? Is
there are these all getting along well? Are there like
rival gangs of symphony musical instruments that you've got to
get in there and settle scores? Like what's the dynamic
like amongst the musicians?
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Phoenix is in the Phoenix Symphony is a very special place.
I have seen few orchestras where people are working as
well together as they are now. I know that, you know,
hearing that things are going great might be a less
interesting story, but it's really true. It's really true. I mean,
and we think about I mean all the different families strings, woodwind, brass,
(05:18):
percussion working together, but it's also all the other constituencies
working together. Thinking about that partnership between our musicians and
staff and board and the community and we have some
people who really love the Phoenix Symphony and what it does.
And one of the things that I think is so
appealing to a lot of people is that work in
(05:38):
addition to on the stage, but that work off the stage.
It's been It's something that many people are passionate about,
for example, the education programs.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
So we talked about your background in music and coming
process of elimination finding your path with the OBO. You
also have a really unique background, and I would imagine
that differentiates you from a lot of other symphony CEOs
across the country. You had a successful career in the
corporate world outside of the musical landscape. What was that
experience and what did you sort of learn from that
(06:07):
that you were able to apply to your day to
day with the Phoenix Symphony.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah. So I was a professional oboist for many years,
and as I near the age of thirty, I began
to have some challenges with air pressure blowing into the instrument,
and that caused me to think about a different path
and I ended up going to business school and fortunate
to go to the Kellogg School at Northwestern and worked
at three M Company for many many years and one
(06:31):
of my favorite jobs there was leading strategic planning for
their consumer and office business might think about post it
notes and Scotch tape and some of those great brands.
And combining that together that business experience with experience in
the arts has really, I believe, helped me to be
an effective leader and to be I've been an Orchestra
president CEO since two thousand and eight, and having that
(06:56):
business experience helps to think about how we're charting the
course for the future, but also making that future a reality.
For example, one of the things that we've done here
is create a new strategic plan. And when I was
in the corporate world leading strategic planning for the consumer
and office business, at three M, that's what we were
doing as well. Very different business, but some of the
(07:20):
elements are the same, thinking about all right, what are
we doing this year, what are we doing over the
next five years, what are those key priorities, Who's doing
what and when? How are we measuring success and making
sure that we're all accountable for that work and that progress.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Did you find it helpful also during that time with
three M, to kind of step outside of the symphony
bubble every industry and I'm in sports media every industry
is a bubble where you can get really just hyper
focused on your ecosystem and your world. Did kind of
stepping outside of that and being in a different world
give you a different perspective when you came back to music.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
That absolutely very powerful all share and example, in the
orchestra world, when people think about marketing, often what they
think about is how are we promoting the performances, And
that might be someone's definition of what marketing is. But
in the corporate world, of course, we are also thinking about, well,
what is the product itself? And so in the symphony we,
(08:18):
of course we want to have a programs that are
appealing to a wide range of people, and so that
today leads us to have classical, pops, films, holiday specials
of this wide range of things. To make sure we're
thinking about what's appealing. Promoting the concerts very important, but
also to make sure that those programs are fundamentally appealing
(08:39):
to people in the valley.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Now that makes a ton of sense, right because if
you're at three a m it's the product is in
something that people want to buy. It doesn't matter how
many how much advertising buy for people aren't going to
want to buy it right, exactly right, and now with
the diverse offering, what sort of specific examples could you
give right now with Phoenix Symphony that reflect that diversity
of choice for the coming season.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
So as I think about our season this year, there
are many classical concerts. So if someone listening says, you know,
I really love Beethoven, I want to get to here
a piece by Beethoven. Of course we have classical concerts
featuring great composers like that. But someone else might say,
you know, I really want to take my family to
hear the symphony during holiday time. We have many holiday concerts.
(09:24):
That's also important. And then films as an example, that's
a way where many people who've never been to the
symphony before might come when we do films. We'll be
doing Empire Strikes Back this year, for example, this weekend
of the Nightmare before Christmas. I mean, many many people
who might they may or may not think of themselves
(09:44):
yet as a symphony fan, will come to hear that
full length film with the or extra playing underneath. And
then that's a great way they must have Well that
was pretty interesting. I might come back.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Yeah, I feel like that's got to be a powerful
sort of marketing strategy and right getting people to the
symphony when you go there. And I've been fortunate enough
to go to the holiday event at one of the
many events that you've put on, and my impression is always, ah, man,
I really enjoyed that. I'm looking forward to going back again.
