Marketing profiles NY

Lenore Eggleston

Director, Marketing and Development
Westchester Philharmonic
White Plains, New York
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



Years in current position: 4
Years in the field: 10

Majors:
B.A. Dance and Psychology
M.A. Performing Arts Management

Additional Training:
Orchestra Leadership Academy courses in public relations
Various other League seminars and events

Career Path:
Development Assistant, Ballet Tech
Market and Development Associate, Kaufman Center (NYC)
Founder and Director, Evolution Dance Theater (Westchester, NY)

What are the most surprising, interesting or challenging aspects of your day-to-day work?
It is always a challenge to balance a small budget, limited resources, and a small staff. You always have to be willing to work at all levels—from envelope stuffing to donor solicitation. Struggling to find new and increased funding is a huge challenge, but often an interesting and rewarding process.

What inspired you to work for an orchestra?
I have been a dancer my entire life and the arts have always been important to me. I have never been as concerned with the type of arts organization I work for as much as the challenge that a particular job position presents.

What were your first steps in your working career?
I took a winter internship with a dance company and a summer internship at a performing arts center during college. I was able to work in a variety of aspects within both companies and it gave me a better sense of what the field demands. I think this was a great way to get my feet wet and gave me solid experience for my resume before I began the job search.

What advice would you offer to someone considering the orchestra field?
Get experience first to be sure this is the right industry for you.

Any other advice?
It’s a lot of work and takes a lot of passion, but is very rewarding.

Nancy Goldsmith Zawacki

Marketing Director
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Rochester, New York
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Time in current position: 2 months
Time in the field: 2 months

Majors:
Journalism

Additional Training:
American Marketing Association workshops

Career Path:
News Reporter and Anchor, ABC and Fox affiliates 
Public Relations and Marketing, The House of the Seven Gables Museum  Communications, Monroe County Medical Society 
Marketing Director, United Way of Greater Rochester

What are the most surprising, interesting or challenging aspects of your day-to-day work?
The target is always moving, so it’s critical everyone gets on board.

What inspired you to work for an orchestra?
Music is a deeply personal and private experience. I wanted to be able to help others get those same experiences through marketing.

What advice would you offer to someone considering the orchestra field?
They don’t have to know all music to do it. They just need the passion, instincts, and the business sense to make it happen.

Any other advice?
Take Pepcid. (Just kidding.) 

Johanna H. Thomsen

Vice President of Audience Development
Brooklyn Philharmonic
Brooklyn, New York
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Years in current position: 2
Years in the field: 8

Majors:
Dance, English

Career Path:
Creative Services Coordinator, Ballet Hispanico
Marketing Manager, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Joanne Winograd

Education and Marketing Manager
New York Pops
New York, New York
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Time in current position: 3 months
Years in the field: 2 (plus 1 year as intern)

Majors:
Economics

Additional Training:
Life-long music instruction and enjoyment
Also, applying to the League’s Orchestra Management Fellowship Program (I was a finalist) helped me solidify my thoughts and goals about a career in Arts Administration. Just writing the essays was helpful, not to mention participating in the finalists’ weekend of interviews.

Career Path:
Marketing Intern, Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival
Public Relations Assistant, Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Education and Office Coordinator, New York Pops

What are the most surprising, interesting or challenging aspects of your day-to-day work?
Working at a smaller organization (five full-time staff) means that I get to have a hand in everything. The best part about my job is that I feel like my voice can be heard and my contributions mean something.

What inspired you to work for an orchestra?
My love for orchestral music coupled with my desire to hold a steady job and use my business-minded brain.

What advice would you offer to someone considering the orchestra field?
Get experience working in the field! Every volunteer opportunity in the arts will help you get to know it better. Talk to people who are starting out, find out what has worked for them. You can’t learn this stuff from a book.

Any other advice?
The pay is unbelievably low, so you really have to want to be there. You will get frustrated by your lack of resources, including time and money. You must be enthusiastic and driven to succeed. But it is the most exciting field there is! You’ll have a hand in real change and feel a part of something you believe in.