NEW YORK – Deborah Borda, 71, is used to making history.
She became the first woman to manage a major American orchestra when named the New York Philharmonic’s executive director in 1991. Her resume is filled with the top posts at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
By Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan via Yahoo! News
A former professional violist, Borda has called these pandemic months “the single biggest crisis” the New York Philharmonic has faced in its 178-year history. The orchestra canceled its 2020/2021 season, anticipating a loss of $20 million in ticket revenue.
After the orchestra’s last concert on March 10, Borda thought the music would stop for a few weeks.
“Eight months later, here we are,” said Borda, who was named president and chief executive of the New York Philharmonic in 2017.
But Borda is optimistic: “I always say, ‘We survived the Civil War, two World Wars and the Spanish Flu epidemic, so we will be back.'”
Borda spoke to Reuters about how her work and life philosophy guides her through the pandemic. Below are edited excerpts.
What was your very first job?
In 1975, I was the manager of a group called Boston Musica Viva, which specialized in very avant garde contemporary music. I was the entire management: I was the finance director, the marketing director, the personnel manager, the tour manager, the fundraiser. I was a mini-CEO. The problem was, I had no staff to delegate to, and that’s a very formative experience.
What is your biggest work-life challenge? Read more from Yahoo! News.
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