Exit interview: LSO’s Sara Mummey
Lafayette Symphony Orchestra’s outgoing CEO reflects on 14 years of cultivating classical music and more than a few B-Sides in Lafayette.
Support for this edition comes from Purdue’s Presidential Lecture Series. Purdue University invites you to a special evening with Thomas Caulfield, president and CEO of semiconductor manufacturing company GlobalFoundries, at 6 p.m. Jan. 15 in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall. With a rich career in engineering and executive management, Caulfield has held key roles at Soraa, Ausra, Novellus Systems and IBM. He also serves on the board of Western Digital Corp. This Presidential Lecture Series event is free and open to the public. Reserve your seat today: www.purdue.edu/president/lecture-series/
NOW AVAILABLE: CHECK OUT BASED IN LAFAYETTE AT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY, TOO: Free access to Based in Lafayette is now available and free to read at all Tippecanoe County Public Library branches. Based in Lafayette has been part of the reference collection at the West Lafayette Public Library since the summer. We finally have things lined up at the county library’s branches, too. Ask at a service desk or the reference desk at any Tippecanoe County or West Lafayette library branch to get logged in to read full-access editions of Based in Lafayette. Go to the library. It’s good for you.
Programming note: Today’s lead story comes from Based in Lafayette correspondent Tim Brouk.
EXIT INTERVIEW: LSO’S SARA MUMMEY
By Tim Brouk / For Based in Lafayette
Sara Mummey’s tenure as CEO of the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra is reaching its coda.
Hired in 2011 as assistant director before moving up to executive director in 2012, Mummey has overseen the growth of the local arts pillar that is the LSO in terms of audience, programming and community reach. The CEO’s last official day is Jan. 17 but she will remain on the LSO roster into February to aid in the transition to new leadership.
Mummey produced 119 concerts — 81 main stage events and 38 B-Side shows, smaller and less formal concerts formerly held at Carnahan Hall and now hosted by Rat Pak Venue. Most concerts at the Long Center for the Performing Arts were under the artistic leadership of conductor Nick Palmer before Mummey facilitated the passing of the baton to new conductor and artistic director Kellen Gray.
Mummey said she is proudest of the LSO’s growth in accessibility during her stint there.
“I think that we've made a lot of progress in performing music that speaks to a variety of tastes and in ways that hopefully are a little bit more inviting,” Mummey said. “I would say that the biggest area of our growth has been our artistic offering and accessibility related to that because I think it’s going to be critical, just as it is in any business. Everybody has to grow and evolve and stay with the times, and that is certainly true for orchestras.”
Two candidates for the LSO CEO position will interview and make presentations for the board of directors this month before they start in time for the LSO’s next major concert, the annual Lollipop Concert marked for Feb. 7.
While Mummey will be in and out of the LSO offices for about another month, she recently reflected on her years keeping classical music alive and thriving in Lafayette.
Question: How are you feeling right now after all these years leading the LSO?
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Based in Lafayette, Indiana to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.