Bradley L. Broecker, chief executive officer of the Louisville Orchestra since 2006, announced today that he will retire as of May 31, 2009. A native Louisvillian and devoted arts patron and impresario, Broecker stepped forward in 2006 to volunteer his time to rebuild the Orchestra’s franchise. He has worked for $1 per year in this vital capacity and successfully led the Orchestra to newfound artistic and fiscal health during his tenure.
Under Broecker’s leadership, the Orchestra eliminated its debt and launched a series of innovative and novel artistic ventures aimed at cultivating younger audiences for the venerable institution. Among the most successful of there are the Louisville Orchestra’s “BB&T Strings Attached” series that presents independent and alternative artists in concert with the Orchestra, and the “WOW!” series featuring unexpected and unusual programming such Cirque de la Symphonie, “A Tribute to Judy Garland” and “An Evening with Julie Andrews,” as examples.
Broecker also oversaw the Orchestra’s administrative partnership with the Kentucky Opera and Louisville Theatrical Association, in cooperation with the Greater Louisville Fund for the Arts, culminating in a relocation of the Orchestra’s offices to Arts Space in the Brown Theatre building at 323 West Broadway.
“Brad’s generosity and commitment to the Louisville Orchestra, and the arts ecology of this city, are inspired,” said Tom Noland, president of the Orchestra’s board of directors. “His efforts have been Herculean and there is, quite simply, no one else in this country who could have accomplished what he has been able to in just three short years. The entire Orchestra family is honored by his tenure and selfless efforts to put the Orchestra back in the forefront of Louisville’s invigorating arts scene.”
Among Brad’s many accomplishments is the signing of maestro Jorge Mester as the Orchestra’s Music Director in 2006. Mester had been Music Director from 1967 to 1979 and was reengaged by Broecker and the Board as a cornerstone of the redevelopment efforts. “I’m tremendously proud of my relationship with Jorge and our musicians,” Broecker said. “I have always loved the Orchestra and felt that it added so much to my own life over the years. Having the opportunity to shape its future and experience the commitment and drive that motivates every one of our players, conductors, and staff has been a source of immense pride for me over the last three seasons. I’m going to miss it, but I have many other things I want to do and the organization is on solid footing. I knew this was the right time to step down from this particular aspect of my public service now.”
“Brad is like a brother to me,” said Mester. “We see eye to eye on important areas from programming to community presence. My role with the Louisville Orchestra today feels more like a privilege than a job – this was all made possible through Brad’s vision and willingness to look at the future with a fresh perspective.”
Broecker also recruited the Orchestra’s chief operating officer, Robert Birman, from San Francisco, who has been named by the Board of Directors to assume the position of C.E.O. effective June 1. “My plan was always to leave the Orchestra in better shape than when I found it,” said Broecker. “Rob is absolutely the right person to lead this organization into its future, and our partnership over the past eight months has been a joy for me. I wish him nothing but continued success.”
Birman has 18 years of orchestra management experience prior to coming to Louisville. He managed orchestras in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Boston, and Dubuque and worked for orchestras in Bolder, Miami Beach and at the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C.
“The reason I am in Louisville is Brad Broecker,” Birman said. “I met Brad in Denver last summer and was immediately captivated by his creativity and business sense. As he told me the modern-day story of the Louisville Orchestra, I became transfixed and was quickly convinced that his efforts, in harmony with those of the musicians and volunteers in the community, were emblematic of the Orchestra’s vast potential. No one can replace Brad, but the entire staff has pledged to carry through his vision. He has earned the gratitude of thousands in our community and deserves a medal for his devotion and commitment. We will certainly honor Brad’s well-earned right to a respite from the day-to-day activities at the Louisville Orchestra, but we don’t plan to let him stray too far from home – he’s been too closely involved in the Orchestra’s resurgence and his talents will surely have a place on either our Board of Directors or Board of Overseers in the years ahead.”
Broecker attended many of the Orchestra’s Making Music concerts for schoolchildren when they were first conceived by the Orchestra’s founding music director, Robert Whitney. He received his B.S. degree from Vanderbilt University where he studied Business and Labor and Personnel Administration. The first ten years of Broecker’s business career were spent in a family-owned manufacturing business, followed by 14 years in marketing and brand management at Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation.
It was during this time that Mr. Broecker became active in the arts community. He joined the Louisville Theatrical Association in 1978, serving as Executive Director and President. He subsequently founded a company that came to be known as the Broadway Series Management Group, which brought New York Broadway plays to Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Indianapolis, and five cities in Florida. After many years of growth and success, Broecker sold the Broadway Series Management Group to what became Clear Channel Entertainment, where he served as a Senior Vice President until he retired from that position in October 2005.
