Recent arts coverage:
- Evolutionary biology. Aesthetic determinism. Live action role playing. The Rude Mechs are making a new play again
- Suburban battlefield: Women fight invisible foe in Amie Siegel’s ‘Black Moon’
- In eerie paintings by Ana Fernandez, a house isn’t just a house
More arts coverage | Follow this blog on Twitter @artsinaustin | Read recent arts reviews
Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2009 > September > 09 > Entry
Orchestra confirms Wixson out
Austin Symphony Orchestra officials announced Wednesday that Galen Wixson has resigned as executive director over creative differences.
The announcement, made by Joe R. Long, the orchestra’s board president, comes more than a week after reports that Wixson was longer at his post.
Wixson, who had just been hired in March, has not returned phone calls for comment.
The statement released by Long on Wednesday says that William F. Kemp, the orchestra’s long-time legal counsel assisted in “facilitating the resolution” of “creative differences between the Austin Symphony Orchestra Society and Mr. Wixson.”
Long said he had no further comment beyond the statement.
Reports emerged early last week that Wixson had been fired. A person answering the phone at the orchestra office Aug. 31 told the American-Statesman that Wixson no longer worked there, and Wixson was no longer listed anywhere on the organization’s Web site.
On Sept. 1, more than two dozen orchestra musicians sent a letter to the board’s executive committee protesting the sudden and unexplained absence of Wixson. The orchestra’s letter said the group found it “hard to imagine” any justification “to force him to leave.”
Wixson’s hiring in March, after a national search, was greeted with much fanfare by orchestra officials. Before coming to Austin, Wixson had been executive director at the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. He also held similar posts with the Reno Philharmonic, the Symphony of Southeast Texas and the Manhattan Center for the Arts. A statement issued by the Arkansas orchestra when Wixson announced he was headed to the Austin job praised Wixson for his “valuable leadership.”
Long said a search will begin immediately for a new executive director. Anthony Corroa has been named interim executive director of the Austin Symphony.
The departure comes at a critical time as the orchestra is about to start its 99th season on Sept. 18 and is preparing 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.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment Categories: Music
Comments
When commenting, we ask that you keep things civil and abide by our Visitor Agreement. To report comment abuse, click here.
By Tell us more
September 9, 2009 3:39 PM | Link to this
John, don’t be shy. Tell us what you know.
By anonymous #2
September 9, 2009 2:45 PM | Link to this
It’s sad to say that if it took the ASO Board 12 days to come up with this press release, any differences they might have with anyone certainly wouldn’t be “creative” difference.
I agree with Anonymous of Sept 7.
By dinop
September 9, 2009 2:00 PM | Link to this
So, anyone gonna actually tell us what happened?
By John
September 9, 2009 12:40 PM | Link to this
Glad he is gone. There is more to the story than you are reporting but that is ok. He is gone and that is what is important.