Discussion Panel

Ashley Mirakian is the Director of Marketing at the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in Norfolk, VA. Prior to her appointment in Virginia, Ashley led the marketing and public relations department of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra in suburban Chicago. She has also held administrative positions with the Brevard Music Center (North Carolina), the Bloomington Area Arts Council (Indiana), and the New Haven Arts Council in Connecticut. In 2005, she coordinated Indiana’s only “Emerging Arts Leaders Creative Conversation” for Americans for the Arts. She holds a M.A. in Arts Administration from Indiana University.

Ashley’s academic background is in music performance and musicology. She is an active bassoonist, having performed with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, IU Opera Theatre, IU Graduate Wind Quintet and Yale Symphony Orchestra, among others. Additionally, Ashley tries to play her bass guitar whenever possible and loves to listen to R&B and funk.

Miami Residency Director Sandi Macdonald has responsibility for The Cleveland Orchestra’s year-round activities in South Florida in support of its annual three-week residency at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. Having served as the Interim Miami Residency Director since October 1, 2007, and previously as the Orchestra’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations since 2003, Ms. Macdonald became Miami Residency Director effective January 2, 2008. She is based in Miami.

Ms. Macdonald’s responsibilities as Miami Residency Director include Board management and development, marketing and sales, fundraising and donor relations, sponsorship management, and educational and community activities, in collaboration with Cleveland-based staff and Miami-based volunteer leadership.

Ms. Macdonald has over 20 years of experience in arts management. Prior to coming to The Cleveland Orchestra, she served as Senior Director, Strategic Planning & Audience Development at the Seattle Symphony, and as Director of Marketing & Communications at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She has also served in various marketing roles at Michigan Opera Theatre, the National Ballet of Canada, and the Canadian Opera Company. An amateur musician, Ms. Macdonald studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. She holds a BS degree in Business and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Christopher Stager has spent the past 16 years in audience development for the performing arts. He began his consulting firm, CRStager marketing & audience development, in 1999. Clients include the American Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, the Boston Pops Esplanade, Hartford Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, and the Toledo Symphony. Christopher provides creative materials to The Cleveland Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Phoenix Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and numerous others.

Simon Woods joined the Royal Scottish National Orchestra as Chief Executive in August 2005.

Prior to this he was President and CEO of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra in the USA. From 1997 to 2004, Mr. Woods was Vice President, Artistic Planning and Operations at The Philadelphia Orchestra, where he supervised artistic planning, touring, operations, recordings and broadcasting, education and community partnerships.

In nine years as a record producer at EMI Classics, between 1988 and 1997, Mr. Woods worked in the recording studio with many of the world’s foremost classical artists. Prior to joining EMI, he held posts with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and with Classical Music Magazine. He holds a music degree from the University of Cambridge, England, and a postgraduate diploma in conducting from the Guildhall School of Music in London.

From 1999 to 2002 Mr. Woods was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Composers Forum. During his time in the United States he was an active participant in the League of American Orchestra's professional development programs, and has led seminars on concert programming and artistic administration.

Mr. Woods is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of British Orchestras. He lives in Glasgow, Scotland with his wife Karin, son Barnaby (aged 10) and daughter Isabel (aged 7).

Associate Professor of Marketing and
Executive Director of The Center For Customer Service
University of Hartford

Dr. Steinberg earned her doctorate from the University of Connecticut and teaches courses in marketing, consumer behavior, and retailing. She has played a key role in working with the National Retail Federation in developing and implementing the job skill standards for retail sales associates, as well as work with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association to develop school-to-career skill standards for the retail, tourism, recreation and entrepreneurial cluster.

As the Executive Director of The Center For Customer Service, Dr. Steinberg has been the leading force in developing the Center’s retail and customer service training programs. Partnering with such organizations as Capitol Region Workforce Development Board, Community Renewal Team, City of Hartford Department of Social Services, and other agencies, The Center For Customer Service was a key player in the region’s Welfare-to-Work training and placement for over five years. In addition, the Center has been active in fostering community economic development in the Upper Albany neighborhood, one of Hartford’s economically disadvantaged areas. Dr. Steinberg developed and currently facilitates the Upper Albany Business Network, a collaboration of small retail and service businesses in Upper Albany. The Network received seed money from the Department of Community Economic Development (DECD) in partnership with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA), and subsequently received a grant from the Department of Labor to develop and deliver customer service training to 50 small businesses in North Hartford. She also developed the Micro Business Incubator Program which matches University of Hartford students to work with small urban businesses to upgrade their skills and enhance their operations. This program’s funders include The City of Hartford, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Travelers Foundation, United Technologies Corporation and Bank of America.

