“Take Your Child to Work Day” is a chance for parents to show their kids what they do for a living. But for Mark Volpe ’83, it was his father’s position as a trumpeter at the Minnesota Symphony that would one day lead him to working there as well, albeit in a very different role.
A failed audition with a clarinet brought Volpe to the University of Minnesota Law School.
It was that audition in San Francisco, where he played Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, which lasted about 17 seconds, that led him to his career in law.
“I had spent nearly all my money to get to San Francisco for the audition,” he says. “And it was over that fast. But it wasn’t just that. It was all of the auditions. I knew I wanted to move on.”
Volpe decided to earn his J.D. and, even though he didn’t end up working at a firm, he is firm in his belief that what he learned at the Law School came into play countless times in his many years as a symphony executive. “The unions, the contracts—I saw a million times the difference a law degree made.”
His first stop after law school was the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as general manager. “The first job got me acclimated and I learned a great deal on the financial end,” he says. “I learned that with fundraising, it’s all about relationships. You don’t just ask for money, but invite people to concerts, dinners, and let them meet artists they like. Find where there is mutual interest and let things grow.”
He would have a short stay next at, of all places, the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra as executive vice president, but it was a potent reminder of why he chose this path. “It meant a lot to be back, and it was hilarious to have some of the musicians remind me of when I was a kid there,” he says. “We were able to do recording and touring, and to see my father at work in a different way. It was special. It wasn’t easy to leave after being there about two years, but what I learned there helped me be ready for my next role.”
His next position was as executive director at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 1990 to 97. It allowed him to be a part of Detroit’s revitalization. “The focus in Detroit was on urban renewal. There were opportunities to make a difference, big and small,” he says. “With the Detroit Medical Center,” which is close to the symphony, “we were able to build a 1,000-car parking ramp, which helped with a problem they had, but was also available for concerts at night. There was also the idea of a performing arts high school, doing for Detroit what that kind of school had done for other cities. We were able to help get it built, thinking, ‘Let’s go to the school board and go to the voters to get a bond issued to build it.’ It was roughly a $100 million project. It took two years. We had some projects that involved deep problem-solving and teamwork, and I saw in different ways how a symphony can affect a city.”
Taking the Baton
As proud as he was of his achievements in Detroit, when the Boston Symphony Orchestra—arguably the number one symphony in the country—came calling, it was a chance he couldn’t turn down. He would serve as President and CEO from 1997 to his retirement from the position in 2021. “So much has changed over the years when you think of that job, but also how the business has changed. Fundraising changed to be a much bigger portion of my time, and donations also increased by a great amount,” says Volpe, who co-wrote the book, Fundraising for the Arts.
With the Boston Symphony Orchestra, there were several collective bargaining agreements that Volpe was involved in. He can say proudly that there wasn’t one strike among the musicians.
“There were many successful moments, including top events,” he says. “July 4th playing live for half a million people and cutting a deal with CBS, who carried it for 10 years. Playing the Super Bowl, “The Star-Spangled Banner” for the World Series, and the NBA Championship were all huge events.”
The pandemic presented a significant challenge for an organization that prided itself on delivering stellar live events.
“The artists agreed to a pay cut, and we were able to do things like have them do performances at their place and then get it out on the Internet,” he says. “People had enough of a hunger for music during that time. There wasn’t any way to prepare for the pandemic. You just had to fight for this business.”
Looking back at the University of Minnesota Law School days, experiences that were critical to his career included learning labor law from Professor Emerita Laura Cooper as well as being the editor-in-chief of a Law School newspaper called Query. “I actually got to write a series of articles on collective bargaining in the orchestral setting, and it launched me into studying labor law,” he says. “My time at Query also taught me about managing people. Professor Laura Cooper's courses gave me a great base. If you ask 9 or 10 of my peers what my strength is, I believe they will all say labor.”
Volpe appreciates having played a role in music that is an integral part of culture and how it’s been a multi-generational part of his family.
“You could say I was born into music—my role changed, but it felt good to help with something that can reach people, bring something out of them, and maybe leave them better than when the performance began…” he says. “My career shows you can start with one goal and then shift to another…I wanted a music career and, in the end, that’s what happened.”