But you've kind of got to get there to experience
(10:16):
what makes it special, right.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
That's absolutely right. And I've had people who've attended the
Symphony for the first time say, well, I thought it
was going to be really stuffy and boring and folks
would be wearing tuxedos and ball gowns, but instead people
were dressed in exactly the way they wanted and it
was engaging and interesting and fun.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Isn't that interesting? How I mean from your position, I
try to put myself in your shoes, and I think
overcoming some of those biases or just some of those
assumptions that people make is probably a big part of
what the organization is trying to accomplish.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
That's exactly right. And I mean, thinking about this community,
there is no reason why Phoenix in Arizona can't be
home to one of the most innovative and dynamic orchestras
in the country. That is our goal, that's where we're headed,
and we are finding that people are really responding to
the breadth of the programming that we're doing.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Also, I think something that I'm sure you encounter in
your position that is kind of typical now for a
lot of different industries and a lot of different backgrounds.
Has it been a challenge or not to find musicians
and employees for what we largely consider a traditional cultural offering.
The symphony is just as we met seventy eight years
(11:30):
It's just a part of a city. But so many
things in our culture have changed. So much is about
you know, technology or social media or instant gratification that
I mean, heck, I don't know how many people even
sit and watch TV without their phone and their one
hand as they're watching. Has it been a challenge to
maintain some of the traditional elements of the symphony in
(11:53):
the face of a radically changing populace.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Yeah, the our world is evolving and the symphony is
evolving in turn. And what we're finding is that both
musicians and staff who see that exciting work that we're
doing are wanting to join the organization. We are seeing
increasing numbers of musicians coming to our auditions. We can
end up having two days of auditions to fill one position,
(12:18):
where musicians are all paying their own way from across
the country to come and have a chance to win
a job with the Phoenix Symphony. So it's becoming increasingly competitive,
and I think that's a testament to what people are
the buzz in the industry about what's happening in Phoenix
and the Phoenix Symphony.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Yeah, that's encouraging to hear, right, because I think there's
some industries that have had a challenge recruiting younger or
new employees because of the thing they want to you know,
I don't know what. They all want to be an
athlete or they all want to be a CSI investigator
from watching it, but it sounds encouraging that there's a
healthy market for the symphony.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And one of the things that's really important, no matter
what someone's title is, no matter whether their early career
they've been working for decades, everyone can provide important leadership
and we need to make sure we're listening very carefully
to all of our employees and others in the organization
because great ideas can come from anywhere and everyone can
(13:15):
be a leader. So some of those early career employees,
younger people who've come to join for this, they might
join the symphony family. They might have an idea that
no one else has thought of that could really help
us make powerful progress. So that's really critical. Listening is
so important. As I've been here for just under two
years now, listening to our employees, to our staff, our musicians,
(13:39):
our board, and leaders in the community about how the
Phoenix Symphony can enrich lives through music is helping us
to grow and involve and make important progress.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
We're joined here on CEOs. You should know by the
President and CEO of the Phoenix Symphony, Peter Chomy, is
joining me. And you know, I think this is an
important question, and it's a very obvious question ask, but
what is your philosophy or perspective on just the enduring
importance of the arts to a civic entity like Phoenix.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
One of my teachers growing up, I was the principal
of US Cleveland Orchestra, an important orchestra in the country.
He took me aside one day said, now, Peter, you
understand that classical music and music is one of the
most important things in our lives, right, So yes, I
do understand that, and that's really true. It's something that
(14:32):
can have such a powerful impact regardless of what our
background is, regardless of our age, ethnicity, where we're from,
and music can have such a powerful impact. And I
think about what we're able to do for people who
they might be having one of the most joyful moments
of their life, or they might be having one of
the most challenging moments in their life, and the power
(14:54):
of music to be helpful. You know, for example, we
might we're going to be playing Conscience at holiday time.
Great time to celebrate with your family, but we also
play for people who are in hospice, who might need
memory be in memory care, and all people and all
experiencing all kinds of different things in their lives, and
music can have such a huge impact. So I think
(15:15):
that is part of the reason why it's such fundamental
importance to our society and to our lives in Phoenix,
in Arizona.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah, it's incredible. We're fortunate to have you and the
Phoenix Symphony as a part of that fabric of our community.
