Circles of Change: Conversations with Dr. Zara Larsen
on Change Leadership and Career Fulfillment
September 10, 2008
“Maestro, Please: A Season to Celebrate”
Guest: George Hanson, Tucson Symphony Orchestra
Anchoring Points:
1. My wife and I decided to concentrate our life as a family here in Tucson, rather than continue to live between the US and Germany. We see the extraordinary potential for growth and change.
2. This is the 85th season for the symphony, A Season to Celebrate with each performance offering classic favorites, special pieces seldom heard from the greats, and totally new pieces.
3. I measure success of a performance based on how well we match the stylistic origins of the piece as the masters intended. We play Beethoven the way the descendants of those who learned from Beethoven play his works.
4. The biggest and most frequent mistake made in the symphony business is underestimating the sophistication and knowledge of our audience – offering a good but perhaps not a great performance. The TSO wins the hearts of its local following and out-of-town guests because we view performing as a shared experience.
5. The professional TSO chorus has been a critical part of our evolution, allowing us to reach a powerfully new level of artistic achievement.
6. We are on the cusp of a transformational event, the release of our first live recording this month as captured by an internationally acclaimed company last spring. We will now be on the international charts based on our musicians’ technical ability and absolute commitment to do their best. The greatest challenge I see is to now change how we see ourselves!
7. The performing and visual arts are in a sweet spot to attract the creative class to Tucson. The TSO attracts 80,000 adult visitors to downtown, and along with the opera, ballet, and the Tucson Museum of Art reached $100 million annual contribution to the economy in 1999. A figure the rodeo, gem show and baseball spring training contributed in 2007. It is our hope some day for the community to recognize the dollar in vs. dollar out impact of facilitizing the arts – six to seven fold that of sports – and support further investment.
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