There's a symphony of discord sounding off in the boardroom of the San Antonio Philharmonic, where disagreements among the board members have set a tense stage for the orchestra's eagerly awaited third season. The ensemble looked forward to a harmonious period under the baton of new music director Jeffrey Kahane, but internecine strife threatens to mar the composition of its leadership and community trust.
This internal tumult crescendoed during a June 20 board meeting that saw a motion to remove board President Brian Petkovich, one of the orchestra's co-founders. In his place, urologist and board member Ian Thompson was nominated by fellow board member and principal horn player Peter Rubins. The dispute has thrown the board's composition into question, with executive director Roberto Treviño referring to actor Jesse Borrego as the acting chair while some board listings contradicted the assertion. Information on the Philharmonic's website has oscillated between different sets of board officers, according to an article published by San Antonio Report.
Amid the unfolding melodrama, board member David Wood is agitating to backtrack on a $150,000 interest-free loan used last year to acquire the music library from the now-defunct San Antonio Symphony. This purchase was critical in preserving the symphony's 83-year musical legacy as many of its musicians regrouped under the Philharmonic's banner. Wood cites fears of a collapse within the board as the cornerstone of his argument.
Complicating matters further, the courting of community favor is critical as the Philharmonic prepares its funding requests for the 2024-2025 season, with Treviño stating ambitions for $400,000 from both the City of San Antonio and Bexar County. This, despite the echoes of the former symphony's problematic past still resonates within the local communities' memories. Treviño emphasized to the San Antonio Report regarding the board dispute, "This is where change is challenging."
Whether an overture of agreement can resolve the leadership dissonance remains to be seen, as both sides are said by the San Antonio Report to be referring to their legal counsel over questions of board term limits and the legitimacy of the current board constituency. With all eyes on the Philharmonic's next move, the resounding message from the musicians is clear, emphasizing the need to overcome "fear, personal divisions, self-interested behavior or competing agendas, to cause its failure now.." The gravity of the situation is mirrored in the Philharmonic's aspirations of revitalizing community trust and establishing a reforged identity within San Antonio's cultural scene.