As we kind of talk a little bit more generally
about leadership is something I like to do on CEOs.
You should know you've mentioned collaboration, empowering people to come
up with their own ideas in listening to ideas, are
(15:43):
those or are there other sort of key principles for
what you consider your personal leadership style.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
What I've found with thee and the orchestras where I've
served as president and CEO, that there might be things
that are going extremely well, and there also might things
that we all need to work on together. And invariably
I have found that if we're listening carefully across the organization,
the ideas are there. It's a matter of listening to
(16:11):
what everyone has to say, helping to bring them together,
and then articulating them in a in a coherent, well
thought out plan. And so that that collaborative style is
I believe really important in the life of an orchestra
because we're part of the fabric of the community. We're
integral and indispensable to the community. We are we're really
(16:32):
our mission is is is to really serve the community
by providing, you know, these extraordinary musical experiences. And you know,
I also think about charting the course for the future,
thinking thinking longer term. It can be all too easy
to be caught up in the what I called the
tyranny of the urgent and not focus on those important things,
(16:55):
helping us all to think about, yes, there's things we
need to do today, but then our are we thinking about,
you know, thinking clearly about what those priorities are and
how we're all going to work together to accomplish them.
And I'll add one other thing, and that is to
be also be flexible. That we might articulate a terrific
plan and a year later say well, you know, there's
(17:17):
some adjustments we need to make. There's been some developments
in our community, and we want to respond and we
want to adjust our plans and not simply just say well,
we've got a great plan and we're going to stick.
You know, we're going to stick with this no matter.
We want to be flexible.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Tyranny of the urgent. I might steal that. I like
that phrase. That is a really kind of appropriate description
and a lot of different applications. And I think the
other thing I always like to ask of people in
position of leadership and an accomplishment is there could be
someone listening right now, whether it's themselves or a family
member or as I mentioned before a child that they
(17:53):
want to be involved in the symphony. Maybe they want
to eventually be in your position as a CEO of
a a wonderful symphony. What would your most practical, helpful
career advice be to somebody that wants to be involved.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
First of all, have the confidence in yourself that you
can do it. Don't be afraid to seek advice. I
have asked the advice of many people in our community
and over the years, and I've rarely found a time
when somebody said, well, no, I'm not going to take
time and share share advice, and it's you could get
(18:30):
to go with your family to a concert and there
will be staff members in the lobby. Just go, have
the courage to to talk with them. You're going to
You're going to learn something. I would also say that
for the young people who might be listening or the
family members who who who might be listening, that music
can have a powerful impact on young people. It regardless
(18:54):
of whether somebody might even be contemplating becoming a professional musician.
Someone studying music, as studies have shown, more likely to
stay in school, less likely to be involved in in drugs.
The student achievement is higher that that discipline of studying
music is so powerful and so helpful. But I would
(19:15):
say if somebody is thinking about getting involved, we have
concerts going on all during the year, from essentially from
September through through May, so for much of the year.
And and to come down to Symphony Hall and uh,
and if you see me in the lobby, please come
and say hello. Would be glad to glad to talk
with you.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Last question, and I know we talked about it a
little bit, but since it is the holiday season rapidly approaching,
what is the sort of not the specific schedule, but
what can people expect this holiday season that that seek
out the symphony?
Speaker 2 (19:48):
So uh they I mean beginning this weekend the Nightmare
Before Christmas movie, we have holiday pops. We are we
have a wonderful performance of the Messiah, will be doing
ceremony of Carrol's and writers Gloria. So many different holiday
concerts and importantly, the Symphony collaborates with many other arts
organizations and many organizations across the valley. One of them
(20:11):
is the Ballet and we'll be in the pit playing
for the Nutcracker, and so lots of different performances coming
up and If someone hasn't been to the symphony for
in a while and are listening to this, hope you'll
check out our website and you might be surprised to
see the breadth of the performances that are there. There's
really regardless of what somebody's interest in music is, there's
(20:33):
something something for everyone. And check out those community engagement
education programs if you have a young person who you
might think may be interested in learning more.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
And what's the website that people can check out for
all the schedule and information about those classes.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
It's Phoenix Symphony dot org.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Phoenix Symphony dot org. He is the president and CEO
of Phoenix Symphony. Peter show me. Thank you so much
for sharing your time, your experience, and your helpful advice.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
It's great to be here today.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
It's CEOs. You should know. I'm your host, joe Yaylor.
