“Before taking the reins at the St. Louis Symphony just over a year ago, Marie-Helene Bernard helped craft a turnaround at one of the nation’s oldest musical organizations,” writes Angela Mueller in Friday’s (8/12) St. Louis Business Journal (Missouri). The publication named Bernard one of the city’s 25 most influential business women for 2016. “Bernard, who became president and CEO of the St. Louis Symphony in July 2015, previously was director and CEO of the Boston-based Handel and Haydn Society.… She helped the organization reduce inefficiencies, eliminate a $700,000 accumulated deficit and balance its budget…. Bernard already has helped [the St. Louis Symphony] craft a new five-year strategic plan.… The plan has three main focuses: continuing to build its audience and role in the community; ensuring it maintains its artistic excellence; and building capacity, with an emphasis on maintaining Powell Symphony Hall…. Bernard said that … task forces are being formed to ‘dig deeper’ into each initiative. ‘We want to make sure the (St. Louis) Symphony is everyone’s symphony; we want to make it accessible,’ Bernard said. ‘We are an ambassador for St. Louis—not only here but also abroad and across the nation.’ ”
Posted August 17, 2016
