Biography
Since his appointment to the
position of Executive Director of the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra in November
2007, Andrew Buelow has instigated new strategic planning, team building and programming initiatives, expanded the
organization’s marketing and advertising, and revitalized its fund
development operation. Since his arrival individual contributions have increased by 60% and the number of donors by 77%. The TSO has expanded its community-wide presence with summer concerts at Tall Ships Tacoma 2008 and collaborations with folk singer
Judy Collins and country singers Ronnie
Milsap, Wynonna and Kenny Rogers, all at Puyallup Fair. The 2008-2009 Season saw a 12%
increase in attendance and an 8.5% increase in contributions. Four of the 2009-2010 concerts sold out completely, and average paid attendance is at nearly 75% of capacity, up from 63% four years ago. The organization has balanced its budget in two out of the last three seasons and grown its endowment and reserves by nearly 20%.
Buelow came to Tacoma from the Traverse Symphony Orchestra in Michigan where, as
Executive Director, he was responsible for leading the organization’s strategic
planning, budgeting and finance, fund raising and marketing efforts, as well as
collaborating with the Music Director on artistic planning.
During his six seasons at the
Traverse Symphony, the number of subscribers to the main subscription series
more than doubled, the number of concerts increased from seven to 15, and
overall attendance grew by 60%. In
addition, Buelow successfully led efforts to increase contributed revenue by
more than 40% and build the endowment to nearly $1 million.
Prior to his appointment with
the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Buelow served as Director of Public
Affairs for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. His accomplishments for the
MSO included the implementation of a highly successful international publicity
campaign for the orchestra’s 1999 Cuba Millennium Tour. He also
spearheaded an organization-wide public affairs campaign to build on the MSO’s
strategic relationships throughout the Milwaukee
area, plus a comprehensive brand management program to enhance the orchestra’s
community image. He was instrumental in the establishment of Milwaukee’s Downtown
Theater District, and served on the Milwaukee Downtown BID Marketing
Committee. A member of the International
Who’s Who in Business, Buelow holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude,
from Lawrence University. He is an avid sailor and keyboardist. Buelow lives in Tacoma with his wife Beth and their two cats.
Andy's Manifesto
A healthy, thriving cultural sector is a catalyst
for a vital community – attracting creative people, fostering
entrepreneurialism and facilitating a high quality of life.
A dynamic professional symphony orchestra is the heart
and lifeblood of a thriving cultural sector.
It creates a pool of professional musicians whose performance activities
span not only the orchestra’s own concerts, but also those of numerous other
arts organizations, small ensembles, special events and weddings. Its musicians live in the region and provide
quality teachers for area youth. It
brings the citizenry downtown on nights and weekends to the entertainment
district, patronizing performance venues, shops, restaurants and clubs. It is a key partner with area school
districts in providing vital youth education programs. Just as the reach of a tree’s roots often far
exceed that of its branches, a resident symphony orchestra’s impact extends
well beyond traditional concertgoers.
Tacoma’s
vibrant performing and visual arts community has served as a catalyst for the
City’s re-emergence from the severe downturns of the '70s and '80s into a
destination for arts activities, specialty shops and restaurants, as well as a
thriving center for new urban living.
This renaissance is still fragile – in this economy, extremely – so a
strong, stable arts presence is needed to keep the engine fueled. With the recent departure of Russell
Investments, the arts are the third largest industry in downtown Tacoma, after government
and education. Imagine if the community
focused comparable energy on growing its arts venues and organizations as it
does on attracting and retaining a thriving downtown corporate sector!
The Tacoma Symphony Orchestra is the South Sound’s
largest resident performing arts
organization, employing 80-plus local musicians. (This is a
distinction from presenting
performing arts organizations, which bring nationally and internationally
acclaimed artists to town.) Another
thing that distinguishes resident performing arts organizations from others is
the economic impact – virtually all of the money remains squarely in the local
economy. The TSO provides regional
audiences with the opportunity to hear powerful symphonic music, right in their
own community, without traveling to Seattle, Portland or further
afield. According to the Americans for
the Arts’ Economic Prosperity Calculator, TSO’s total annual economic impact is
estimated at nearly $1,138,000.
As Executive Director of the Tacoma Symphony
Orchestra, my goal is to grow the roots as well as the branches: to elevate the TSO’s capacity, not only to
deliver great performances, but also to engage with the larger community to
address critical needs with strategic collaborations, impactful education and
outreach programs… to maximize the TSO’s impact on the South Sound region.
Unlike most businesses, an American symphony
orchestra has two leaders: the music
director, in charge of the artistic vision and its implementation; and the
executive director, in charge of the administration of the organization that
surrounds the orchestra itself. The
vision that Maestro Felder and I share is one of partnership: each of us respects the knowledge and skills
the other brings to the task at hand, and we work together to move the
organization forward.
The Executive Director functions like a Swiss army
knife. The job is divided between many
areas: finance management, budgeting and
accounting; marketing and public relations; artistic and program planning; and
fund development, to name a few. The ED
runs the administrative staff, which includes two other full time employees,
three part-time employees, and several outside consultants. Our job is to sell the tickets, service the
patrons, and make sure the musicians and the maestro have an onstage
environment conducive to making music.
The ED reports to the Board of Directors through
the President, and perhaps our most important function is to facilitate the
multiple activities of the Board, including its role in fund development and
advocacy, strategic planning, budget and financial oversight. The TSO is an organization that touches
literally thousands of people throughout the South Sound, and the Board of Directors
represents the interests of all these stakeholders.
During the past fifteen years, the TSO has grown
beyond its proud roots as a community ensemble into a mature, professional
orchestra capable of presenting thrilling symphonic masterpieces, delightful
pops programs, and high-impact youth education offerings. Today it is a respected and valued community
institution, and a testimonial story of Tacoma’s
proud history and continued evolution.
What does its next chapter hold?
The TSO’s new multi-year vision is to capture the community’s imagination… foster
effective programs and partnerships… become a widely recognized artistic
leader… and grow stable and sustainable sources of revenue. To attain this, we must finely attune the TSO
so that it can not only respond to but also shape its environment. We must bring a deliberate dynamism to
everything we do. We must not try to be
all things to all people, but focus on our core mission with exuberance and
passion.
For concerts, this means jettisoning the routine
and ensuring that every concert is an event.
Our primary celebrities will be our own maestro and musicians. The concert experience itself – not the music
or guest artist – will become the primary attractor. Performances will be the talk of the town for
days afterwards.
For our community engagement programs, it means we
will complement rather than compete. We will strive to provide what is needed
and unavailable elsewhere. We will
partner with other organizations so that the result is greater than the sum of
the parts.
In all our doings, we will be a servant leader and
will seek the community’s good, not our own glory.