By Kevin Murphy Wilson • Photos Provided
Not too long ago, master musician Chris Thile told the VOICE-TRIBUNE that the current iteration of the Louisville Orchestra is setting a tone for orchestral music worldwide because it is not content to be a sort of music museum. “Orchestras can and should be hubs of creativity,” Thile said. “Too often they’ve been relegated to keeping history alive so we can go and pay homage to great musicians of the past as opposed to celebrating what’s going on right now in front of our very ears.”
It is no secret that the LO’s innovative approach, which is on display again this month through an assortment of high profile concerts and community programs, is largely owed to its forward-looking Music Director Teddy Abrams. That said, much of the credit for the organization’s many successes is also due to the group’s Chief Executive, Graham Parker, who largely operates behind the scenes bringing all the big ideas to life. We recently caught up with Parker, the recipient of both a Peabody Award and a Grammy Award, to hear about his own journey and what makes his current gig so special.
VT: Your résumé includes a lot of impressive stops at places like major record labels and large-scale radio stations. What drew you to a music-related vocation in the first place?
GP: “I was always very, very passionate about music. From a young age I played piano and flute and sang. I also spent a number of years thinking I would try and become a professional conductor, but that didn’t really turn out to be a path for me. So, when I moved to the United States [from London, England] in 1995 I thought, well, maybe I could combine the music background I had with my marketing interests at the time. I ended up applying for a job as a Marketing Assistant. The advert in the New York Times said that it was with a ‘prominent New York arts group.’ It turned out to be at the New York Philharmonic and they gave me the job, which is how I started my music-related career path.”
VT: Are there any specific folks who inspired or encouraged you along the way?
GP: “Yes. There have been many wonderful people who have encouraged me along the way. For example, when I first went to work at the New York Philharmonic, the senior team was then led by Deborah Borda. To learn from and watch her was kind of extraordinary. I soaked up as much as I could. Another great mentor of mine was Jacquelone Taylor who ran the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center when I went to work there. Her style and thoughtfulness around the community has impacted me throughout my entire career.”
VT: How would you describe your current work as Chief Executive for Louisville Orchestra?
GP: “I am a major spokesperson for the organization and ultimately I am the person responsible for budgets and fundraising and all the staff. Often with orchestras, or other arts groups, there is a structure called a ‘two-headed monster’ where you have someone who is responsible for the administrative or management side of the business and someone who is in charge of the artistic side. So, in a way Teddy [Abrams] and I do occupy those two roles. He is the Music Director, I am the Chief Executive. Our relationship is so incredibly strong that we consider it as running the place together. Teddy and I both agree that an orchestra is not just a decoration, it’s an essential social service, a community pillar.”
VT: Your overall career, and certainly your time in Kentucky, has been defined by partnerships and collaborations. Looking back, are there any favorite moments?
GP: “I am a deeply collaborative person. I feel that assembling a team, generating new ideas, and inspiring people to think beyond their comfort zone is kind of where I excel. I am proud to have worked with some of the great classical musicians of our time as well as major personalities like Ravi Shankar, Michael Cleveland and Chris Thile. [The latter two were part of a multi-season community-building project funded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky that takes the Louisville Orchestra to every corner of the state for concerts and special community events]. Just being here in Louisville getting to collaborate with Teddy day in and day out is an absolute dream come true.”
VT: So, how do you measure success?
GP: “That is a really tricky one. Of course, the easy things to point to could be attendance figures, donation numbers and ticket sales, and those are important indicators of success. I think, though, that real success measures come down to the conversations and the feedback one hears from members of the community living in all different parts of the Commonwealth, telling you how much a concert has moved them or the ways in which a program at their library has impacted their child. When folks are able to articulate those thoughts to you, it gives you hope that you are on the right track and it provides you with a lot of confidence to continue moving in that direction.”
For information about upcoming LO concerts and events, visit louisvilleorchestra.org.