Mike Wolanin | The Republic Donnie Robinette is the new executive director of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. He is pictured at Helen Haddad Hall in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Feb. 7, 2022.
Days after officially being named the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic’s new executive director after serving for months as the interim leader, Donnie Robinette is honest and vulnerable enough to say that he still is eagerly learning the detailed differences between Beethoven and Brahms.
But the orchestra’s board president and artistic director both say they’re excited about his solid sense of harmony — specifically, the fact that he’s a seasoned team player in a post requiring maintaining or growing a range of community partnerships, among other responsibilities.
“This is exciting and fun,” Robinette said, mentioning that the orchestra finds itself in a period of great change. “I am the outsider coming in partly to offer a bit of a new perspective.”
Philharmonic Artistic Director David Bowden said he’s impressed with the broad range of skills that the 44-year-old Robinette brings to the position.
“He has a natural inclination to ask questions,” Bowden said. “He doesn’t get rattled. He knows how to remain calm. And he’s both thoughtful and reflective.”
Not getting rattled is a significant trait for the administrative head of an organization that had to be ready to decide nearly up to the day before its Saturday family concert whether or not to proceed after a sizable ice and snow storm hit Columbus. Despite the initial uncertainty, the orchestra proceeded and still sold 700 tickets in its home venue at the 1,000-seat Judson Erne Auditorium.
The Franklin native and current Franklin resident worked for years with that city’s Indiana Masonic Home, where one of his duties — overseeing its annual festival that attracts some 6,000 people — fits well into part of his overall mission of organizing and presenting events. For that, he coordinated everything from vendor booths to food to bands for six years.
Philharmonic board president Melisa Fairbanks mentioned that such a background is wonderful.
“He already has a good eye and sense for larger events,” Fairbanks said, aware that the Philharmonic’s picnic-style, spring SALUTE! concert attracts 5,000 people or more. “He’s very good with logistics, people, and processes. And so far, the response from the community about him has been very positive, and we have gotten great comments about his interactions.
“That makes us very happy and also is very exciting.”
Away from the office, Robinette plays electric bass at home, gravitating to tunes from The Beatles and The Police. He grew up listening in the 1990s to everything from rap to rock to country in the form of Snoop Dogg to Nirvana to Garth Brooks. Today, he’s a big fan of the wildly varied styles of singer Morgan James, slated to perform April 7 at the orchestra’s highly successful Cabaret at The Commons. He hosts Saturday karaoke at Franklin’s Old Towne Beer Hall &Growler Company.
His personal, go-to artists for those events include the swing of Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (who performed recently with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra), and Frank Sinatra.
“There’s a good example of how I listen to almost everything,” he said.
In the future, he and the Philharmonic team hope to have orchestra member recitals or perhaps a chamber music series in Helen Haddad Hall that he still manages as part of his original orchestra responsibility. There also have been suggestions for a Gin and Jazz Night in the venue this summer.
The new guy who grew up without the direct influence of orchestral music but now loves it seems the perfect fellow to help the Philharmonic bridge the gap with audiences not yet exposed to what they, too, may love. Of course, the Feb. 26 Bourbonfest fundraiser coming up at The Commons has proven for several years to be a solid entry point for new ticket buyers to both Cabaret at The Commons and full orchestra performances, according to the organization’s own research.
He praises the Philharmonic’s following as supremely loyal, pointing out that, of 700 tickets sold for last Saturday’s family concert, probably 500 still attended in the aftermath of the winter storm.
“In this (pandemic) environment, I’m comfortable with 500 people at the moment,” he said.
He said he understands he currently must strike a careful balance between tradition of an organization with the same leader in Bowden for 35 years and new ideas and approaches to attract new listeners and attendees.
“When an organization like us is going through changes (with a soon-departing conductor), there are going to be challenges and times where we may trip,” Robinette said. “That’s part of growing.
“And coming out of the pandemic has also required some changes.”
All in all, Robinette has seen the power of music demonstrated far from the concert hall. At his former job at the Indiana Masonic Home, a 103-year-old pianist resident with dementia struggled to communicate. But when she sat at the keyboard, beautiful sounds still flowed. That part of her brain remained active.
“She could still play for hours, and never repeat a song,” Robinette said.
He’s excited about the possible growth of orchestral music in a world in which he sees the younger generation embracing all styles. His own daughter recently chose the theme song from the video role-playing game Skyrim as her wedding march.
“So instrumental music is really hitting the younger generation,” he said. “It’s just hitting them in a different way than in the past.”
