The Philadelphia Orchestra Association Announces Multi-Year Contract Renewal with President and CEO Allison Vulgamore

Recognizing her commitment to artistic excellence, steadfast leadership through financial reorganization, and a dynamic vision for The Philadelphia Orchestra, Ms. Vulgamore will continue to serve in her current role though December 2014

(Philadelphia, February 29, 2012)—The Philadelphia Orchestra Association and its Board of Directors announced today that it has renewed the contract of President and CEO Allison Vulgamore for three years. The news of the contract extension, which has Ms. Vulgamore serving in this critical role through December 2014, was shared earlier today with musicians, staff, and key organizational supporters, including donors. 

“The Philadelphia Orchestra needs a fearless champion of its artistry, its musicians, and its future and Allison Vulgamore is that champion,” said Board of Directors Chairman Richard B. Worley. “The leadership that she has demonstrated in her first two years as president and CEO, in the face of such intense challenges, has been nothing short of extraordinary. Even as we have navigated our financial reorganization, Allison has ensured that the music always played on. We brought Allison to The Philadelphia Orchestra because she is a visionary, and the Board of Directors believes that it is her vision and her passion that will ensure that the Orchestra remains the world-renowned ensemble that it is today.” 

Since her arrival as president and CEO in January 2010, Ms. Vulgamore has led the successful search for a new music director, resulting in the appointment of the much sought-after Yannick Nézet-Séguin in June 2010; developed an innovative yet realistic five-year strategic plan; stabilized concert attendance; and negotiated a historic agreement with the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing to develop a pilot partnership in China, which is set to launch in May 2012. 

These artistically focused achievements have occurred within the confines of the difficult yet necessary decision to file for Chapter 11 financial reorganization with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in April 2011. Following this filing, Ms. Vulgamore, together with Chairman Richard Worley, launched and continues to lead a major fundraising campaign for The Philadelphia Orchestra Association focused on stabilizing the organization’s long term financial health. These efforts resulted in the Association successfully exceeding its December 31, 2011, goal of $21 million in outright gifts and pledges for the Transformation Fund—a fund created to assist the Orchestra through its financial restructuring and the immediate years following. This important achievement not only allowed the Association to access several multi-million dollar challenge grants available to it by the Philadelphia philanthropic community, but also secured $35.5 million of its $44 million fundraising goal for the Transformation Fund’s first phase.

“I am honored to remain in Philadelphia to lead our unparalleled Orchestra and dedicated staff,” said Allison Vulgamore. “I am eager to focus on the future of our Orchestra and I am grateful to the Board for the opportunity to continue such important work. While there is still much to be accomplished, the support shown by this community has been an inspiration to me. Our musicians, Board members, staff, volunteers, donors, audiences, and so many here in the City of Philadelphia have come together to preserve and advance this extraordinary Orchestra. I am proud to be part of this team.”

“We are very fortunate to have someone as talented as Allison Vulgamore to steward us through this challenging period,” said Mr. Worley. “Certainly, she is an incredible leader and her commitment to the Orchestra has given all of us the confidence we need as we look to the future. I am delighted to have her remain as president and CEO in our emergence and turn around.”

For more information regarding The Philadelphia Orchestra, its current and upcoming concert season, and its history, please visit www.philorch.org.

The Philadelphia Orchestra

Renowned for its distinctive sound, desired for its keen ability to capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences, and admired for an unrivaled legacy of “firsts” in music-making, The Philadelphia Orchestra remains one of the preeminent orchestras in the world. While wholly committed to the exploration of classical music and repertoire, the Orchestra also continues to develop compelling programs that resonate with contemporary audiences. The Philadelphia Orchestra is focused on the future while inspired by a rich tradition of achievement and seeks to not simply sustain the highest level of artistic quality, but to challenge—and exceed—that level by creating a powerful musical experience for audiences around the world.

