Heidi Kelley was enjoying her first solo performance with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic late last week.
Administratively, that is.
The daughter of a professional pianist and singer found herself a few hours into her initial day without those who were training her for her new post as executive director of the city’s professional orchestra — one with a $1 million plus annual budget that lands it among the nation’s top 25 percent of such ensembles.
“It’s exciting to meet new challenges,” Kelley said.
She clearly would know. In the past 15 years alone, from Florida to Texas to Michigan, the woman has worked with everything from mid-sized to metro-sized orchestras, opera houses, you name it, specializing in bringing their sometimes dipping bottom line into a rejuvenated range with artistic aim. And if you think she will allow the COVID-19 pandemic, serious as it is, to play a sour note in the Philharmonic’s plan to soothe and encourage audiences amid such a challenge, think again.
“I think this (health) situation is really going to allow the regional and smaller arts organizations to shine and thrive,” Kelley said. “They tend to be a little more flexible and mobile than many of the larger arts organizations.”
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