Thanks for listening.
Joining me now on the latest edition of CEOs you
should know Phoenix. He is the president and CEO of
Phoenix Symphony. Peter Chomey joins us here. Good afternoon, Peter,
how are you.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning. It's great to be here today.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Thanks for joining us. We got a lot to talk about.
This is a huge organization that's been around for nearly
eight decades and an integral part of the art scene
and the culture of Phoenix. But let's start with how
you got here. You've been on the job for almost
two years. How did you arrive in Phoenix.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I came to Phoenix in early twenty twenty three and
it's been an amazing experience. Phoenix and Arizona are such
an incredible place with an inspiring spirit of optimism, and
that's how we feel about our future at the Phoenix Symphony.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
You've been through two summers now, so you've been through
two Phoenix summers. How do you feel about the Phoenix summers.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, I've really enjoyed the summers, and it does get
a little bit hot at times, but that's what air
conditioning is for.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You know. At the Phoenix Symphony, as I mentioned, seventy
eight years, it's been in the valley of reputation. Did
the symphony have prior to you arriving and what drew
you to this job, because I'm sure you had opportunities
across the country.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
The Phoenix Symphony has been an important organization in the
valley for many, many years. This is our seventy eighth season,
and when I began to have conversations with folks in
Phoenix about the possibility of joining the organization to come
into the community, one of the things that really impressed
me was the spirit of collaboration, how people are working together,
and that's something I've really seen. We think about our
(01:33):
musicians and our staff, our boarder, directors and leaders in
the community who care about the Phoenix Symphony and its
mission and the work it does in the community. And
I've seen that, and that's something that continues to make
me optimistic about our bright future at the Symphony.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
So you mentioned that with sixty five full time musicians,
is there is your day to day, day to day
job dealing with the musicians and sort of the on
the ground part of the symphony or is it more
or from a ten thousand foot level, You've got obviously
well equipped people to deal with that, like what's your
day to day look like?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
With the Phoenix Symphony, it's really important to me to
help all of us work together and to help support
the success of everyone in the organization. We have sixty
six full time musicians, we have about forty staff, We
have a very strong board of about thirty people. All
of those people are working together along with our foundation board,
(02:28):
and so I want to help to support the success
of everyone else. I think about what a great orchestra
conductor does. They're helping to bring out the best of
all of those on the stage and help them to
work together, and that there's a lot of similarities in
that way with what we are doing and leading the organization.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
So when it comes to the symphony, what I immediately
think is, and I know this from researching your background,
has music just been a calling for you your entire life?
I know you are an accomplish oboist. If I'm not mistaken, correct.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
So let's talk about was that just a lifelong passion
of yours? Is being involved in the arts in the
music landscape.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
When I was very young, I played the piano when
I was five, and I was a very poor piano player.
I was a very poor saxophone player. I was a
poor drummer and a poor violinist. So I tried all
those different instruments. But then someone introduced me to the obo.
My dad had actually played it in high school, so
there was an obo sitting in the basement. We got
that out, and within a year I had decided to
(03:32):
become a professional oboist, and even picked where I was
going to go to college and picked who my teacher
would be.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
So what's interesting thing for our listeners is whether their
parents and have kids that are playing musical instruments or
adults like me and I've got kids but they're not
at the musical instrument stage yet of their lives. I
will plead ignorance. I didn't know that all of the musicians,
or at least sixty plus are full time musicians with
the Phoenix. It's a career path that you can pursue
(04:00):
as a full time career.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
That's absolutely right, and our musicians live and work here
in our community. One of the things that's so powerful
about that is that it helps enable us to not
only present a wide range of concerts on the stage
of Symphony Hall and other venues, but it also allows
us to provide a really wide range of community engagement
and education programs. One of the things that surprises some
(04:23):
people is that more than half of those who participate
in our programs are not attending concerts in the concert hall,
but they're participating through our community engagement and education work.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Wow, that's pretty incredible. And now is there within the symphony?
There is the Phoenix Symphony have a woodwinds percussion? Is
there are these all getting along well? Are there like
rival gangs of symphony musical instruments that you've got to
get in there and settle scores? Like what's the dynamic
like amongst the musicians?
