Tufts and New England Conservatory dual degree alum Chad Smith was appointed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra as their newest CEO in May 2023. Smith is one of the country’s leading orchestral music executives and previously served a four-year period as Chief Executive at the Los Angeles Philharmonic where he worked closely with famed maestro Gustavo Dudamel to establish some of the most impactful orchestral programs of the 21st century.
Key to Smith’s future plans to make the Boston Symphony Orchestra innovative again is a humanities-centric approach connecting the organization to the Boston community based on values Smith learned while a student at both Tufts and the New England Conservatory.
Smith was an undergraduate from 1990 to 1995 where he pursued a dual degree in European history and vocal performance at Tufts and the New England Conservatory, respectively.
“The joint program between NEC and Tufts was the most perfect combination.” Smith said. “The program was really hard, but for me, it was absolutely what I wanted.”
The dual degree education continues to influence how Smith leads orchestras. It was through the New England Conservatory that he first became involved in arts administration. An invitation from his close friend and fellow New England Conservatory student performing at a dinner party introduced Smith to administrators of the Boston Symphony, who would go on to teach him the inner workings of arts institutions. Meanwhile, back on The Hill, a foundation in the humanities molded his outlook on how to run symphonies.
“I fundamentally believe that through the study of the humanities … we understand ourselves, our community and our world better. That, for me, has always been the reason that arts and culture have been the defining markers of eras. They tell the story of an era, not from an intellectual standpoint, but from what people are feeling,” Smith said. “What I’ve carried through with me over the last 25 years is this fundamental belief that a broader and a deeper understanding of the humanities is critical to our artform’s expansion. It is not enough to have a passive experience as an audience member. … I think deeper understanding is incumbent upon arts institutions to contextualize what we’re hearing on our stage and make it relevant for today.”
One practical way Smith will achieve this is through creating the Boston Symphony Orchestra Humanities Institute. Using the assets that the Boston Symphony Orchestra already owns — including one of the best concert halls in the world and a campus dedicated to music and learning in Tanglewood — Smith aims to bring back aspects of its remarkable history. At Tanglewood, he plans on restoring two storied buildings that have fallen into disrepair: the theater where Britten’s “Peter Grimes” had its American premiere in 1946 and Seranak, the home of former Boston Symphony Orchestra music director Serge Koussevitzky.
“It’s not about restoring a building. It’s about restoring our ability to deliver on our mission to present the widest possible works. We’re not able to do staged opera at Tanglewood because that facility isn’t there,” Smith commented, on restoring the Peter Grimes theater. “The same thing is going to be true here in Symphony Hall. We know that we have one of the great halls, and we’re going to have to continue to invest in this space to reflect the needs of modern audiences.”
Competing for the attention of modern audiences in 2024, however, is challenging for a symphony or any fine arts institution. Instead of compromising to match the attractions of modern competitors to prospective audiences, core to Smith’s ideology is emphasizing the uniqueness of the symphonic experience.
“As I will say over and over, the headwinds against classical music and performing arts generally, are significant,” Smith conceded. “However, classical music offers a counterpoint to so many of the modern experiences that people invest their limited time and dollars in, which is that it is a space for reflection. … It is two hours of being with yourself and a cohort of two thousand people who are sharing that moment together and very often in silence. That is very different than going to a Celtics game.”
Smith believes the messaging of classical music institutions has to change to emphasize that unique experience, rather than trying to market classical music as competing with other popular experiences, such as a Celtics game.
“Our artform is incredibly fleeting. You can’t hold it, you can’t buy it. For us, it is telling the story of how our works of art are a counterpoint to other popular experiences,” Smith said.
While a perception of elitism among new audience members has long plagued classical music, far from the exorbitantly priced tickets of pop concerts and sporting events, college students can purchase Boston Symphony Orchestra season tickets for only $30 through the college card program.
In addition to financial considerations, Smith hopes to attract younger audiences.
“I remember being a young person coming to concerts. It always felt weird that there weren’t many young people there like me. So, how do we create cohorts? I think that’s through targeted student programs so that there are college nights where there is a cohort of young people,” Smith said. “There are certain things we can program that will target younger audiences while still absolutely being serious repertoire. … [However,] as interested as I am in growing our audiences for young people, … we also have a responsibility to continue to welcome people at all ages of their life.”
Fundamentally, Smith views the future of the Boston Symphony Orchestra as an all-encompassing museum.
“We have to be both the Museum of Modern Art and the Gardener and the MFA,” Smith said. “We have to be, in many ways, a humanities program at a university, and an educational institution that is thinking about introducing our music and our art form to kids early in their academic life. So we have to wear so many different hats, artistic, curatorial, academic, community engagement, all of them, and they’re all a part of our future success.”
