Bennett retired from the SSO on May 31
Susan Bennett Susan Bennett has amassed many fond memories in her 20 years as cirector of marketing and communications for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.
Bennett retired from the SSO on May 31, and shared some recollections of the rewards and challenges of two decades spent serving the symphony.
“I will always remember the opera ‘The Magic Flute,’ because watching the production being put together was fascinating,” she recalled. “The project had many elements – costumes, sets, artwork, staging – and it all came together perfectly, and our production received national coverage.”
During “Magic Flute” Bennett particularly enjoyed working with the set and costume designer, children’s author Eric Carle.
“Eric was like everybody’s grandfather,” she said, “kind and gracious to all with his time and talent. Even though he is a world-class artist, he was very down-to-earth and fun to work with. He was so excited to ‘take a bow’ at the concert – he was child-like.”
Bennett also enjoyed working on the semi-staged production of “Aida” with maestro Kevin Rhodes in 2003.
“It was a large collaboration between the Springfield Museums, The Public Forum, WGBY, and WFCR – all of which contributed something to make it a success. There was original art, the (Springfield) Public Forum brought in an Egyptologist to discuss the pyramids, WFCR produced three radio shows about it and broadcasted it live with WGBY. We were recognized in Symphony Magazine.”
Ownership and operation, with her husband Charlie, of the Jewish Weekly News of Western Massachusetts, along with studies in accounting and graphic design in college prepared Bennett for her SSO position.
“Also, my father was a professional musician, and music has always been a part of my life, so how lucky was I to get this job,” she said.
Clearly, the imposing list of responsibilities attendant upon Bennett’s position has introduced her to a fascinating range of events, projects, and people.
Producing the program booklet that patrons receive at each concert was near the top of that list. She sold ads, hired program annotators, gathered sponsor information, edited artist bios, laid out pages, and coordinated proofing and printing, and produced three editions of the program booklet each season.
She was also responsible for the brochures in both single-ticket and subscription versions, compiling and crystallizing copy for each concert and collaborating with designers on concept and execution.
Bennett’s tenure spanned a period of rapid media evolution. From the days of printed press releases and glossy photos, she transitioned to social media marketing and email blasts, from print ads and postcards to podcasts, and she coordinated all the SSO’s radio and television commercials.
She supervised ticket sales and box office activity and monitored attendance at all concerts.
At each intermission, Bennett – and occasionally, former Executive Director Michael Jonnes – would meet reporters in the corner of the Symphony Hall lobby and enjoy entertaining guesses at the evening’s total.
“I was always happy when we could put up a sign that said ‘this performance is sold out,’” she said.
Great responsibility invariably brings with it great challenges. One of the “pet peeves” Bennett recalled was the public perception that the SSO owned Symphony Hall.
“That is not true,” she explained. “Symphony Hall is owned by the city of Springfield and managed by CityStage. We were always getting calls about shows at the hall, and it was frustrating to be unable to help the callers.
“Another challenge was trying to meet deadlines with limited financial resources,” she said. “We didn’t get any funding from the city or the federal government.”
Bennett will never forget the concert night when the Symphony Hall elevator malfunctioned.
“We had to bring handicapped patrons up into the hall with the moving stage!” she said.
Some of Bennett’s greatest pleasures were shared with visiting artists.
“I enjoyed working with pianist Joyce Yang in 2011 when we opened up a rehearsal for a photo shoot,” she said. “Joyce was very cooperative, easy to work with, and pleasant, willing to stop and chat with all.”
“Cantor Morton Shames always sang at our Holiday Pops concerts,” she continued. “He was very happy to be part of the concerts and he pumped up the rest of the staff.”
“For a man with a fantastic voice and heavy-duty credentials, Art Garfunkel was very humble and unassuming, and he had fabulous charts.”
Which specific public-relations assignment is indelibly etched in Bennett’s mind?
“I will always remember the video shoot with newly-hired music director Mark Russell Smith in 1995,” she said. “We had set him up rollerblading in his tuxedo out in front of Symphony Hall. Mark set down his backpack so he could rollerblade with his hands free.”
“When we finished videotaping, Mark went to pick up his bag to change out of his rollerblades into his sneakers and found that his bag had been stolen!”
“The Channel 22 news team gave Mark a ride to the Springfield Police Station and he had to rollerblade into the Police Station front door to report the crime.”
“Mark was so new to the area he didn’t have a valid local ID except for a UMass-Amherst ID card that had been issued to him when he signed up to teach there. Mark’s wallet was intact, but the bag was never recovered. His sneakers and socks were gone for good.”
Bennett admitted that she will miss the Springfield Symphony Orchestra family.
“For the last 14 years, Executive Director Michael Jonnes, who now works for the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, fostered a unity between administrative staff and musicians that previously had not existed. It was a small and understaffed group, but under Michael’s leadership the administrative staff always did what they had to do to make the symphony prosper.”
“I had some health issues this year,” she added, “and with Michael moving on it made my decision to retire easier.”
Jonnes was effusive in his praise of Bennett.
“Sue Bennett is a smart, disciplined, lovely woman. Her wonderful personality made the orchestra very special in Springfield. She forged warm relationships throughout the media and business community that really helped the orchestra to succeed. Her loyalty to the orchestra and its mission was one hundred percent steadfast. In all my years working in this business, she’s been one of, if not the best senior managers I’ve known, and it has been an honor to work with her.”
She looks forward to enjoying more time with her 3-year-old granddaughter Persephone.
This season’s final concert, “Mozart and Beethoven,” was one of Bennett’s favorites. “Maybe it was because it was my last concert,” she said, “but I really loved it. It was an outstanding success from attendance to guest soloists, chorus, Beethoven’s 5th was great, and a long standing ovation and cheers and whistles for Kevin and the orchestra made me feel very proud of all that we have done together.”