“Tony Woodcock may be said to embody the new spirit of the musician; an organized entrepreneur, a dedicated community activist, a heart for helping people to become their true selves.”
Career at a Glance
Scolopax Arts, Founder and President -- Europe and the U.S.A
New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA -- President
Minnesota Orchestra, Minneapolis, MN -- President
Oregon Symphony Orchestra, Portland, OR -- President
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, UK -- CEO
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, UK -- CEO
Saint David's Hall, the National Concert Hall of Wales, UK -- General Manager
City of London Sinfonietta and the Richard Hickox Singers, UK -- General Manager
For the majority of my professional life, I have been seen as a leading pioneer in the field of arts management and music education. At the heart of my work is a dedication to positioning future generations of artists as independent innovators and community leaders. I was President of New England Conservatory for 8 years, following a transcontinental career managing orchestras including Minneapolis, Oregon, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Bournemouth Symphony. As a veteran fundraiser, negotiator and institutional reformer, I have made dynamism and fresh ideas the foundation of his leadership, and have left a legacy of potent innovations still in evidence across the United States and Great Britain. NEC's Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Sistema Fellowship programs, both initiatives of mine, have been met with international acclaim, while my recruitment of star faculty has repositioned NEC as a destination for aspiring musicians worldwide. As an orchestral CEO, I organized numerous international tours between Europe and the United States, successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements with four major orchestras, and collaborated with a diverse array of celebrity talent, from Paul McCartney to Yakov Kreizberg. All of this was achieved against a backdrop of increases in audience and revenue. I studied at Cardiff University, where I was recently awarded an Honorary Fellowship. In 2015 I created this cutting edge consultancy Scolopax Arts focusing on higher education and the performing arts, and its success has meant that I now divide my time between Europe and the States.