SHULGOLD: Symphony sails in sea of change

By Marc Shulgold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 03:00 p.m., July 25, 2008
Updated 03:03 p.m., July 25, 2008

Colorado Symphony Music Director Jeffrey Kahane, left, and President/CEO Doug Adams are leaving the orchestra.

No reason to worry, the Colorado Symphony is telling us. Everything's fine. Oh, really?

Even though the orchestra just received a one-two punch to the gut with the announced departures of music director Jeffrey Kahane (in two years) and President/CEO Doug Adams (in six weeks)?

Even though the orchestra finds itself in the midst of a campaign to raise $30 million or more to cover its share of the $90 million renovation of Boettcher Hall?

Even though no one has a clue where the CSO will play while the hall is being gutted and rebuilt?

Mere bumps in the road, various officials insist.

"The CSO has its ducks in a row," declared Jack Finlaw, director of Denver's Division of Theaters and Arenas, in the wake of Adams' resignation.

Such confidence in the face of crisis might recall memories of Chevy Chase as accident-prone President Gerald Ford on Saturday Night Live: At Christmas time, he was decorating the White House tree, which started to fall over, bringing Chase down with it.

"I'm fine," the comedian assured during his slow, disastrous descent.

But is the Colorado Symphony going to be OK? Let's take a look at the current state of things:

* Kahane and the CSO: The 2008-09 season is in place. Same goes for the 2009-10 season, his last as music director. After that, Kahane promises to remain a regular visitor to the CSO podium.

Yes, his tenure will end much sooner than expected. But the solid reputation of the orchestra, combined with the wealth of conducting talent out there, bodes well for the selection of a top-flight music director.

* A successor for Adams: The departure of the CSO's president is more of an immediate jolt, since he leaves to take the reins of the Dallas Symphony in early September, a week before the start of the new season.

But look at the bright side: The music will sound, whether there's a chief executive in place or not. If the search for a successor stalls, an interim president can be named from the CSO's solid executive staff or its capable board of trustees.

When Adams was selected by the Dallas Symphony to serve as executive director, there were several highly qualified candidates passed over, many of whom might want to consider the CSO post.

Running this organization offers great appeal for some hotshot visionary: a rare chance to oversee the construction of a new hall and manage the search for a music director.

* The Boettcher renovation: "The project is solidified," board chairman Kevin Duncan said.

He's right. The recent selection of Diamond and Schmitt as architects and Akustiks as acoustical designer marks a critical first step. Last week, lead architect Jack Diamond and acoustician Paul Scarbrough met with the board to begin the lengthy process of sketching out plans for the new Boettcher.

Though Adams was intimately involved, the ball is now in the court of the design team.

* Finding the money: Though voters approved $60 million toward the renovation last November, millions more must be privately secured. Yet, Adams stressed, fundraising has settled into a hiatus until preliminary plans can be shown to potential donors. It's much easier asking for money when the givers can see what their contributions will buy.

* Finding a temporary home: No one at the CSO will admit it, but this issue seems to have become a source of frustration. Various ideas have been proposed and then nixed, leaving the orchestra with fewer options. There is time, however, since the CSO may end up staying in the current Boettcher for two more seasons.

Reportedly, Diamond offered some suggestions on a makeshift facility during his recent visit, but nothing that anyone is willing to discuss. Will the CSO end up in a privately owned theater? Maybe, since no city-owned facilities are available, according to Finlaw.

It seems more likely that a temporary facility will be constructed. But at what cost - and where? A convenient location is crucial to luring concert-goers during the renovation.

The orchestra is long past those dark days in the '90s, when financial instability and poor leadership damaged its reputation. Adams leaves behind a staff that has demonstrated an ability to maintain a steady course.

That said, it's still possible the CSO might soon resemble a rudderless ship adrift in a sea of uncertainty. I prefer another metaphor: the half-full water glass. Upcoming changes in CSO leadership could bring a new vitality and excitement that might then inject a similar energy into the rebirth of Boettcher Hall.

Any way you look at it, the next year for the Colorado Symphony will be critical in determining its future. We'll be watching closely.

Marc Shulgold is the music and dance writer. Shulgoldm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5296