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Phoenix is in the Phoenix Symphony is a very special place.
I have seen few orchestras where people are working as
well together as they are now. I know that, you know,
hearing that things are going great might be a less
interesting story, but it's really true. It's really true. I mean,
and we think about I mean all the different families strings, woodwind, brass,
(05:18):
percussion working together, but it's also all the other constituencies
working together. Thinking about that partnership between our musicians and
staff and board and the community and we have some
people who really love the Phoenix Symphony and what it does.
And one of the things that I think is so
appealing to a lot of people is that work in
(05:38):
addition to on the stage, but that work off the stage.
It's been It's something that many people are passionate about,
for example, the education programs.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
So we talked about your background in music and coming
process of elimination finding your path with the OBO. You
also have a really unique background, and I would imagine
that differentiates you from a lot of other symphony CEOs
across the country. You had a successful career in the
corporate world outside of the musical landscape. What was that
experience and what did you sort of learn from that
(06:07):
that you were able to apply to your day to
day with the Phoenix Symphony.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah. So I was a professional oboist for many years,
and as I near the age of thirty, I began
to have some challenges with air pressure blowing into the instrument,
and that caused me to think about a different path
and I ended up going to business school and fortunate
to go to the Kellogg School at Northwestern and worked
at three M Company for many many years and one
(06:31):
of my favorite jobs there was leading strategic planning for
their consumer and office business might think about post it
notes and Scotch tape and some of those great brands.
And combining that together that business experience with experience in
the arts has really, I believe, helped me to be
an effective leader and to be I've been an Orchestra
president CEO since two thousand and eight, and having that
(06:56):
business experience helps to think about how we're charting the
course for the future, but also making that future a reality.
For example, one of the things that we've done here
is create a new strategic plan. And when I was
in the corporate world leading strategic planning for the consumer
and office business, at three M, that's what we were
doing as well. Very different business, but some of the
(07:20):
elements are the same, thinking about all right, what are
we doing this year, what are we doing over the
next five years, what are those key priorities, Who's doing
what and when? How are we measuring success and making
sure that we're all accountable for that work and that progress.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Did you find it helpful also during that time with
three M, to kind of step outside of the symphony
bubble every industry and I'm in sports media every industry
is a bubble where you can get really just hyper
focused on your ecosystem and your world. Did kind of
stepping outside of that and being in a different world
give you a different perspective when you came back to music.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
That absolutely very powerful all share and example, in the
orchestra world, when people think about marketing, often what they
think about is how are we promoting the performances, And
that might be someone's definition of what marketing is. But
in the corporate world, of course, we are also thinking about, well,
what is the product itself? And so in the symphony we,
(08:18):
of course we want to have a programs that are
appealing to a wide range of people, and so that
today leads us to have classical, pops, films, holiday specials
of this wide range of things. To make sure we're
thinking about what's appealing. Promoting the concerts very important, but
also to make sure that those programs are fundamentally appealing
(08:39):
to people in the valley.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Now that makes a ton of sense, right because if
you're at three a m it's the product is in
something that people want to buy. It doesn't matter how
many how much advertising buy for people aren't going to
want to buy it right, exactly right, and now with
the diverse offering, what sort of specific examples could you
give right now with Phoenix Symphony that reflect that diversity
of choice for the coming season.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
So as I think about our season this year, there
are many classical concerts. So if someone listening says, you know,
I really love Beethoven, I want to get to here
a piece by Beethoven. Of course we have classical concerts
featuring great composers like that. But someone else might say,
you know, I really want to take my family to
hear the symphony during holiday time. We have many holiday concerts.
(09:24):
That's also important. And then films as an example, that's
a way where many people who've never been to the
symphony before might come when we do films. We'll be
doing Empire Strikes Back this year, for example, this weekend
of the Nightmare before Christmas. I mean, many many people
who might they may or may not think of themselves
(09:44):
yet as a symphony fan, will come to hear that
full length film with the or extra playing underneath. And
then that's a great way they must have Well that
was pretty interesting. I might come back.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Yeah, I feel like that's got to be a powerful
sort of marketing strategy and right getting people to the
symphony when you go there. And I've been fortunate enough
to go to the holiday event at one of the
many events that you've put on, and my impression is always, ah, man,
I really enjoyed that. I'm looking forward to going back again.
