Charlotte Symphony names new CEO. He wants to lift people’s spirits through music.
The Charlotte Symphony announced on Wednesday it has chosen David Fisk, who currently serves as executive director of the Richmond Symphony in Virginia, to be its new president and CEO.
Fisk brings decades of experience, from the South and from overseas, to the position. He has been with the Richmond Symphony for 18 years. Prior to that, he served as chief executive of the Ulster Orchestra, the national symphony of Northern Ireland.
Fisk starts the new job on Aug. 31, replacing Mary Dreissler, who served as the symphony’s president and CEO from June 2019 to August 2019. Michelle Hamilton has been serving as interim CEO.
Fisk said when he saw the open position in Charlotte, he knew the city would be a good fit. He said he was drawn to the reputation of the Charlotte Symphony, and the investment the symphony makes in its musicians.
“For someone like me who is a musician by background, the chance to run a larger orchestra, which has made that commitment in the particular time to invest in artistic quality and to community engagement, that’s a really attractive element,” he said.
Fisk said he got his start in music when he was 8 years old, as a singer in a choir at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. He has a degree in music from Manchester University and a postgraduate degree in piano accompaniment from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. He still plays the piano.
The symphony’s search committee was unanimous in selecting Fisk, said Kimberly Parker, chairwoman of the Charlotte Symphony, in a statement. He was selected for his vision, innovation and passion for inclusion and community access, Parker said.
‘Where words fail’
Fisk starts his job with the Charlotte symphony at an uncertain time for the arts world.
COVID-19 shutdowns have caused the symphony to go virtual for the time being, with spring and summer events canceled or postponed.
These cancellations have been financially tough for the symphony. Hamilton, the interim CEO, said the Charlotte Symphony has lost about $1.4 million in revenue due to COVID-19, and pushing the fall season back again would be “devastating.”
But this is not the first time Fisk has led a symphony through a challenging time.
He was working at the Ulster Orchestra in Northern Ireland when 9/11 occurred. Fisk said his orchestra was the first foreign orchestra to go to New York and perform after 9/11.
“We don’t use words to make our contribution,” he said. “We use music and music is a really powerful force, even more than words can be sometimes, to bring people together and lift up their spirits.”
Fisk said he believes music is especially important in times such as now, where he’s seen people turn to music while dealing with the novel coronavirus pandemic.
He said when the symphony returns in Charlotte, musicians will be thoughtful about what they play, whether it is pop music for people who want to be distracted or spiritual music.
“There is nothing like live music to touch people very deeply and to go where words fail,” he said.
The symphony’s future
For now, the Charlotte Symphony is set to return Aug. 7, starting with a concert of “Beethoven’s Pastoral.” Hamilton said the symphony is waiting for further announcements from the governor on whether an August return is possible.
No matter what happens, Fisk said he hopes to see the virtual theater space continue to grow after it is safe to return to venues. He said while there’s no substitute for a live experience, continuing virtual content allows the arts to be more accessible.
“Once you embrace a new technology, we very rarely give it up,” he said.
Fisk hopes to take what he’s learned to continue to grow the symphony.
And as a newcomer to Charlotte, Fisk also wants to be respectful of those who served in the position before him.
“I really don’t want to lay out my vision as it were or my goals until I’ve had the chance just to come and be absorbed and to learn and to listen,” he said.
