“In recent years, the 76-piece California Symphony based in Walnut Creek … has undergone a makeover, stepped up its outreach to younger music fans, diversified its organization … and strengthened its bottom line,” writes Laura Fraser in the April issue of Southwest: The Magazine. “Ticket sales have increased … and the number of donors has nearly quadrupled…. Behind it all is 36-year-old Executive Director Aubrey Bergauer, a fast-talking, blog-writing, numbers-wielding marketing maestro who knows millennials because she is one herself. ‘My goal is to change the narrative for orchestras,’ … Bergauer says…. ‘Everything I’ve done is replicable.’ … Says Jesse Rosen, president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras, ‘She’s focused on the quality of the experience, beginning with how an orchestra comes across online, and worked to make it more in line with contemporary audiences. She’s a gifted leader who’s getting good results.’ … Kelsey Blegen, a 31-year-old attorney, … and her husband attended two performances before becoming subscribers. And while Blegen typically prefers the more conventional concerts, a recent holiday performance ranked among her favorites. It included a mix of traditional carols, a singalong, and a live soundtrack of the animated movie The Snowman.”
Posted April 5, 2019