But you've kind of got to get there to experience
(10:16):
what makes it special, right.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
That's absolutely right. And I've had people who've attended the
Symphony for the first time say, well, I thought it
was going to be really stuffy and boring and folks
would be wearing tuxedos and ball gowns, but instead people
were dressed in exactly the way they wanted and it
was engaging and interesting and fun.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Isn't that interesting? How I mean from your position, I
try to put myself in your shoes, and I think
overcoming some of those biases or just some of those
assumptions that people make is probably a big part of
what the organization is trying to accomplish.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
That's exactly right. And I mean, thinking about this community,
there is no reason why Phoenix in Arizona can't be
home to one of the most innovative and dynamic orchestras
in the country. That is our goal, that's where we're headed,
and we are finding that people are really responding to
the breadth of the programming that we're doing.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Also, I think something that I'm sure you encounter in
your position that is kind of typical now for a
lot of different industries and a lot of different backgrounds.
Has it been a challenge or not to find musicians
and employees for what we largely consider a traditional cultural offering.
The symphony is just as we met seventy eight years
(11:30):
It's just a part of a city. But so many
things in our culture have changed. So much is about
you know, technology or social media or instant gratification that
I mean, heck, I don't know how many people even
sit and watch TV without their phone and their one
hand as they're watching. Has it been a challenge to
maintain some of the traditional elements of the symphony in
(11:53):
the face of a radically changing populace.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Yeah, the our world is evolving and the symphony is
evolving in turn. And what we're finding is that both
musicians and staff who see that exciting work that we're
doing are wanting to join the organization. We are seeing
increasing numbers of musicians coming to our auditions. We can
end up having two days of auditions to fill one position,
(12:18):
where musicians are all paying their own way from across
the country to come and have a chance to win
a job with the Phoenix Symphony. So it's becoming increasingly competitive,
and I think that's a testament to what people are
the buzz in the industry about what's happening in Phoenix
and the Phoenix Symphony.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Yeah, that's encouraging to hear, right, because I think there's
some industries that have had a challenge recruiting younger or
new employees because of the thing they want to you know,
I don't know what. They all want to be an
athlete or they all want to be a CSI investigator
from watching it, but it sounds encouraging that there's a
healthy market for the symphony.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And one of the things that's really important, no matter
what someone's title is, no matter whether their early career
they've been working for decades, everyone can provide important leadership
and we need to make sure we're listening very carefully
to all of our employees and others in the organization
because great ideas can come from anywhere and everyone can
(13:15):
be a leader. So some of those early career employees,
younger people who've come to join for this, they might
join the symphony family. They might have an idea that
no one else has thought of that could really help
us make powerful progress. So that's really critical. Listening is
so important. As I've been here for just under two
years now, listening to our employees, to our staff, our musicians,
(13:39):
our board, and leaders in the community about how the
Phoenix Symphony can enrich lives through music is helping us
to grow and involve and make important progress.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
We're joined here on CEOs. You should know by the
President and CEO of the Phoenix Symphony, Peter Chomy, is
joining me. And you know, I think this is an
important question, and it's a very obvious question ask, but
what is your philosophy or perspective on just the enduring
importance of the arts to a civic entity like Phoenix.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
One of my teachers growing up, I was the principal
of US Cleveland Orchestra, an important orchestra in the country.
He took me aside one day said, now, Peter, you
understand that classical music and music is one of the
most important things in our lives, right, So yes, I
do understand that, and that's really true. It's something that
(14:32):
can have such a powerful impact regardless of what our
background is, regardless of our age, ethnicity, where we're from,
and music can have such a powerful impact. And I
think about what we're able to do for people who
they might be having one of the most joyful moments
of their life, or they might be having one of
the most challenging moments in their life, and the power
(14:54):
of music to be helpful. You know, for example, we
might we're going to be playing Conscience at holiday time.
Great time to celebrate with your family, but we also
play for people who are in hospice, who might need
memory be in memory care, and all people and all
experiencing all kinds of different things in their lives, and
music can have such a huge impact. So I think
(15:15):
that is part of the reason why it's such fundamental
importance to our society and to our lives in Phoenix,
in Arizona.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah, it's incredible. We're fortunate to have you and the
Phoenix Symphony as a part of that fabric of our community.
As we kind of talk a little bit more generally
about leadership is something I like to do on CEOs.