Artistic Leadership

Demonstrating a deep and abiding commitment to the highest levels of artistic excellence, The Philadelphia Orchestra has cultivated an extraordinary history of artistic leaders in its 112 seasons, including music directors Fritz Scheel, Carl Pohlig, Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy, Riccardo Muti, Wolfgang Sawallisch, and Christoph Eschenbach, and the Orchestra’s current chief conductor, Charles Dutoit. Under such extraordinary guidance, The Philadelphia Orchestra has served as an unwavering standard of excellence in the world of classical music—and it continues to do so today. 

Yannick Nézet-Séguin joins this small yet illustrious group in the 2012-13 season, serving as the eighth music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra. An integral member of the Orchestra’s leadership team since 2010 when he assumed the title of music director designate, Nézet-Séguin also serves as music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic, principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic, and artistic director and principal conductor of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain. He brings a wealth of talent and vision that extends beyond symphonic music and into the vivid world of opera and choral music. Nézet-Séguin possesses a distinctive gift for reaching audiences, and arrives well-prepared to share his unmatched versatility and depth with Philadelphia and the world.

Philadelphia is Home

Philadelphia is home and the Orchestra continues to discover new and inventive ways to nurture its relationship with its loyal patrons who support the main season (September-May) in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The Kimmel Center, for which the Orchestra serves as the founding resident company, has been the ensemble’s performance hall since 2001. The Philadelphia Orchestra Association continues to own the Academy of Music—a National Historic Landmark and the oldest operating opera house in the nation—as it has since 1957. Each year, the Orchestra returns to the “Grand Old Lady of Locust Street”—where it performed for 101 seasons before moving to the Kimmel Center—for the highly anticipated Academy Anniversary Concert and Ball. 

Beyond its robust concert offerings at the Kimmel Center, the Orchestra also performs for Philadelphia audiences during the summer months at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, as well as in venues across the region, including Penn’s Landing, Longwood Gardens, and the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Many of these performances are part of the ensemble’s free Neighborhood Concert Series as well as its educational and community partnership programs—all of which aim to create greater access and engagement with classical music as an art form.

Commitment to Education

The Philadelphia Orchestra also has an important tradition of presenting educational programs for local audiences—a tradition dating back to 1921 when Leopold Stokowski initiated concerts exclusively for children. Today the Orchestra reaches Philadelphia-area families, teachers, students, and children through a multitude of education and community partnership programs. From Sound All Around (designed for children ages 3-5) to Family Concerts (aimed at children ages 6-12 and their families) to eZseatU (a membership program for full-time college students), The Philadelphia Orchestra seeks to introduce orchestral music to a new generation of listeners through these special programs. Further, the Orchestra aims to engage adult audiences more deeply in its performances through learning programs, including free PreConcert Conversations, which occur before every subscription concert, and Lecture/Luncheons with guest speakers.

In an effort to more directly connect with the youth of Philadelphia, the Orchestra has implemented the Billy Joel School Concert Program, which improves access to the Orchestra’s School Concerts for underserved city schoolchildren and serves approximately 90 elementary and middle schools chosen from within the School District of Philadelphia. The Orchestra’s School Partnership Program also offers students incomparable exposure and access to The Philadelphia Orchestra and its musicians inside the classrooms of five selected schools in the Philadelphia region. The program’s teaching artists work side by side with classroom teachers using curriculum and materials created by the Orchestra’s education department. Finally, The Philadelphia Orchestra collaborates with schools interested in having Orchestra musicians work with their students through the Musicians in the Schools program. These school visits take the form of assembly programs, performances or demonstrations, clinics, and master classes or sectionals, and generally involve a solo musician.

A Cultural Ambassador Abroad

Through concerts, tours, residencies, presentations, and recordings, The Philadelphia Orchestra touches the lives of countless music lovers around the globe. Outside of Philadelphia, the Orchestra enjoys a three-week residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in New York—a venue that was built for the Orchestra—as well as a strong partnership with the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival.