San Antonio Movers and Shakers

Jack Fishman – 6/18/11

President and CEO, San Antonio Symphony

Download Link

Jack Fishman assumed the administrative leadership of the San Antonio Symphony (SAS) in September 2008. Fishman brings extensive experience to the SAS, both as an orchestra manager and as an artist. Prior to coming to San Antonio, he was Executive Director of the Long Beach (CA) Symphony, the Amarillo (TX) Symphony and Orchestra Manager of the Jacksonville (FL) Symphony.

During his tenure in California, the orchestra created a series of programs to engage new audiences in collaboration with Long Beach’s Museum of Latin American Art. He also led the Symphony Board of Directors in a redesign of their governance system, successfully introduced a new Music Director, increased donations with a new major gifts program and increased subscriptions with new marketing strategies. During his eight seasons, he led the orchestra’s two major commissioning projects—one creating a work inspired by the permanent collection of the Museum of Latin America Art and one featuring the orchestra’s five woodwind principals in a concerto. He also produced and hosted a cable television show called Conversations with the Maestro that aired weekly.

During his six seasons as Executive Director of the Amarillo Symphony, Fishman eliminated previous deficits, launched a new major fundraising initiative that increased gifts from individuals by 180% in two seasons, created a week-long ensemble residency program in elementary schools, and successfully planned the orchestra’s 75th anniversary season. That celebration included a commissioned work inspired by West Texas history that became a nationally-broadcast television special on PBS and a best-selling CD on the Naxos label.

Fishman received his B.M. and M.M. degrees in music performance on the double bass from The Juilliard School in New York, graduating in 1980. He performed in several professional orchestras for 10 years, including the Florida Symphony Orchestra in Orlando and the Puerto Rico Symphony. His wife, Paula, is a violist and middle school orchestra teacher and their 18-year old daughter is a violinist at Reagan High School. They have one dog and Jack’s hobbies include cooking and reading.

Hosts,
Bjorn Dybdahl of Bjorn's
John Thurman of Heart of Texas Realty
Scott Woolfolk of Documation