The following is a brief history of the Symphony Orchestra Institute, from the time of its founding, through the date of its conveyance to The Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester.

Institute's mission has been to foster improvement in the effectiveness of North American symphony orchestra organizations, to enhance the value they provide to their communities, and to help assure their preservation as unique and valuable cultural institutions.

The Institute was founded in 1994 by Paul. R. Judy, who was motivated by a lifelong passion for classical music and a keen interest in how organizations functioned, coupled with a serious concern about the longer term effectiveness and sustainability of the existing American symphony organization model. After about a year of personal field interviews, further informed by a commissioned review of all available literature, Mr. Judy decided to organize and fund a foundation devoted to the study and betterment of the human dynamics of North American orchestra organizations.

In founding the Institute, My. Judy defined its basic premises, beliefs, objectives, and early operational plans in a statement of Precepts and Direction published in the first issue of the Institute's journal, Harmony, in the fall of 1995. This issue also included Mr. Judy's analysis of the American symphony organization genre, highlighting its unique complexity, and the resulting need for special, innovative, and transformative approaches to change, if these organizational systems were to excel and their art be preserved for future generations.  (See Related Links, upper right).

A number of organizational research projects were initiated and funded by the Institute in 1996-1998.  As these projects were completed, it became evident that symphony staff, musicians, and volunteers were generally cognizant of the organizational issues and complexities within their institutions. By this time, too, the Institute had become familiar with a large body of organizational research and insight by academicians which could be applied to and illuminate symphony organizational issues, and assist practitioners to understand them. The content of Harmony was thereafter increasingly directed to this end. 

Toward the same objectives, in 1998, the Institute initiated the sponsorship of field organizational consulting, starting with the Philadelphia Orchestra organization, and has carried on this work with other organizations and industry institutions to this day, as described under Field Activities. (See Related Links).

In late fall of 1999, Fred Zenone, one of the Institute's founding board members, became active in Institute operations as Vice Chairman, and was elected President in December, 2001. 

In early 1997, the Institute launched this website as an electronic forum for disseminating and archiving content relating to symphony organizational behavior, including the content of Harmony, in downloadable form, as well as providing a general reference list of all similar or related published content. The site has become the world's principal reference source for such readings especially for employees and volunteers of North American symphony organizations who wish to better understand and improve the functioning of their institutions.

In the fall of 2003, in light of the heavy burden of systematic content development, the increasing demand for operational management, and the growing expense of periodical publishing, the Institute decided to cease the publication of Harmony as a periodical.  It was planned that the Institute would continue to post on this site reports, articles, dialogue, and other content which addressed, described, and fostered, in especially pertinent ways, transformative change within symphony orchestra organizations and the industry as a whole.

In early 2004, after eight years of intensive pursuit of its mission, the Institute undertook a review of field progress which was taking place in the direction of organization change, and a review of the Institute's own results in bringing about any such progress. Two questions were framed. Were any appreciable number of leading symphony organizations actually undertaking a critique and alteration of traditional organizational structures, decision-making systems, behavioral practices, and stake holding in such a way as to become more vital, effective and sustainable organizations in their communities? And, from the Institute's perspective, were its programs having any direct and discernible effect in helping to bring about such progressive change?

After much deliberation, the Institute concluded that, on balance, there was little overall, fundamental, introspection and internal assessment taking place across all constituencies within North America's symphony organizations which was leading, or might reasonably lead in the foreseeable future, to planful, collaborative, transformational action. There was little sense or expression of any imperative for fundamental organizational change among industry group leaders, or among board, orchestra, or management leaders within symphony organizations. And this was the situation notwithstanding the financial turbulence taking place during this period.

In parallel, it was concluded that, although the intent and eight year's of concerted effort to catalyze change in this field were applauded, and there was interest and support for the effort, that, on balance, the actual field effect of the Institute's initiatives was modest. The human and financial resources which had been expended to bring about change were not commensurate with the benefits possibly created. Looking to the future, it was also concluded that the Institute did not have and could not identify the human resources needed to manage ongoing operations down the path originally staked out, or in any new set of effective programs which could be imagined.

Thus, the Institute began to evaluate a possible new home for its financial and intellectual resources and a new path to be pursued within that home, all as a part in a continuing effort to bring about -- over the longer term -- positive change in how North America's symphony orchestra organizations functioned. As noted above and on the Home page of this site, that new home is the Eastman School of Music within which a new direction will be pursued through the Orchestra Musician Forum.

Governance of the Institute was conducted by a Board of Directors. In addition, a Board of Advisors consisting of orchestra board members, executives, and musicians along with academic professionals provided valuable assistance in pursuing the Institute's mission. (See Related Links).

Before its dissolution in late March, 2005, the Symphony Orchestra Institute was an Illinois not-for-profit corporation engaged in education and research. As a private operating foundation, the Institute was exempt from federal income taxes under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code as a section 501(c)(3) organization. Over the years, the Institute received contributions from supporting orchestra organizations and from dedicated individuals through the Advocates of Change program. Financial statements for the Institute have been published annually. (See Related Links).