Dr. Steinberg is the Executive Vice President of the Boston Symphony Association of Volunteers, is a Board Member and Past President of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and serves on the Boards of several arts organizations including the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

Ashley Mirakian is the Director of Marketing at the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in Norfolk, VA. Prior to her appointment in Virginia, Ashley led the marketing and public relations department of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra in suburban Chicago. She has also held administrative positions with the Brevard Music Center (North Carolina), the Bloomington Area Arts Council (Indiana), and the New Haven Arts Council in Connecticut. In 2005, she coordinated Indiana’s only “Emerging Arts Leaders Creative Conversation” for Americans for the Arts. She holds a M.A. in Arts Administration from Indiana University.

Ashley’s academic background is in music performance and musicology. She is an active bassoonist, having performed with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, IU Opera Theatre, IU Graduate Wind Quintet and Yale Symphony Orchestra, among others. Additionally, Ashley tries to play her bass guitar whenever possible and loves to listen to R&B and funk.

Jeffrey Barker joined the Kansas City Symphony management team in March 2006 as Director of Marketing, having spent over twenty years in the radio industry. For fifteen of those years, Jeff was the Director of Marketing for CBS Radio Kansas City, overseeing the marketing and promotion efforts of four of the city’s top-rated and most active radio stations.

Jeff’s background includes experience in television production and direction, as well as being an on-air radio talent, radio program and music director, and producer of national radio broadcasts, including the Florida Citrus Bowl, Orange Bowl, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat basketball, and Florida State University athletics.

A Kansas City native, Jeff enjoys travelling, cooking and cycling.

Christopher Stager has spent the past 16 years in audience development for the performing arts. He began his consulting firm, CRStager marketing & audience development, in 1999. Clients include the American Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, the Boston Pops Esplanade, Hartford Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, and the Toledo Symphony. Christopher provides creative materials to The Cleveland Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Phoenix Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and numerous others.

Ann Drinan, Senior Editor, has been a member of the Hartford Symphony viola section for over 30 years. She is a former Chair of the Orchestra Committee, former member of the HSO Board, and has served on many HSO committees. She is also the Executive Director of CONCORA (CT Choral Artists), a professional chorus based in Hartford and New Britain, founded by Artistic Director Richard Coffey. Ann was a member of the Advisory Board of the Symphony Orchestra Institute (SOI), and was the HSO ROPA delegate for 14 years, serving as both Vice President and President of ROPA. In addition to playing the viola and running CONCORA, Ann is a professional writer and editor, and has worked as a consultant and technical writer for software companies in a wide variety of industries for over 3 decades. (She worked for the Yale Computer Science Department in the late 70s, and thus has been on the Internet, then called the DARPAnet, since 1977!) She is married to Algis Kaupas, a sound recordist, and lives a block from Long Island Sound in Branford CT. Together they create websites for musicians: shortbeachwebdesign.com.

Ann holds a BA in Music from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an MA in International Relations from Yale University.

Read Ann Drinan's blog here. web.esm.rochester.edu/poly/author/ann-drinan

Chuck Seipp has performed extensively throughout the United States and abroad as a member of The United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own.” Currently Assistant Brass Group Leader of the Concert Band, Sergeant Major Seipp has performed with the Army Band since 1980, and has participated in global events and many official Washington area functions. He most recently toured and recorded solo trumpet and organ repertoire throughout Europe with world-renowned organist Diane Bish - appearing also on her Joy of Music television series with The U.S. Army Quintet.

Through CJ Seipp Music Publications, he markets his own brass arrangements, some of which have been played and recorded by the Canadian Brass Quintet and The U.S. Army Brass Quintet. Chuck’s recording of his published Wedding Book has been a valuable resource for organists and trumpet players.

Chuck Seipp is an active teacher and performer in the Washington DC area, where he has appeared with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Opera House Orchestra, Washington Bach Consort, and as leader of the Commonwealth Brass Quintet. He holds both Masters and Doctoral degrees from The Catholic University of America.

Contact Chuck Seipp at: chuckseipp@aol.com