Power of Inclusion – Arkansas Symphony Orchestra: Retention Through Caring

“We strive to build a ‘culture of team’,” says Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO) CEO Christina Littlejohn. ASO committees include members of the orchestra, board, and staff. “We enjoy a backstage champagne toast for everyone on opening night, a holiday party, an end-of-year party where people share their favorite moment of the concert season.”

But caring means more than socializing or even committee work. Littlejohn believes that a tone was set during the pandemic. “We paid all full-time musicians and professional staff salaries, no furloughs,” she recalls. Even per service musicians, after being paid for contracted services, continued to receive small gifts from the symphony to let them know they were not forgotten. “Our message was all about keeping people employed,” Littlejohn explains. The care shown to musicians resonated with the community. Subscriptions saw a 97% retention rate, and a virtual gala exceeded goals even without the dancing and steak dinner.

The pandemic made an opening for the musicians’ own initiative to care for the community, a good example of internal and external alignment around caring. “Bedtime with Bach” was a series of online solo and small-ensemble performances of lullaby-worthy repertoire, streamed live every night at 9:00pm, “meant to provide a soothing comfort during very stressful times.”

Music Director Geoffrey Robson was associate conductor for years, then chosen for the top job by the musicians. He welcomes musicians’ views, and sometimes plays chamber music with them. As a result of musicians feeling heard, Littlejohn relates that visiting soloists often say the ASO stage feels happier than most.

Caring extends to staff as well. To begin with, Littlejohn values a variety of viewpoints, making staff feel safe about speaking up. “It helps you avoid the potholes,” she says. “Far more gets accomplished when people have their own voices.” She also prioritizes professional growth to retain good people. Annual reviews include self-evaluations asking where they want to develop. Littlejohn sends team members to conferences, hires coaches for them, and grows their responsibilities as the staff members wish. For instance, David Renfro, now Chief Development Officer, began as orchestra personnel manager, then moved over to operations, and finally into fundraising. Littlejohn adds, “we wouldn’t have accomplished anything if we’d had too much turnover.” The average staff tenure is nine years.

“What gives our team energy is doing work they enjoy, working together, and seeing the success of their efforts. Plus, a day off here and there doesn’t hurt.” This team raised the funds, built, and opened the new ASO Music Center in September 2024. “There is no way in the world we would have raised the capital funds for our new first-of-its-kind music center, while growing our annual fund, during Covid,” says Littlejohn, “if we hadn’t been an organization that cared about its people.”

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra audience members celebrate at the Grand Opening of the new ASO Music Center, the orchestra’s first permanent home. ASO prioritizes staff retention, maintaining a consistent team who raised the funding for this state-of-the-art building. Photo by Matthew Sewell.