Following an eight-year stint at Austin Symphony Orchestra in Texas, Eric Marshall has come to the Capital Region to lead the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra as its executive director, as Baton Rouge Area Foundation recently announced.
A Pennsylvania native, Marshall plans to expand the appeal of the organization’s programs to a broader audience. In Texas, he previously worked to capture the millennial market and increase ticket sales.
Marshall also takes the helm just as the organization is navigating two major changes: the renovation of the symphony’s home stage, the River Center Performing Arts Theater, and the anticipated departure of BRSO’s music director, Tim Muffitt.
Until the home stage reopens in 2021, the symphony is performing in alternative locations around the community, including First Baptist Church, Istrouma Baptist Church, Houmas House, the Capitol Park Museum, St. Joseph Cathedral and First Presbyterian Church.
To capture the attention of the community’s youngest listeners, Marshall says BRSO will connect with school-age children through 14 school-based music education programs, for which the organization was recently awarded a grant from the Louisiana Decentralized Arts Funding program. The workshops aim to bring music awareness to children through lessons that integrate math, science, English and other subjects.
Competing for the attention of new listeners isn’t easy today, but Marshall says he believes there’s never been a better time to showcase a community asset like BRSO.
“I’m excited about classical music and where it’s going, and the level of musicianship we have here in Baton Rouge is incredible,” Marshall says. “There’s no replacement for experiencing something like that, live.”
