Matthew Creek, BSAM’19, loves his work with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO)—which is why he decided to take a short break. An intermission, if you will. In New York City.
This summer, Creek will join the Essentials of Orchestra Management program offered by the League of American Orchestras. This highly competitive leadership program is viewed as the gold standard of orchestra management training and will offer him opportunities for skill-building, mindset development, and networking with a cohort of approximately 35 other orchestra management professionals.
“I see this program as a special opportunity to exponentially scale the work I’m doing here at the ISO—one that both impacts and benefits a greater percentage of our community members,” says Creek.
Currently, Creek works as the Pops and Presentations Coordinator. He and his team oversee the management and care for all guest artists and conductors involved in ISO’s Pops, Film, and Yuletide Celebration performance series—about 21 performance weeks out of the season.
“I work directly with the artists to understand their needs for each performance (everything from technical aspects to costume changes), and funnel that information to the necessary departments at the ISO in order for a performance to be executed at the top artistic caliber,” says Creek.
One of the most important skills Creek has had to develop to be an effective arts leader is active listening. “As programmers for popular music (or anything in the non-classical cannon), we have to have a pulse on what artistic acts interest and engage patrons. By listening to our community, we can determine what gaps exist in our programming and then engage a broader range of singers, dancers, and musicians to provide an orchestral experience that is relatable and enjoyable to a broader community. This is the joy and challenge I find with popular programming in the orchestra world—each person possesses a different definition of ‘popular music,’ so often this work feels like a rewarding puzzle as we assemble a little taste of everything for a Pops season.”
After completing the orchestra management program, Creek plans to return to Indy with new ideas and inspiration to benefit the ISO. “Nothing has been as fulfilling to me as working on the artistic side of the ISO’s operations. It’s a lovely balance of artistic expression and creativity with its fair share of business acumen—and that structure appeals most to me and my skillset.”
His future plans involve continuing to work for a major orchestra, potentially as a vice president of artistic planning or CEO. Wherever his next act takes him, he says, “I credit a great deal of my success thus far to my time in the Arts Management program at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs for preparing me to become the arts leader that I am today!”
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