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Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2009 > September > 02 > Entry
Update: ASO Board offers no explanation for action concerning new executive director
Musicians protest departure of new executive director
Board offers no explanation for action concerning Galen Wixson
By Jeanne Claire van Ryzin
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
More than two dozen musicians of the Austin Symphony Orchestra have signed a letter protesting the sudden absence of Galen Wixson, the orchestra’s executive director.
The letter was sent Monday to the orchestra’s executive committee after rumors emerged that Wixson had been fired.
See a .pdf the letter here.
A person answering the phone at the orchestra office Monday told the American-Statesman that Wixson no longer works there. And Wixson is, as late as Tuesday evening, no longer listed on the organization’s Web site as executive director. Anthony Corroa is listed as interim executive director.
Jane Sibley, chairwoman of the orchestra board of directors, declined to comment. Another orchestra official would not confirm whether Wixson had been terminated or placed on administrative leave. Wixson could not be reached for comment.
The orchestra’s letter says the group finds it “hard to imagine” any justification “to force him to leave.”
The confusion comes at a critical time as the orchestra is about to start its 99th season and prepare for centennial celebrations. Founded in 1911, the Austin Symphony Orchestra is one of the city’s longest-standing arts organizations. But its inner operations are fairly secretive because the privately held 501(c)(3) nonprofit receives only a small percentage of its approximately $4.5 million budget from government sources.
“The Musician’s Committee found (Wixson) to be a forward-thinking man, well-spoken and willing to listen to ideas,” says the letter, a copy of which he American-Statesman obtained. “We find it hard to imagine a reason good enough to force him to leave. We believe his leaving would be a mistake for this organization.”
Lana Harris, a violist and chairman of the committee that represents the orchestra musicians’ interest to the board of trustees, said that the musicians rarely petition the trustees. Harris said that no board meeting was called to discuss or vote on Wixson’s dismissal late last week.
“This was an unusual enough situation to state what we felt and state it quickly,” Harris said. “We’re concerned long-term what kind of message this will send.”
Wixson was hired in mid-March after a national search. He left the position of executive director of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra to take the Austin job. Previously, Wixson had served as executive director for the Symphony of Southeast Texas, the Manhattan Center for the Arts and the American String Teachers Association.
Wixson has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in cello performance as well as a master’s in arts management from the Carnegie Mellon Heinz School of Public Policy. In June, Wixson performed as a soloist with the orchestra during a free summer concert.
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By anonymous
September 7, 2009 6:10 PM | Link to this
The manner in which the Austin Symphony is governed is dysfunctional, and has been for a very long time. Insiders know this, but because everyone wants the Orchestra to thrive and to grow, we’ve been reluctant to speak out publicly. That time is now over; it’s time to tell the truth. Perhaps this absurd and horrific episode (Wixen just moved his family here and bought a house) will result in some necessary bloodletting on the ASO Board, preferably at the senior level, and on the ASO staff as well. The Board contains many well-meaning members, but many decisions have been made by a shadowy, behind-the-scenes cabal for many years—-witness that an Executive Director could be fired without the Executive Vice President’s knowledge. When a pair of disgruntled staff members with close ties to a few members of the Board can achieve a goal like this, “management” becomes a joke. The Orchestra members and the conductor deserve better governance than this.