You should know you've mentioned collaboration, empowering people to come
up with their own ideas in listening to ideas, are
(15:43):
those or are there other sort of key principles for
what you consider your personal leadership style.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
What I've found with thee and the orchestras where I've
served as president and CEO, that there might be things
that are going extremely well, and there also might things
that we all need to work on together. And invariably
I have found that if we're listening carefully across the organization,
the ideas are there. It's a matter of listening to
(16:11):
what everyone has to say, helping to bring them together,
and then articulating them in a in a coherent, well
thought out plan. And so that that collaborative style is
I believe really important in the life of an orchestra
because we're part of the fabric of the community. We're
integral and indispensable to the community. We are we're really
(16:32):
our mission is is is to really serve the community
by providing, you know, these extraordinary musical experiences. And you know,
I also think about charting the course for the future,
thinking thinking longer term. It can be all too easy
to be caught up in the what I called the
tyranny of the urgent and not focus on those important things,
(16:55):
helping us all to think about, yes, there's things we
need to do today, but then our are we thinking about,
you know, thinking clearly about what those priorities are and
how we're all going to work together to accomplish them.
And I'll add one other thing, and that is to
be also be flexible. That we might articulate a terrific
plan and a year later say well, you know, there's
(17:17):
some adjustments we need to make. There's been some developments
in our community, and we want to respond and we
want to adjust our plans and not simply just say well,
we've got a great plan and we're going to stick.
You know, we're going to stick with this no matter.
We want to be flexible.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Tyranny of the urgent. I might steal that. I like
that phrase. That is a really kind of appropriate description
and a lot of different applications. And I think the
other thing I always like to ask of people in
position of leadership and an accomplishment is there could be
someone listening right now, whether it's themselves or a family
member or as I mentioned before a child that they
(17:53):
want to be involved in the symphony. Maybe they want
to eventually be in your position as a CEO of
a a wonderful symphony. What would your most practical, helpful
career advice be to somebody that wants to be involved.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
First of all, have the confidence in yourself that you
can do it. Don't be afraid to seek advice. I
have asked the advice of many people in our community
and over the years, and I've rarely found a time
when somebody said, well, no, I'm not going to take
time and share share advice, and it's you could get
(18:30):
to go with your family to a concert and there
will be staff members in the lobby. Just go, have
the courage to to talk with them. You're going to
You're going to learn something. I would also say that
for the young people who might be listening or the
family members who who who might be listening, that music
can have a powerful impact on young people. It regardless
(18:54):
of whether somebody might even be contemplating becoming a professional musician.
Someone studying music, as studies have shown, more likely to
stay in school, less likely to be involved in in drugs.
The student achievement is higher that that discipline of studying
music is so powerful and so helpful. But I would
(19:15):
say if somebody is thinking about getting involved, we have
concerts going on all during the year, from essentially from
September through through May, so for much of the year.
And and to come down to Symphony Hall and uh,
and if you see me in the lobby, please come
and say hello. Would be glad to glad to talk
with you.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Last question, and I know we talked about it a
little bit, but since it is the holiday season rapidly approaching,
what is the sort of not the specific schedule, but
what can people expect this holiday season that that seek
out the symphony?
Speaker 2 (19:48):
So uh they I mean beginning this weekend the Nightmare
Before Christmas movie, we have holiday pops. We are we
have a wonderful performance of the Messiah, will be doing
ceremony of Carrol's and writers Gloria. So many different holiday
concerts and importantly, the Symphony collaborates with many other arts
organizations and many organizations across the valley. One of them
(20:11):
is the Ballet and we'll be in the pit playing
for the Nutcracker, and so lots of different performances coming
up and If someone hasn't been to the symphony for
in a while and are listening to this, hope you'll
check out our website and you might be surprised to
see the breadth of the performances that are there. There's
really regardless of what somebody's interest in music is, there's
(20:33):
something something for everyone. And check out those community engagement
education programs if you have a young person who you
might think may be interested in learning more.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
And what's the website that people can check out for
all the schedule and information about those classes.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
It's Phoenix Symphony dot org.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Phoenix Symphony dot org. He is the president and CEO
of Phoenix Symphony. Peter show me. Thank you so much
for sharing your time, your experience, and your helpful advice.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
It's great to be here today.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
It's CEOs. You should know. I'm your host, joe Yaylor.
Thanks for listening.
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